Energy

Quantifying the Variables that Determine Our Prosperity

Quantifying the Variables that Determine Our Prosperity

It is nearly impossible to read a policy document on the topic of energy or water that won’t make frequent references to carbon. In California, the race to achieve a “carbon neutral” economy by 2045 has spawned a carbon accounting industry that calculates the carbon impact of absolutely everything we do. Certain numbers have become...

By Edward Ring

Revive Nuclear Energy in America

Revive Nuclear Energy in America

The United States used to be the undisputed leader in nuclear power and still has more operating reactors than any other nation, with 94 currently in service. But in the last 35 years, only one new nuclear power plant has been built in the U.S.—Plant Vogtle in Georgia, which only recently began commercial operations. Meanwhile,...

By Edward Ring

Comprehensive Energy Policy Recommendations Released

Comprehensive Energy Policy Recommendations Released

In May 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom released a report, “California’s Clean Energy Transition Plan,” which provides an updated overview of the state’s official energy policy agenda. The document sets many ambitious goals, perhaps too ambitious, and its summary presents ambiguous tables that can mislead readers. In particular, on page 7 there is a table “Total...

By Edward Ring

Burnt Wiener Sandwich

Burnt Wiener Sandwich

San Francisco State Senator Scott Wiener is California’s most devious and craven politician. Sensing an opportunity to pit two despised industries against one another, he submitted a new bill, seemingly overnight, that blames California’s recent wildfires on oil companies and allows insurance companies to sue them. Senate Bill 222 is another bill in a long...

By Truman Angell

The Many Colors of Hydrogen

The Many Colors of Hydrogen

The lightest and most abundant substance in the universe, the simplest possible molecule, hydrogen (H2), is touted as the clean burning fuel of the future. Zero pollution. But how can hydrogen be extracted or manufactured in its pure form, and how can hydrogen be stored, distributed, and converted into practical applications? If you’re following the...

By Edward Ring

Rescuing California Requires Challenging Crony Environmentalism

Rescuing California Requires Challenging Crony Environmentalism

The Speaker of the Assembly in the California state legislature, Robert Rivas, recently said that “California must not fixate on Trump and forget about affordability.” Fat chance. California has been under the absolute control of “progressive liberals” for a generation. It’s their policies that have made the state unaffordable. By now, the only people who deny that...

By Edward Ring

How Newsom Can Achieve “Affordability”

How Newsom Can Achieve “Affordability”

Leadership in the California Legislature claim they’re aware of the cost of living and doing business in the state. In the special session called by Governor Newsom to “Trump proof” the state, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D, Salinas) said “We must chart a new path forward and renew the California Dream by focusing on affordability.” We welcome...

By Edward Ring

Is Photovoltaic Power Competitive?

Is Photovoltaic Power Competitive?

As reported in Politico on 10/29, “Westlands Water District, which supplies some of California’s driest farmland in the Central Valley, is making plans to convert some 200 square miles of it — an area roughly the size of Detroit — into what would be the largest solar installation in the world.” The motivation for this is understandable enough....

By Edward Ring

California’s Regulators – Uninformed and Unaccountable

California’s Regulators – Uninformed and Unaccountable

By Truman Angell for the California Policy Center The California legislature has a habit of giving away its own power to regulatory agencies and ABX2-1 is another in a long line of such abdications. The new law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October after he called a special legislative session, is generally understood as...

Californian Energy Use Compared to the USA and the World

Californian Energy Use Compared to the USA and the World

As we celebrate one of America’s finest traditions this week, one of the things we are surely thankful for is the energy we often take for granted. We are particularly lucky in America, because the energy we use is nearly always reliable and abundant. Just how abundant? Here are some numbers. Most energy economists report...

By Edward Ring

The Numbers Driving California vs Washington on Energy, Water & Forestry

The Numbers Driving California vs Washington on Energy, Water & Forestry

With national election results that have delivered a surprisingly unequivocal result, California’s business interests now find themselves on a political tightrope. On one side, the incoming Trump administration will pursue deregulation that may help businesses remain in California, and on the other side, the Newsom administration is going to do everything in its power to...

By Edward Ring

Quantifying the Impact of “Low Carbon” Fuel

Quantifying the Impact of “Low Carbon” Fuel

On November 8, a Friday evening, after a day long marathon of public comment, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved updates to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. According to the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the price impact of compliance with the new rules “could be $0.65 per gallon in the near term, $0.85 per gallon...

By Edward Ring