The Democrat and Republican Parties have held their National Conventions and approved their party’s platform for the 2024 presidential election.

The Democrat platform was developed prior to President Biden’s decision to end his campaign for a second term, so the platform is essentially the Biden platform, though it was adopted at the convention with the approval of Vice President Harris. The platform essentially continues and expands the Biden-Harris Administration priorities with regard to energy and climate change on both the national and international levels. Vice President Harris has not proposed any changes in direction regarding energy or climate change.

The Republican platform was developed with the knowledge that former President Trump would be the party’s nominee and it is clearly a Trump platform focused on the issues President Trump focused on during his term. The platform focuses on restoring US energy independence and pursuing US energy dominance. The platform also specifically mentions ending the EV. mandate.

The two parties have laid out very different future paths. The Democrat path is focused on climate change and environmental justice. The Republican path is focused on energy independence and reducing restrictive regulations.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”, Yogi Berra, American Philosopher

Choose wisely.

From: Linkedin

By: Leigh Haugen

Date: October 2, 2024

The Fatal Flaw in Artificial Intelligence: Climate Change???

Leigh Haugen/ChatGPT4o

The development of large language models (LLMs) has transformed our world in many ways, making artificial intelligence (AI) a powerful tool capable of generating and interpreting massive amounts of information. These models, however, are fundamentally shaped by the data that feeds them—data taken from the internet, which is itself a collection of human input. While AI has the potential to aid in a variety of fields, there is a glaring flaw inherent to its very design: its reliance on human data. If this data is corrupted, biased, or fundamentally flawed, then the AI simply echoes and amplifies those same distortions.

One of the clearest examples of this issue is the topic of climate change. Whether you use a search engine or consult AI for information on climate change, the overwhelming majority of the data you will find supports the concept of catastrophic anthropogenic climate change (CACC). This is no coincidence—it is a reflection of the sheer volume of information that has been generated by those who have accepted this hypothesis, compounded by the biases of institutions and corporations that build the algorithms responsible for curating and ranking this information.

AI and the Dangers of Entrenched Misinformation

Artificial intelligence, by its very nature, is designed to draw conclusions from existing data. However, when that data is overwhelmingly one-sided or biased, AI becomes a tool for amplifying misinformation rather than a mechanism for critical analysis. In the case of climate change, AI is unlikely to offer nuanced perspectives or promote healthy skepticism. Instead, it mirrors the consensus-driven model that has been artificially constructed by political, financial, and globalist interests.

The danger here extends far beyond the academic realm. As LLMs and AI increasingly become integrated into decision-making processes—whether in government, business, or education—this flaw in their design becomes a genuine threat to freedom. The ability to challenge prevailing wisdom and to question powerful institutions is fundamental to a free society. However, if AI consistently promotes only one perspective, it serves to stifle dissent, limit critical thought, and bolster the authority of those in power. (continue reading)

The Fatal Flaw in Artificial Intelligence: Climate Change???

The solar and wind industries and their government and NGO supporters continually assert that a renewable plus storage grid would be more economical and more resilient than the current grid. Both assertions are demonstrably false. These assertions are not merely misinformation. Rather, they are intentional disinformation.

Solar and wind generation facilities are approximately the same capital cost per unit of rated capacity as fossil fueled generation facilities. However, the renewable generators have a capacity factor approximately one third the capacity factor of the fossil generation facilities. Therefore, the renewable generation installed capacity must be significantly greater to produce the same annualized electricity output. Instantaneous renewable generator output in excess of contemporaneous demand must be stored for use when renewable generator output is less than contemporaneous demand. The installed cost of electricity storage is currently 7-10 times the cost of generation capacity.

During periods of peak grid demand, the entire rated capacity of the renewable generation facilities would be required to meet demand, even though the renewable generators might not be operating due to weather conditions. During such periods, storage would be required to supply any output deficiency, for whatever period required. Storage would also be required to compensate for seasonal variations in renewable generator output, which could persist for several weeks.

