If Colorado Imposes Cap-and-trade, Kiss Cheap Gas Goodbye
In 2008, President Obama said that, “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” That’s exactly what’s happened in California to energy costs broadly. The Washington Post recently ran an op-ed by Dominic Pino arguing that California’s cap-and-trade program is responsible for the state’s high and volatile gas prices. […]
The Rotten Political Incentives of the Utility Industry
The monopoly electric utility business model is rife with problems. Chief among them is the regulatory capture it invites. Monopoly utilities tend to reflect the political environment in which they are situated. This is no accident. They know where their bread is buttered and are more than happy to play along with the ambitious energy […]
Polis Admin Unveils Latest Electric Vehicle Policy, Avoids California-Style Gas Vehicle Ban
The Polis administration appears to favor the carrot over the stick to encourage electric vehicle adoption. The administration on Thursday released its updated roadmap for encouraging the electrification of the state’s transportation sector, which includes a goal of “nearly 100% of light-duty vehicles being electric by 2050, 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles being zero emissions, […]
Virginia Governor Offers Leadership on Nuclear Energy Innovation, A Balanced Approach to Decarbonization
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R.) released his 2022 energy plan early last week, and it offers a refreshing vision of sobriety on energy policy. The plan, designed to reevaluate that of his Democratic predecessor released in 2020, calls for an “all of the above” energy strategy using a variety of generation sources, from hydrogen to […]
The Real-World Costs and Consequences of Restricting Natural Gas
Apropos of next week’s hearing at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission—in which the PUC plans to take public comment on a proposed rule that would dramatically affect natural gas line extensions—news out of New England offers a grim look at the consequences of underrating sufficient natural gas capacity. Per the Washington Examiner: Authorities in New England are staring […]
Is Colorado On Track for a California-Style Gas Car Ban? What We Know So Far
A couple of weeks back, California made headlines when it finalized plans to ban the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. This radical new rule marked the first instance of a government anywhere in the world passing a 100% zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate. It also left many Coloradans wondering if […]
What Not to Do: California Energy Policy Serves As a Warning to Colorado
Just days after finalizing a future ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) sent out a bulletin Tuesday afternoon warning that an expected heat wave posed serious threats to the reliability of the state’s electric grid. Starting tomorrow through Tuesday, California and the West are expecting extreme heat that […]
Environmentalists For… Higher Emissions?
A new bombshell report released today by the Breakthrough Institute details the lengths gone to by a prominent environmental group and a major renewables lobbyist to produce a bogus study in order to justify closing California’s last operating nuclear plant. Here’s an excerpt: Since PG&E negotiated an agreement with anti-nuclear environmental groups in 2016 to […]
California Finalizes Gas-Vehicle Ban. Is Colorado Next?
In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D.) signed an unprecedented executive order banning the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks after 2035. The order was then kicked to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a state regulatory agency dedicated to air pollution, to formalize the rules in order to make Newsom’s decree a reality. […]
Study: Shoddy Public Charging Infrastructure Hampers EV Take-Up
Policymakers at both the national and state levels are making a concerted effort to encourage the widespread adoption of electric vehicles among the general public. Here in Colorado, the Polis administration has set a goal of having 940,000 EVs on the road by 2030 as part of its plan to electrify the state’s transportation sector […]
California, Germany Finally Receive Nuclear Energy Wake-up Call
Though it may not seem like it at first glance, the state of California and the country of Germany share some uncanny characteristics, particularly when it comes to energy policy. Both fancy themselves pioneers in the green energy transition, and both punch above their weight with their respective abilities to influence surrounding governments to adopt […]
Preliminary Injunction against Dysfunctional California Ammunition Background Checks
Originally published on Reason.com On April 23, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction against California’s background check law for ammunition purchases. As the court found, the failed system improperly prevents lawful purchases by very large numbers of law-abiding citizens. Starting in 2018, California prohibited consumers from purchasing ammunition […]
