Road to renewable energy is filled with potholes of ‘magic thinking’
by Michael Sandoval Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson’s “roadmaps” for states to reach a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio by 2050 has become the new benchmark for aspiring politicos who hope to chart their own political course with promises to bring their states and eventually the entire United States to green salvation. Among them, U.S. […]
Fawning media can’t hide the failure of subsidy-rich solar
The corporate favoritism through subsidies showered on wind and solar by governments has been significant.
Glitzy headlines can’t hide the failure of subsidy-rich solar
Despite billions in taxpayer subsidies, the United States currently generates less energy from solar and wind, the darlings of government favoritism, than it did from renewables in 1950.
Energy Policy Center testimony on HB17-1116
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Michael Sandoval. I am the senior energy policy analyst for the Independence Institute, a state-based, free market think tank, headquartered in Denver. The Independence Institute is opposed to HB17-1116 not in intent, but in process. We do think […]
States should stop subsidizing costly electric vehicles for the rich
When it comes to taxpayer handouts for wealthy early adopters and businesses seeking to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) and innovative trucks, Coloradans should look to Georgia, not California, for inspiration.
Time for Colorado Energy Office to receive more than an audit
The Colorado Energy Office continues to show some irregularities in its spending and handling of tens of millions of dollars, according to a newly released performance audit. A 2011 Independence Institute investigation of the CEO, formerly the Governor’s Energy Office, sparked the call for a 2012 audit by the Office of the State Auditor that […]
EPA employees plan resistance to Trump agency reform efforts
Back in November, the Independence Institute previewed what opposition the incoming Trump administration would likely face if campaign pledges to reform and reduce the size and scope of federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Administration, concluding that in many cases, personnel is policy. Newly leaked reports and sources within the agency hint that the personnel […]
Hickenlooper’s executive order on carbon pulled after loss of political cover
Earlier this month Governor John Hickenlooper quashed his own plans for issuing an executive order on carbon emissions for Colorado after nearly six months of speculation and pushback. The original draft plan, as we reported back in August 2016, would have directed “Colorado’s state agencies to implement policies to achieve a minimum 25 percent reduction […]
Coloradans shouldn’t be forced to subsidize electric vehicles
One place to look for funding is to eliminate Colorado’s generous electric vehicle (EV) tax credit, which mostly goes to people earning six figures or more in the Denver Metro Area. This credit cost taxpayers $7.6 million in 2014 alone and is projected to remain at that level in 2017, according to 2016 Colorado Legislative Council staff estimates.
On the EPA nomination
The nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency is welcome news. An environmental law expert, Pruitt’s selection indicates that the President-elect is serious about prioritizing innovation over regulation at the agency. The regulatory reign of terror at the EPA is coming to an end.
2017 Colorado Energy Outlook
In the wake of one of the most surprising electoral outcomes in recent memory, we here at the Independence Institute have been assessing what the next few months, the 2017 Colorado legislative session, and the general future of energy policy in Colorado will look like under a President-elect Trump administration and a split legislature with […]
Anti-fracking ballot measures’ failure is a win for Colorado, but it’s only temporary
The announcement today by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office that Initiatives 75 and 78, two anti-energy measures targeting hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas natural resource development and endangering property rights throughout the state failed to gather sufficient signatures to make the November ballot, was certainly welcome news for us at the Independence Institute’s […]