Also, the useful lives of solar and wind generators are approximately one quarter to one half of the useful lives of the fossil generators they would displace, requiring replacement in 20-30 years. The useful life of storage capacity varies significantly depending on the storage technology employed, but battery storage would require replacement in 10-15 years.

The resilience of renewable generation and storage facilities is also questionable. Entire solar generation arrays have been destroyed by hailstorms. Wind generators have been destroyed by lightning strikes and tornadoes. Near shore and offshore wind turbines have yet to demonstrate their ability to withstand hurricanes and Nor’easters along the US Atlantic coast. Battery storage systems have experienced spontaneous fires which have destroyed one or more batteries.

Solar collector arrays produce no output for two thirds of the day, and their output varies uncontrollably as the result of varying cloud cover, rain and snow. Wind turbines also produce little or no output for two thirds of the day, though less predictably, and their output varies with wind speed and can drop to zero very rapidly. Wind turbines also must be shut down when wind speeds exceed their rated speeds, as would be the case during many thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and Nor’easters. Wind turbines can also be affected by snow and ice accumulations on their blades.

The resilience of the current grid is dependent upon the ability of the existing conventional generation capacity to ramp output to compensation for fluctuations in renewable generator output. However, conventional generation capacity is being retired faster than additional renewable generation capacity is being installed and far faster than additional electricity storage capacity is being installed. This issue is compounded by the rapid increase in grid demand resulting from data center and AI demand growth and the progressive electrification of the current fossil fuel applications including vehicle fuels, home heating and water heating and industrial process applications.

From: CFACT

By: Robert G. Eccles

Date: October 6, 2024

The small modular reactor revolution is arriving soon

It’s been a big year for nuclear energy in the U.S. The Department of Energy has allocated a large amount of capital to nuclear energy research and has committed $900 million to advance Gen III+ (more on them below) small modular reactors (SMRs). The Inflation Reduction Act’s inclusion of nuclear energy has opened opportunities for tax credits for investors in nuclear projects.  Southern Company’s Vogtle plant’s second new reactor started sending power to the grid in April.

Most recently, on September 20, Microsoft and Constellation announced that they will reopen a reactor at Constellation’s Three Mile Island nuclear energy center in Pennsylvania to power Microsoft data centers. Microsoft agreed to pay $16 billion to restart the Unit 1 reactor which has a capacity of 835 megawatts. It was shut down in 2019 under financial pressure from growing competition with cheap natural gas. (The Unit 2 reactor was destroyed in 1979 accident and is undergoing decommissioning;  however, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) noted there were no deaths or accidents, or discernible health effects from some small radioactive releases.) Microsoft has agreed to buy up to 100% of the electricity produced by Unit 1. This is part of the tech giant’s efforts to secure enough reliable, low-carbon electricity to supply its energy-thirsty data centers powering the boom in artificial intelligence.

An Overview of Nuclear Energy

For many years, nuclear energy existed in the shadows of failed projects and safety concerns. While solar and wind flourished and fossil fuels remained a standby, the nuclear power industry has made huge strides in increasing safety, commercial feasibility, and attractiveness of nuclear as a carbon-free, reliable, baseload power source. It’s no surprise that Microsoft is now making headlines as it secures nuclear power to fuel its growing AI demand.

The 2000+ page Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on the mitigation of climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change notes that nuclear energy capacity must nearly double by 2050 in order to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C. Nuclear power provides carbon-free baseload power without the intermittency inherent in wind and solar power. This report was published in 2022 and since then we have witnessed the growth of AI and its insatiable energy needs. AI is putting at risk all the net-zero commitments made by the big tech companies. This makes nuclear energy even more important. (continue reading)

The small modular reactor revolution is arriving soon

The US Department of Energy (US DOE) has published Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector, which contains a link to the full study. The blueprint’s objectives include increasing energy efficiency, reducing on-site emissions and increasing demand flexibility. The following are some thoughts about a new construction decarbonized home.

The average US single family home contains approximately 2300 square feet of living space. The most efficient configuration for such a house is a two-story structure with approximately equal area on each floor. The structure would likely feature foamed-in-place insulation and limited window area. New homes built to match the DOE blueprint would be all-electric to eliminate on-site emissions. and the HVAC equipment and major appliances would be internet connected to maximize opportunities for demand management.

