AEP Closes 5,588 Megawatts of Coal Capacity

Coal-fired electricity generators that once powered 5.5 million homes have closed permanently, according to a recent announcement from the Columbus, Ohio-based electric utility American Electric Power (AEP). The 5,588 megawatts (MW) of coal capacity located across Appalachia and the Midwest are the latest casualties in the continued assault on affordable, reliable power by the Environmental […]

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Ten Reasons to Eliminate the Wind PTC

This week, Reps. Kenny Marchant and Mike Pompeo introduced H.R. 1901, a bill to eliminate the wind Production Tax Credit (PTC).This legislation has several important provisions. First, it repeals the inflation adjustment, which would save taxpayers approximately 35% for the reminder of the ten-year window. It slightly adjusts and tightens the “beginning of construction” language […]

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Coal: Bedrock of Modern Life

Coal is one of the most versatile and useful natural resources. The energy from coal powered the Industrial Revolution, pulling millions of Americans out of poverty. Even today, developing countries are using coal to pull billions more people out of poverty with reliable, affordable energy. For many developed countries like the U.S., energy from coal […]

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Europe’s “Green Energy” Dream has Become a Nightmare

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s “Today in Energy” chart on November 18 illustrates a huge problem with Europe’s aggressive renewable energy subsidies and mandates — European electricity prices have risen at an astonishing rate, compared to American prices: EIA attributes much of the problem to Europe’s regulatory policies, noting, “In 2013, average residential electricity rates […]

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Coal Brings People Out of Energy Poverty

For years we have explained the benefits of affordable energy including coal. Coal provides affordable, reliable energy in a world where 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity and 2.4 billion people do not have clean cooking facilities. This means that coal is critical to helping billions of people have access to the […]

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In the Pipeline: 6/11/13

We mentioned the “social cost of carbon” last week, but here’s the full analysis. The Obama administration is quietly making it easier for their “benefit” numbers to go head to head against costs. IER (6/6/13) reports: “The very concept of the ‘social cost of carbon’ is not nearly as objective and scientific as, say, the charge on […]

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In the Pipeline: 5/21/13

Guns don’t kill birds; turbines kill birds. IER (5/20/13) reports: “Besides receiving federal subsidies and other financial incentives, the wind industry is getting special treatment from the Obama Administration: wind farms are allowed to kill protected bird species. The Associated Press has found that the Obama Administration has never fined or prosecuted a wind farm for killing […]

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