Free Republic

In a gross violation of journalistic ethics, a CNN journalist gave the Biden administration a sneak peek of her article looking for the government stamp of approval before publishing. The Functional Government Initiative (FGI) obtained documents shared exclusively with MRC Business showing that CNN congressional reporter Clare Foran all but asked the Department of Energy to greenlight her story going after Republican politicians for pushing to prohibit DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm from implementing any rule that would “limit consumer access to gas kitchen ranges and ovens.” The emails uncovered by FGI — dated March 30, 2023 — don’t denote a...

During an interview with NewsNation on Sunday, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) stated that he thinks President Joe Biden decided to leave the 2024 race in part because he was concerned about his own health and Biden’s COVID diagnosis was “a wake-up call that there are other health issues that are ahead of him.” And that Biden decided that it’s best that he “use his energy, his experience, and knowledge” “to finish up the next six months of his presidency in a very strong way.”

China's coal output rose to a six-month high in June, statistics bureau data showed on Monday, as mines ramped up production to meet seasonal demand ... The world's largest coal producer mined 405.38 million metric tons of the fuel last month, a 3.6% increase on the year and the highest since December ... Output will continue rising in the third quarter ... Output in the January-June period was 2.27 billion tons

Big Tech consumes more than many countries.. Tech giants Google and Microsoft each consumed 24 TWh each of electricity during 2023, surpassing the consumption of more than 100 countries, new research has claimed. Analysis by Michael Thomas, shared on X, claims both Google and Microsoft consumed the same amount of energy as Azerbaijan, which has an estimated GDP of $78.7 billion. Google’s 2023 revenue stood at $307.4 billion, and Microsoft’s at $211.9 billion. The massive energy usage underscores the substantial environmental impact of these companies. But it also serves as a reminder of their sheer scale, and the positive impact...

According to Electrly, the electric vehicle charging manufacturer, it takes an average of 90 kilowatt-hours of electricity to fully charge a Tesla Model Y long range all-wheel-drive vehicle, 83 kWh for the Model Y performance version, and 67 kWh for the standard range Model Y. Each Tesla uses between 0.24 to 0.30 kWh per mile, or about 4,500 kWh over a year for 15,000 miles of driving. Other electric vehicles use more or less, but within a similar range. At 0.30 kWh per mile, that’s 90 kWh for 300 miles of driving for the typical week. The average American household...

Wind is quietly blowing away coal, when it comes to supplying electricity in the US.In April, wind power generated more electricity than coal for the second month in a row, according to the latest available data from the Energy Information Administration. Wind briefly surpassed coal once before in April last year, but this time it’s by a much larger margin and for two consecutive months. Renewable energy production has been ticking up for years but only recently have fuels like wind and solar approached the ballpark of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Last year renewables made up 21% of electricity...

Economic Benefits of a Revitalized Energy Sector O’Leary pointed out that a strong energy sector is crucial for economic stability and growth. He mentioned that efficient energy infrastructure, like pipelines delivering gas to international markets, could significantly reduce national debt. He also suggested that a robust oil and gas industry could lead to energy security and vibrant economic outcomes, benefiting not just the industry but the overall economy. A Resurgence in Fossil Fuel Investments Kevin O’Leary’s insights suggest that the recent Supreme Court ruling could significantly alter the landscape for the oil and gas industry. By potentially curbing regulatory overreach...

Bill Gates is pledging billions to promote next-generation nuclear power through TerraPower, focusing on innovations that could make nuclear a key player in global decarbonization.Increasing energy demands from the AI sector prompt tech leaders like Sam Altman and Bill Gates to advocate for nuclear power as a sustainable solution.Innovations in nuclear technology, including smaller, more standardized reactors, aim to reduce construction costs and compete with natural gas.Bill Gates is ready to sink billions into getting next-generation nuclear energy off the ground in the United States. The world’s sixth richest man has been a staunch nuclear supporter for years now, and...

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) on Monday led 22 members of Congress in requesting that the Department of Energy add Texas to the areas serviced by proposed federal corridors for electrical transmission. In May, the department announced 10 proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) that, if implemented, could make federal funds available to expand grid capability in those areas. However, Texas, which relies on the self-contained Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), was not among the proposed sites. “The United States needs a 21st-century electric grid [and] you can’t have a 21st-centutry electric grid with a giant hole in the...

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been chipping away at the oil, gas and coal industries ever since President Joe Biden took office. Wyoming is an energy state that produces half the nation’s coal, as well as part of its oil and gas output. Since the federal government owns nearly half the state’s land, virtually all oil, gas and coal operations in the Cowboy State are heavily impacted by every rule the BLM throws at fossil fuels. Although the Biden administration is waging war on fossil fuels, Wyoming is fighting back. The state, along with Utah, filed a lawsuit...