The home would provide approximately 500 square feet of South-facing roof with the roof pitch adjusted to maximize collection of solar energy.from approximately 380 square feet of solar collectors or solar roof shingles. The solar system would generate approximately 7,5 kW at peak, or approximately 25-50 kWh per day, depending on location weather and season of the year. Approximately 40 kWh could be stored in on-site batteries. An average single family detached home uses approximately 10,000 – 16,000 kWh per year, depending on location and appliances and equipment, or approximately 25 – 45 kWh per day. Note that all-electric homes in cold climates would experience maximum energy consumption in winter, when the output of the solar collectors was significantly reduced as the result of lower sun angle and shorter days.

The average home would have a 2-car garage, which would be equipped with chargers for 2 electric vehicles. The electric vehicles would add approximately 10 – 15 kwh each to the home’s daily energy consumption. However, the EVs would typically have to be charged from the on-site batteries or the grid, since they would likely be away during the day and require charging at night, when solar collector output is zero.

The availability of electric power from the on-site solar and battery systems would reduce the demand on the electric utility grid. However, the similarity between average daily solar collection and average daily usage suggests that grid backup would be essential to assure power reliability during periods of low solar energy generation, such as cloudy, rainy or snowy days. Therefore, the grid would require substantial storage capacity, since it would likely experience low solar availability during the same times as its customers.

The installed cost of solar collectors is approximately $2.50 per watt. Therefore, the installed cost of the 7.5 kW system described above would be approximately $19,000. The on-site storage batteries would add approximately $42,000. One suggested approach to funding the solar installation is utility ownership of the solar system and inclusion of the system costs in the utility ratebase. System ownership and maintenance costs would be added to the utility’s monthly service charge.

The availability of solar energy from on-site generation would reduce the average load on the “grid edge” facilities, including distribution wiring and transformers. However, the increased demand.imposed by EVs and electric heat pumps would likely increase grid demand during periods of low solar availability.

From: The Honest Broker - Substack

By: Roger Pielke Jr.

Date: September 2, 2024

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 3 of 3 Highlighted Series

Module 3: Extreme Event Case Studies

• U.S. hurricanes
• Global tropical cyclones
• U.S. heat waves
• Global and U.S. floods
• Africa floods
• Western and Central Europe drought
• Global and North American drought
• U.S. tornadoes

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 3 of 3 Highlighted Series

The US Department of Energy (US DOE) has published Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector, which contains a link to the full study.

The first strategic objective in the Blueprint is: Increase building energy efficiency - Reduce onsite energy use intensity in buildings 35% by 2035 and 50% by 2050 vs. 2005.This objective poses two distinct challenges: identifying the ideal characteristics of carbon-free buildings, as the basis for establishing building codes which assure that newly constructed buildings will be and will remain carbon-free; and, identifying the changes which can reasonably be made to existing buildings to achieve the required reductions in on-site energy use intensity.

The logical first focus of these efforts is on the building envelope. For new buildings, all components of the building envelope are candidates for optimization, including slabs, foundations, framing, sheathing, glazing, insulation, interior surface materials, weatherstripping and roofing. Building orientation is also a significant consideration with regard to solar and wind exposure, with particular emphasis on the ability to collect and store solar energy at the site.

The DOE Blueprint assumes that all new buildings would be all-electric. Buildings would be wired for electric appliances and equipment, including heat pump HVAC systems, heat pump water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, electric laundry driers and EV chargers. Buildings would also be prewired for the installation of solar panels and storage batteries.

The larger challenge is the upgrading of the existing building stock. Ceiling insulation and crawl space insulation improvements are relatively straightforward and inexpensive, as are caulking and weatherstripping. Adding insulation to uninsulated exterior walls is also straightforward and relatively inexpensive. Improving the insulation values of already insulated exterior walls is problematic unless the exterior wall surfaces of the building are also being replaced. Replacing existing windows is expensive and might not be economically justified if the existing windows are double glazed.

