U.S. Energy Policy
SEARCH BLOG: ENERGY
Our President made it clear before he became President that he was going to attack coal as the primary source of electrical energy in the U.S. He has been successful as coal now accounts for less than 40% from nearly 50% a couple years ago.
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Many will say, "that is a good thing" because coal is a dirty source of energy and we want a clean source such as solar or wind... even if the cost per kilowatt hour is many times that of coal. The American people want to pay higher energy costs for the privilege of having clean energy.
Besides, we have many other sources such as natural gas that can economically substitute for coal for the time being, so we don't have to rely on unreliable sources such as wind and the sun. Our President has even signed a rather long and mind-numbing National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order that has a provision regarding Energy. [h/t Bill]
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Sec. 203. Maximizing Domestic Energy Supplies. The authorities of the President under section 101(c)(1) (2) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(1) (2), are delegated to the Secretary of Commerce, with the exception that the authority to make findings that materials (including equipment), services, and facilities are critical and essential, as described in section 101(c)(2)(A) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071(c)(2)(A), is delegated to the Secretary of Energy.
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However, the President's own policies have significantly hindered this Executive Order resulting in a net decline of electrical energy in the U.S.
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Note that "Other" which includes wind/solar has not increased.
Total electricity generation was down 7% in December 2011 compared to December 2010 (see chart above). Despite this decline, generation from natural gas rose 12% to 86 terawatthours. Coal-fired generation, however, fell by 21% between December 2010 and December 2011, to 132 terawatthours.
But the President has claimed that he is pro-energy and has pointed to an increase in oil and natural gas production to back up that claim. That must be the where that Section 203 of the National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order fits in:
“Under my administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years,” Obama told the audience at the University of Miami. “That’s why we have a record number of oil rigs operating right now – more working oil and gas rigs than the rest of the world combined.”
The increase in domestic drilling was almost entirely in areas for which the Obama administration exercised no authority, as oil production on federal land declined by 11 percent in fiscal year 2011, according to a study by the Institute on Energy Research (IER), a free-market energy think tank. But oil production on state lands increased that year by 14 percent and increased by 12 percent on private lands. [source]And as the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has pointed out, President Obama has been an energy obstructionist [h/t Anthony Watts]:
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In yesterday’s speech defending his failed energy policies – under which gas prices have nearly doubled and are rising faster than ever – President Obama called for the kind of “all of the above” energy strategy long-championed by Republicans. But far from supporting “all of the above,” the Obama administration has spent more than three years blocking efforts to expand energy production and bring down gas prices, while pushing job-crushing tax hikes and taxpayer-backed loans to companies like Solyndra.
That leads to very interesting speculation: perhaps President Obama has issued this latest National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order as justification for expanded government funding of his favorite alternative charities such as Solyndra.
What might be Dr. Chu's vision as Secretary of Energy?
Chu: Solyndra Loan Was My Responsibility by associatedpress
Steven Chu Says Plants Might Be Ultimate Fuel...
After all, we can't rely on coal anymore... or oil... or nuclear power. Going for the Sun or water... or going down the rabbit hole.... Perhaps a little realism mixed with idealism might be helpful.
RELATED:
Myth Of U.S. Oil Dependence
RELATED:
Myth Of U.S. Oil Dependence
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