A fire at a battery storage facility in Otay Mesa is out — but the stubborn nature of the blaze has sparked opposition from some residents about the relative safety of at least three other battery projects that developers want to build in other parts of San Diego County. Renewable energy supporters say battery facilities are essential to meet California’s goals to develop a carbon-free electric grid. State policymakers and battery companies say the risk of future fires will decrease over time, counting on technological improvements in battery chemistries and better designs at the facilities housing the batteries. “My hope...

In this post last week, I took note that New York’s electric grid system operator, NYISO, has recently issued some clear, if muted, warnings of the impossibility of the energy transition mandated by the state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). In a November 2023 Report, NYISO stated (deeply buried at page 52) that “DEFRs are needed to balance intermittent supply with demand,” and those DEFRs must be “significant in capacity.” DEFRs are the elusive and not-yet-invented “dispatchable emissions-free resources.” At a conference the following month, NYISO’s VP for System Integration Planning, Zachary Smith, reiterated the need for...

A nationwide electricity outage struck Ecuador on Wednesday, leaving the nation of some 18 million in the dark, including the capital's subway system, as authorities worked to repair faulty power lines, a senior official said on Wednesday. "There is a failure in the transmission line that caused a cascade disconnection, so there's no electricity at a national scale," Public Works Minister Roberto Luque said in a post on X. Luque also serves as the country's acting energy minister. A Reuters witness said there was confusion on the streets of Quito, the capital, as traffic lights ceased working. Operations of Quito's...

The Government of Maine has really big plans for floating wind, a floating net zero fantasy, in fact. Since floating wind power is the next big green thing, it is worth taking a close look at this ruinous vision. Floating wind is a fad, not an established technology. It has yet to be built at utility scale or tested in a hurricane. The world’s biggest grid-connected system is a tiny 50 MW and just came online off Scotland. The cost of floating wind is necessarily much greater than fixed wind. A fixed wind tower sits on a simple monopile, while...

Some 12 kilometers from Minusinsk, near the settlement of Bystraya, is one of many locations in Russia's eastern regions where natural gas bubbles up out of the ground. In the summer, locals bring sausages and other food to cook over the open "eternal flames." Although Russia is a global leader in the production of natural gas, millions of residents of its coldest, easternmost regions remain unconnected to gas lines. . Across the region each winter, officials regularly issued air-quality warnings because of the smog from burning coal. In 2021, children from Minusinsk donned gas masks and recorded video appeals in...

NBC 5 learned more about how leaders at the state's largest power grid think it will perform during upcoming hot Texas summers. ERCOT and Public Utility Commission leaders updated lawmakers in Austin Wednesday morning after a striking new report issued by the grid operator. They've long known that ERCOT, the state's largest power grid, is most vulnerable on hot late-summer nights as the sun goes down. That's when the big chunk of energy generated by solar power goes offline. It gets worse if the wind goes down as well, and wind generators don't run. According to a report delivered to...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country is an "invincible comrade-in-arms" with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin, state media KCNA said on Wednesday, amid speculation over Putin's impending visit to North Korea. Marking Russia's National Day, Kim said his meeting with Putin at a Russian space launch facility last year elevated the ties of their "century-old strategic relationship". The message came after Russia's Vedomosti newspaper on Monday reported Putin would visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks. -snip- Kim also lauded Russia for achieving results on its efforts to build a strong...

UIC engineers have introduced a groundbreaking method for producing hydrogen gas using solar power and agricultural waste, drastically reducing energy consumption and enabling net-zero greenhouse emissions. Engineers from the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a novel method to produce hydrogen gas from water using solely solar power and agricultural byproducts like manure and husks. This technique slashes the energy required to extract hydrogen from water by 600%, paving the way for more sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical manufacturing. Hydrogen-based fuels are one of the most promising sources of clean energy. But producing pure hydrogen gas is an energy-intensive process...

Coloradans will pay nearly three times more per kilowatt hour during peak times through Sept. 30.. DENVER – Xcel Energy customers in Colorado with smart meters will start paying more for electricity during certain hours this summer starting Monday, a measure company officials said is aimed at saving “everybody money.” The "time of use" pricing rate, which went into effect June 1, means Xcel customers will pay more than two times the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) if using energy during peak time hours, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Customers using electricity within that timeframe will see...

Aslow-motion collapse in the offshore wind industry continues to grow as sticky inflation and supply chain challenges force developers to delay or cancel major projects. In particular, progress towards the Biden administration’s goal of building large amounts of floating wind off the northeastern US coast is just about stalled. Shell, which invested in a series of offshore wind projects in recent years, including offshore the northeastern United States, announced last week it would lay off much of its offshore wind business staff as the oil giant advances its program of refocusing on its core oil and gas business. “We are...