Upgrading existing all-electric buildings with forced air HVAC systems should not require any modification to existing appliance and equipment connections. However, buildings with electric baseboard heating systems or steam or hot water radiator systems would require major modifications. Buildings with natural gas or propane appliances and equipment would require installation of electric appliance and equipment connections and might require upgrading of utility electric service and building power panels.

Almost all existing buildings would require installation of connections for EV charging systems. Buildings suitable for the installation of solar collectors would also require installation of the wiring and controls necessary to interface the solar collector system to the building power panels, on-site storage batteries and the utility service.

Achieving on-site emissions reductions would require replacing all natural gas, propane and oil appliances and equipment with electric appliances and equipment. This would likely be accomplished by banning the manufacture and sale of natural gas, propane and oil appliances and equipment and allowing the appliance and equipment replacement cycles to complete the process.

Tripling demand flexibility would likely require that all major appliances and equipment be internet connected to permit remote control of their operation; and, that all buildings be equipped with smart meters to facilitate creation of virtual powerplants. DOE envisions that this would also permit power to be drawn from EV batteries and solar storage batteries if required to support the grid.

As the decarbonization plan comes together, it is likely to include a combination of “carrots and sticks” intended to assure that the plan goals are achieved.

From: The Honest Broker - Substack

By: Roger Pielke Jr.

Date: September 2, 2024

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 2 of 3 Highlighted Series

Module 2: Making Sense of the Economics of Extreme Weather and Climate

• What is a “normalization” and why does it matter?
• Normalization example 1: Extreme Events in Europe, 1995-2019
• Normalization example 2: U.S. hurricanes: 1900-2021
• How do we know why disasters are becoming more costly?
• What the peer-reviewed literature says about normalized losses
• Making sense of “extreme event attribution”

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 2 of 3 Highlighted Series

Capacity factor:  The ratio of the electrical energy produced by a generating unit for the period of time considered to the electrical energy that could have been produced at continuous full power operation during the same period. (EIA)

The US EIA Electric Power Monthly uses the above definition for both fossil and non-fossil generators. However, the definition is more appropriate for intermittent renewable generators (wind and solar) than for other types of generation, since the output of these renewable generators have first priority on the grid. Their full output is used, except in circumstances when that output exceeds the contemporaneous demand on the grid. Therefore, their capacity factors are an accurate measure of what they are capable of generating “for the period of time considered”.

The output of wind and solar generators varies uncontrolled over timeframes of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, month, seasons and years. In the shorter timeframes, output can vary from 100% of rating plate capacity to zero. Over the longer timeframes, wind generator output can vary from approximately 24 – 47% on a monthly basis and from approximately 32 – 35% on an annual basis. Over the longer timeframes, solar output can vary from approximately 12 – 33% on a monthly basis and from approximately 23 - 26% on an annual basis. These numbers represent national averages for existing generating facilities.

The non-renewable generators supplying the grid are operated to generate the difference between the contemporaneous grid demand and the output of the intermittent renewable generators. Therefore, their “capacity factors” are not weather limited, as is the case with the intermittent renewable generators, but rather are “utilization factors” controlled by the output of the intermittent renewable generators and the contemporaneous grid demand. Therefore, the “capacity factors” of the non-renewable generators decrease as the quantity of renewable generation supplied to the grid increases, with the exception of the nuclear generators which are typically operated at full capacity because the variable cost of the generation they provide is low.

Nuclear generators are typically capable of operating at rated capacity approximately 95% of the year, natural gas combined-cycle generators approximately 90% of the year and coal generators approximately 85% of the year. The portion of the year when they are unavailable is typically scheduled for the shoulder months of the year, when grid demand is well below peak demand.

The lower “capacity factors” (utilization factors) reported by EIA are directly driven by contemporaneous grid demand and indirectly driven by weather impacts on intermittent renewable generation output.

