MasterResource turns 17—and with that comes the wattage?

from masterresource

By Robert Bradley Jr. — December 26, 2024

On this day in 2008, I launched MasterResource. The first article “New Energy Blog” wrote:

We're just getting started, but some of us veterans of the energy debate from a private property, free market perspective have come together to offer our thoughts on the latest energy projects. As I read the newspaper every day, I hope to share some thoughts with people from a historical and worldview perspective. I think we all have something to add – and thus provide inspiration for this endeavor.

We have a great core team of primary (and principled) bloggers, as well as a growing list of guest bloggers. Our goal is to publish the most new material every day. What we have to offer our readers is frequent insights so that you visit us regularly.

There will be some trial and error, but now it's time to launch. President-elect Obama and his team have little idea of ​​the history in the energy debate—WS Jevons's remarks about renewable energy in the 1860s, or the dangers of U.S. energy regulation learned from wartime planning and the 1970s. Some of us will discuss this at length, adding some unique perspective to the debate.

By the way, our blog name was inspired by the late Julian Simon (1932-1998). He calls energy a “primary resource” because it is the resource needed to transform other resources from a natural state into a useful state for humans. Simon also used the term “ultimate resource” to describe human ingenuity. As institutional economist Erich Zimmermann once said, resources come from ideas, not from the ground.

Finally, I do hope that mainstream journalists and many other open-minded people will join us in the energy and climate debate. Obama's move toward energy totalitarianism requires a lot of debate. Big government Democrats are not the cure for big government republicanism. Oil, gas and coal are middle class, working class energy sources. Wind and solar power are for the rich. As my friend Robert Bryce says, wind energy is, in particular, the ethanol of electricity. Maybe, just maybe, these parasitic, inefficient energies will get the scrutiny they deserve from all sides of the political spectrum.

Peak oil. Peak gas. Climate emergency. Pollution worsens. green energy. Despite the growing grounds for opposition in academia, the age-old fallacy persists in today's debates. market failure submerged by both sides Analysis failed and government failure.

New problems arise for U.S. energy market's weakest sister, electricity. Mandatory open access. Independent System Operator. Regional Transport Organization. Old vinegar in new bottles, central government planning and thin, intermittent, fragile wind and solar energy require backup batteries. There’s a lot to discuss and debate in 2025!

Relevant