Category: renewables

Consumer Watchdog Says Australians Paying Too Much for Electricity

As millions of Australians have been hit with electricity price surges since July, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has raised concerns that electricity bills are too high. In May, the Australian Energy Regulator released the new default market offer, which caps the maximum rate energy retailers can charge residential and small business customers…


Labour Leader Reassures Oil and Gas Needed for ‘Many Years to Come’

Oil and gas will be necessary for “many, many years” to come, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said following criticism from trade unions that his energy plans will hit jobs. Two major trade unions have expressed concerns after media reports suggested that Labour would promise to halt new oil and gas production in the…


Is It Time to Say Goodbye to Improving Productivity?

Commentary The latest five-year review by the Australian Productivity Commission (PC) is a historically weak piece of analysis compared to previous reports, perhaps as a result of government pressure. If you read between the lines on Treasurer Jim Chalmers’s recent comments, it appears the Commission is to sing its swan song sooner rather than later….


UK Renewables Generated More Electricity Than Gas This Winter, Think Tank Claims

British-based renewables generated more electricity than gas this winter, an energy think tank has claimed. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), between Oct. 1, 2022, and Feb. 28, 2023, power generated by wind, hydro, and solar reached 47 terawatt hours (TWh), slightly exceeding the electricity generated by gas over the same period….


Why California’s Renewables Agenda Is Impossible

Commentary California’s regnant political class sees almost every policy in terms of inspiring the world to adopt policies similar to ours on global warming or climate change. A recently published book will disabuse anyone who reads it of that notion, because it shows our reliance on the traditional industrial-age fuels, coal, and petrochemicals inevitably will…


‘Zero Emissions’ From Electric Vehicles? Here’s Why That Claim Has Zero Basis

As California, New York, and other states move to phase out the sale of gasoline-powered cars, public officials routinely echo the Biden administration’s claim that electric vehicles are a “zero emissions” solution that can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change. Car and energy experts, however, say there is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle: For now and the foreseeable future, the…


[Premiering at 7 PM ET] How Green Policies Led to Europe’s Energy Crisis: Daniel Lacalle

Daniel Lacalle is one of Europe’s most influential economists and investment managers. He oversees over $6 billion in financial assets at Tressis Gestión in Spain. An expert in energy and energy policy, Lacalle is also the author of “The Energy World is Flat.” Lacalle says Europe’s energy crisis can’t be blamed on the Ukraine war…


How Green Policies Led to Europe’s Energy Crisis: Daniel Lacalle

Daniel Lacalle is one of Europe’s most influential economists and investment managers. He oversees over $6 billion in financial assets at Tressis Gestión in Spain. An expert in energy and energy policy, Lacalle is also the author of “The Energy World is Flat.” Lacalle says Europe’s energy crisis can’t be blamed on the Ukraine war…


They Will Flatten the Curve of Your Energy Use

Commentary My friends in the UK have been texting me wildly this week. What the heck is going on with energy bills? They are doubling, tripling, and forecast to go even higher. For this bourgeoisie, this is a budget-destroying disaster. Small businesses won’t be able to afford to open. The poor will face the choice…


America’s Energy Independence

Commentary The United States is a big country with lots and lots of natural resources, but our energy independence is complicated. For instance, with oil, it was a much different story 140 years ago. Official numbers vary, but in 1880 the United States was responsible for 85–95 percent of world oil production and refining. John…