Ultimately, the Administration goal is to replace dispatchable fossil generation with renewable generation plus storage. Assuming that storage can be recharged at approximately the same rate that it can be discharged, the maximum capacity factor for storage would be approximately 50%, in situations in which storage was discharged and recharged daily. However, in situations in which longer duration storage was charged during periods of high monthly or seasonal renewable availability for use during periods of lower monthly or seasonal renewable generation availability, storage capacity factor would be significantly lower. That has economic consequences, since storage is currently significantly more expensive than renewable generation.

From: The Honest Broker - Substack

By: Roger Pielke Jr.

Date: September 2, 2024

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 1 of 3 Highlighted Series

Module 1 - What the IPCC AR6 Really Says About Extreme Weather and Climate?

1. Understanding key concepts and terminology
2. Climate variability and why it matters
3. Detecting changes in climate and “time of emergence”
4. IPCC AR6 on “time of emergence”
5. Climate policy, extremes, and “time of emergence”
6. IPCC on changes in extreme to 2040

Class is In - Know the Facts on Extreme Weather and Climate Module 1 of 3 Highlighted Series

It is broadly, though not universally, acknowledged that a Net Zero electric grid powered predominantly by intermittent renewable generation sources such as wind and solar would require support from dispatchable generation sources to “fill in the blanks” when wind and solar were unavailable or inadequate to meet the demands of the grid. These sources are generally referred to as Dispatchable Emission-Free Resources (DEFRs).

There are fundamentally two classes of DEFRs, those that depend on the output of the intermittent renewable resources for their operation and those which are able to function independent of the renewable generation.

The primary dependent DEFRs are storage batteries, pumped hydro dam complexes and Green Hydrogen systems. The primary independent DEFRs include hydroelectric dam systems, geothermal steam systems, biomass generation systems, wave energy systems, ocean thermal energy systems and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).

Battery storage systems and pumped hydro storage systems are currently in use on a limited basis. Green Hydrogen is being pursued as a possible long-duration storage solution to cope with weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual renewable availability variations. However, current battery storage is extremely expensive and most suitable for short-term storage (2-4 hours). Pumped hydro systems are also expensive, but have faced strong resistance from citizen groups in the US. Green Hydrogen is the most complex potential storage solution, requiring sea water desalination, water hydrolysis, hydrogen compression, transmission and storage and either combustion turbine or fuel cell power generation resources.

The dependent DEFRs require the availability of surplus renewable electricity to be stored for later use. Their charging cycles are parasitic to the renewable grid. Battery systems have the highest round-trip efficiency (~95%) and thus require the least surplus energy per unit of delivery capacity. Green Hydrogen has the lowest round-trip efficiency of the dependent DEFRs (~50%) and thus requires nearly twice as much surplus energy per unit of delivery capacity.

Hydroelectric dam systems, geothermal generation and biomass generation are currently in use on the US grid, although they are currently used primarily to supply baseload generation rather than as DEFRs. There is strong environmentalist resistance to new hydroelectric dams and strong pressure to remove existing dam systems. The availability of natural geothermal steam sources is limited, though there is significant potential for expansion into dry hot rock geothermal with the application of hydraulic fracturing. Biomass generation is of questionable environmental benefit and its expansion is likely to be limited. There are numerous RD&D programs underway to develop small modular nuclear reactors which would be inherently safe and have the ability to load follow, which would make them ideally suited as DEFRs, assuming that the environmentalist resistance to new nuclear generation can be overcome and system costs can be reduced.

The independent DEFRs do not require the availability of surplus renewable electricity. In fact, the independent DEFRs would not require the existence of intermittent renewable generation to support a reliable grid. They effectively render the renewable generators redundant; and, redundancy is expensive.

From: Climate Etc.

By: Dr. Joachim Dengler

Date: August 25, 2024

Extension of the linear carbon sink model – temperature matters

This post is the second of two extracts from the paper Improvements and Extension of the Linear Carbon Sink Model.

Introduction – The linear carbon sink model has a limitation

The relation between CO2 Emission and resulting concentration of the last 65 years can be best understood with a simple top-down model, where the net sink effect, which is the difference between anthropogenic emissions and atmospheric CO2 concentration growth, is modelled with a linear function of atmospheric CO2 concentration as shown in Figure 1. It is important to note, that the net sink effect represents in fact the sum of all absorptions – oceanic, land plants, and phytoplankton — reduced by the natural emissions.

