Michael Giberson
Please let me know ASAP if you can find any economic historians, energy policy specialists, economists or persons with at least a high school diploma who actually believes the following claim:
For over a century, every major energy source – petroleum, coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewables – has been developed due in large part to favorable federal policy that includes incentives. Without federal assistance of these fuel sources, it is unlikely that our nation would have grown to the economic superpower that it is today.
While the National Journal‘s collection of pro and con Production Tax Credit opinions includes a lot of bullshit, this pair of claims rises to the top. Fully 100 percent USDA prime bullshit, in my opinion.
But prove me wrong, please: find me an interested party with a plausible argument and a grasp on one or two facts that justifies the above claims.
MORE: By the way, the loose thinking and sloppy work isn’t only on the pro-PTC side. Guys arguing that wind power turbines are killing way too many birds slip in the claim that the PTC pays $2,200 per MWh. Um, no, only about $22 per MWh. And, of course, they are focused like a laser beam on the seen dead birds near wind turbines and ignore the unseen dead birds killed by other power production methods.
But thanks for joining us here on the “Let’s Pretend We’re Actually Serious People Doing Serious Thinking” show.