david duncan
Jul 25, 2017 · 1 min read

The DOE draft report, however, undercuts any rationalization Perry or the agency might have for stalling these energy efficiency regulations. “Between 2009 and 2030, these cost-effective standards are projected to save consumers more than $545 billion in utility costs“ and “reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by over 2.26 billion tons,” it says.

As usual, the situation boils down to burning natural gas instead of coal. That’s it. That’s the whole story. Government intrusion is irrelevant. The cost savings and the reduction in carbon dioxide are the result burning natural gas. And gas is the low-cost alternative.

The low cost of natural gas is the result of fracking, which Obama opposed. Nevertheless, the fossil fuel industry persevered. As long as we keep fracking, we’ll have ample supplies of natural gas. A few more pipelines would improve the nationwide distribution and availability.

Renewables are lost in the sauce. Solar and wind are more expensive than natural gas. But as a percentage of power production, they are minor players. Hence, their extra costs are pretty easily absorbed.

Of course, nuclear is the greenest of all energy fuels. No CO2 emissions, not that CO2 is a problem anyway. The trees and flowers love it. The corn and wheat and all other crops love it.

    david duncan

    Written by

    More fun than a barrel of monkies