Figure 1. The measured yearly sampled time series of anthropogenic emissions and yearly CO2 concentration growth. Both effects are measured in or have been converted to ppm in order to guarantee comparability. Their difference is the growing carbon sink effect, modelled linearly by 0.018*C – 5.2 ppm, where C represents the CO2 concentration time series.

The interpretation of the model is that the proportionality factor of the linear relation is a sum of the unknown proportionality factors of all contributing absorption processes, such as photosynthesis of land plants, photosynthesis of phytoplankton, and the physical ocean absorption.  It has been shown, that all these processes are approximately linear functions of atmospheric CO2 concentration, justifying that their proportionality factors can be added up.  The constant of the linear model is interpreted as the natural emissions.  Implicitly this assumes that natural emissions are considered to being approximately constant. (continue reading)

Extension of the linear carbon sink model – temperature matters

Candor : unreserved, honest, or sincere expression : forthrightness : freedom from prejudice or malice : fairness

The proposed global energy transition to “all-electric everything” and Net Zero by 2050 is not unfolding as we were told it would. Rather, it is unravelling as many of us thought it would. Rising energy costs, declining energy reliability, fuel selection mandates, reduced freedom of movement, dietary changes and other real and perceived issues have spawned resistance to the transition. The lack of candor regarding the transition is palpable. It is clearly time for climate candor.

The UNFCCC and the IPCC need to be candid about the continued existence and influence of natural climate variation and include research into the causes of natural variation in their programs.

The IPCC Working Group authors need to be fair in including all relevant research in their evaluations, not just research which supports the consensus narrative.

The consensed climate science community needs to cease its efforts to prevent publication of climate research which does not comport with the consensus narrative.

The IPCC Working Group authors need to insist that the IPCC Summary for Policymakers is a real summary of the conclusions of the Working Groups and not a gross exaggeration describing the current situation as a “crisis” or “existential threat” of an emergency.

The UN Secretariat needs to tone down the “earth on fire” and “boiling oceans” rhetoric intended to scare the population into precipitous action.

NOAA and NASA need to justify why and explain how they repeatedly “adjust” historic temperature anomalies.

The renewable generation developers need to tone down the “cheapest electricity” rhetoric, acknowledge that their generation systems are redundant capacity and will remain so until hey are combined with sufficient storage capacity to render their generating capacity dispatchable.

Electric utilities need to clearly communicate their need for dispatchable capacity sufficient to meet current and projected future peak demand.

Electric utilities and their ISOs and RTOs need to clearly communicate to both government and regulatory agencies that existing coal and natural gas generation cannot be shuttered until sufficient alternative dispatchable generation has been commissioned to replace their generating capacity and accommodate growth in expected peak demand.

Electric utilities and their ISOs and RTOs need to clearly communicate that additional natural gas generation capacity might be necessary to accommodate peak demand growth if dispatchable renewable generation capacity is not connected to the grid rapidly enough to meet growing demand resulting from “all-electric everything”

Federal and state agencies responsible for the energy transition need to acknowledge that the Dispatchable Emissions-Free Resources (DEFRs) they are relying upon to supplement renewable generation do not exist and are therefore not currently available for deployment. These agencies also need to acknowledge that the future availability of these DEFRs is uncertain.

Federal and state agencies also need to acknowledge that DEFRs, if and when they become available, render intermittent renewable generation redundant capacity to the extent that they are employed as backup capacity to renewable generation.

Federal and state agencies need to acknowledge that the promise of reduced energy costs resulting from the energy transition is a fraudulent fantasy.

While the above actions need to occur in the interest of candor, it seems highly unlikely that they will occur before there is a major grid outage followed by a self-serving “blame game”.

A repetition of the “Six Phases of a Project” appears inevitable.

From: The Honest Broker - Substack

By: Roger Pielke Jr.

