Uncategorized

November 10, 2021

High Prices Threaten Solar Growth

Although some might not have noticed in the midst of Covid-19, 2020 saw some of the lowest solar panel prices ever witnessed. Utilities responded, resulting in record-breaking installations this past year. However, like most other in-demand products, the cost of solar panels has skyrocketed during the pandemic. How will the […]
November 4, 2021

Winter Energy Supply Crunch Highlights Coal’s Importance

Natural gas shortages have wreaked havoc on global energy prices in recent weeks. While the U.S. has mostly been shielded from the kinds of skyrocketing prices that Europe and Asia have faced, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects energy costs to rise significantly this winter. Power grid operators are responding […]
October 28, 2021

The Twin Challenges of Increased Electrification

The American Coal Council published Energy Fairness Executive Director Paul Griffin’s article on the Twin Challenges of Electrification in their most recent edition of American Coal magazine. The original piece can be viewed here.  Politically speaking, California and Texas couldn’t be more different. Republicans control all levers of power at the […]
October 26, 2021

Winter is Coming. Get Out Your Wallet

The economic fallout in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic is continuing to squeeze U.S. families. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued a dire warning this past week: Expect to spend more heating your homes this winter. The EIA says the average family will spend 30-50% more on heating […]
October 18, 2021

If Texas Officials Want to Beef Up Electric Reliability, Just Look at Alabama

There is nothing more important for power customers than ensuring that electricity is available through all conditions, including extreme winter weather. Events such as Winter Storm Uri last February remind us of the need to adequately prepare for all circumstances that stress our power production capabilities. Texas regulators are now […]
October 15, 2021

Biden Administration Approves Major Offshore Wind Sites, Storage Still needed

Yesterday the Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, announced a push for major off-shore wind expansion off nearly every coastline of the U.S. continental coast. The announcement comes on the heels of the Administration’s approval of the Vineyard Wind Project off the coasts of Nantucket and Martha Vineyard. In May, […]
October 13, 2021

Nuclear Energy Finds Growing Support

Will nuclear energy ever have a level playing field with other carbon-free resources? It finally seems to be a possibility. And recent actions by lawmakers at the federal and state level protecting this valuable carbon-free energy resource have only reinforced this sentiment. Energy Fairness has emphatically supported nuclear energy for […]
October 7, 2021

Automakers Optimistic On EVs

Over the past few months, car sales have plummeted, with supply chain disruptions a significant factor in the sharp decrease. As a result, automakers have been forced to idle plants as they scramble for supplies, which in turn has delayed deliveries of new vehicles. Yet, optimism in the auto industry […]
October 5, 2021

Record northwest heatwave illustrated need for Goldendale project

ICYMI:  The Bend Bulletin of Central Oregon recently published an op-ed from Energy Fairness Executive Director Paul Griffin regarding the importance of pumped hydropower storage and the Goldendale Energy Storage Project in meeting the needs of an affordable, reliable and resilient energy economy.   Click here to be redirected to the […]
October 1, 2021

Energy Secretary calls for resilient grid 

In a recent op-ed for CNN, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said it’s time for Congress to make the necessary investment to ensure the resiliency of the electric grid.  After catastrophic weather events like the recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida or the destruction witnessed by so many Texans after Winter […]
September 23, 2021

UK, Germany Face Energy Squeeze

Natural gas prices in Europe are soaring. Consumers across the continent are feeling the pain with no relief in sight. What happened? A perfect storm of factors has contributed to rising prices. Global energy demand is on the rise as the global economy emerges from Covid-19 related shutdowns. The thirst […]
September 17, 2021

Biden Administration Will Go Big On Solar. But Is It Realistic?

Last week, the Biden Administration announced that solar energy would supply 45% of U.S. electricity by 2050. It’s a highly ambitious goal, considering that solar currently provides only about 3% of current U.S. electricity production. So the question arises, just how will we get there? Solar energy installations will have […]
April 23, 2020

Nuclear Fusion is Getting Its Moment in the Sun

For nearly a century, scientists have been on a quest to harness the power of the sun to create limitless supplies of energy. And while solar energy technologies have made great strides, another advancement holds perhaps even greater potential: nuclear fusion. If harnessed on a commercial level, fusion has the […]
April 29, 2020

Fossil Fuels An Indispensable Tool in the Covid-19 Fight

Energy Fairness has written before about the dangers of abandoning fossil fuels and the folly of governments and institutions “divesting” from fossil fuels. Now, as communities worldwide continue to deal with COVID-19, the value of fossil fuels has become even more clear. While it’s clear that fossil fuels such as natural gas […]
May 27, 2020

U.S. Renewables Expansion Strong, Despite Coronavirus

There can be little doubt that the U.S. economy has taken a strong hit from the outbreak of novel coronavirus. Unemployment is still at levels not seen since the Great Depression and retail sales plunged a record 16.4% in April according to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce. One sector […]
May 28, 2020

Op-Ed: Project Tundra Hopes to Take Next Step with Carbon Capture Technology

Energy Fairness is pleased to present the following op-ed from Mac McLennan, — CEO, Minnkota Electric Cooperative — regarding the promise of the coop’s Project Tundra Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage initiative. Many of the mission statements across the electric utility industry look fairly similar. Delivering safe, reliable, affordable, and […]
June 16, 2020

Supreme Court Removes One More Hurdle for Critical East Coast Natural Gas Pipeline

Yesterday, in a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court all but removed the last hurdle for the construction of the much-needed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP).  The $8 billion 600-mile pipeline would bolster the supply of affordable and reliable natural gas by transporting it from West Virginia to sites in Virginia […]
July 1, 2020

Glen Canyon Dam: A Renewable Jewel in the Desert Southwest

On September 22, 1966, and with much fanfare, the First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, dedicated Glen Canyon Dam just over the Utah border in Page, Arizona.  Producing 80% of all the system’s hydropower Glen Canyon is the power generating linchpin of the Colorado River Storage Project […]