Date: August 12, 2024

The Top Five Climate Science Scandals

Science is science because it is self-correcting. That means that when researchers go down a dead end path they turn around and look for another route. However, science in highly politicized situations can face obstacles to self-correction, meaning that it can be more difficult to change course when science gets off track. This is especially so when bad science becomes politically important.

That’s where climate science finds itself in 2024. Long time readers here at THB will know that climate change is real and poses risks. At the same time, the climate science community appears to have lost its collective ability to call out bad science and get things back on track. Today, particularly for the many new readers that THB has gained this year, I summarize the top 5 climate science scandals covered here at THB over the past few years.

I define a scandal as a situation of objectively flawed science — in substance and/or procedure — that the community has been unable to make right, but should.

Let’s jump right in . . .

5. The Interns Made a “Dataset” and We Used it for Research

I have recently documented how the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) — supposedly one of the top science journals — published a paper using a “dataset” cobbled together by some interns for marketing a now-defunct insurance company. There is actually no such dataset out in the real world — it is a fiction. The paper is the only normalization study purporting to identify a signal of human-caused climate change in disaster losses and thus has been highlighted by both the IPCC and U.S. National Climate Assessment. That context makes its correction or retraction politically problematic. When I informed PNAS about the fake dataset they refused to look at it and stood behind the paper. Read about the backstory and how PNAS stonewalled any reconsideration. (continue reading)

The Top Five Climate Science Scandals

The historical paradigm of the US electric industry has been “the energy you want when you want it.” Generation was adjusted to match contemporaneous demand as required.

The average demand on the US electric grid is approximately 40% of peak demand. Therefore, the majority of grid generation is largely underutilized for most of the year. The industry has also maintained a capacity reserve margin in excess of peak demand to assure adequate supply in the event of an unscheduled generator shutdown.

There would be significant economic benefit to increasing the load factor on the grid. The industry has taken numerous steps to attempt to encourage customers to shift their demand to hours when demand is lower. These steps have included a variety of Demand Side Management (DSM) programs coordinated with the state utility commissions. They have also included demand charges applied to consumption during high demand periods to encourage load shifting and the use of interruptible service contracts. Participation in DSM programs has been largely voluntary. However, demand charges were imposed in state utility commission approved rates. While these programs have had some effect, they have not significantly increased the load factor on the grid.

The combination of Net Zero by 2050 and “All-Electric Everything” by 2050 is imposing major changes on the electric industry and the electric grid. “All-Electric Everything” would require grid capacity to roughly triple, requiring massive investment in generation, transmission and distribution assets.

Government is incentivizing installation of intermittent renewable generation on the grid. However, most of this renewable generation capacity has not included the storage capacity necessary to render this capacity dispatchable. Therefore, as intermittent renewable generation capacity is added to the grid, dispatchable generating capacity must also be added to backup the intermittent capacity when it is not generating. The intermittent generating capacity is therefore redundant, in that the demand on the grid can be satisfied when it is unavailable or significantly diminished. Were the intermittent generating capacity dispatchable, it would not be redundant.

The projected major increase in generation, transmission and distribution investment has increased government and industry focus on increasing grid load factor to reduce the required investment. The recent US DOE “Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector” focuses on several approaches to controlling grid demand to reduce investment requirements. Many of these approaches involve mandatory participation by electric customers, implemented through the use of “smart meters” and “The Internet of Things”. HVAC system, EV charging and major appliance usage would be curtailed or interrupted as required to reduce demand during periods of peak demand or low renewables availability.

DOE also encourages behind the meter, on-site generation and storage and contemplates drawing down on-site storage and EV batteries as required to support the grid. Participation would likely be enforced by requiring that HVAC, EV chargers and major appliances be internet connected to operate, to assure that they would remain subject to external control. DOE also suggests expanded use of Virtual Power Plants (VPP), in which groups of customers have their service interrupted to effectively free power plant scale capacity for other uses.

This appears to presage a paradigm shift from “the energy you want when you want it” to “the energy you want when it is available”. The involuntary aspects of these efforts would likely make them both more effective and less popular.