Daily Policy Digest
Environment Issues
| Solyndra Not the Only Questionable Obama Loan to "Green" Energy Under the Department of Energy's 1705 program, 26 projects were funded with guaranteed loans amounting to roughly $16 billion; 2,378 permanent jobs were claimed to be created under the program -- a potential cost per job of $6.7 million... |
| Energy Abundance vs. the Poverty of Energy Literacy An estimated 79 percent of the people in the Third World -- the 50 poorest nations -- have no access to electricity... |
| The Truth about Germany and the "Clean Energy Economy" Germany's energy sector is under the most stress of any sector in the country and is cutting jobs rapidly... |
| Environmental Objections in Path of Bullet Train Over the next decade, the heavy construction required for California's bullet train would potentially harm air quality, aquatic life and endangered species across the state's Central Valley... |
| All Pain and No Gain The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission projects that 81,000 megawatts are likely to retire as a result of the maximum achievable control technology standards for emissions of hazardous air pollutants... |
| The EPA's Flawed Zero Tolerance Policy The Environmental Protection Agency's zero-tolerance principle for health risks compels it to herculean regulatory ends, including reducing particular matter below levels found in nature... |
| North Korea, Eco State? North Korea is now building seven hydroelectric plants, which provide some of the cleanest energy... |
| Europe's Green Energy Suicide Italy's energy subsidy system, which sets the price floor for wind energy at three times the market level, was found to sacrifice 6.9 industry jobs for every green job it created... |
| Is There Still a Case for Coal? The Energy Information Agency estimates that by 2016, coal-fired production will cost $95 per megawatt-hour compared with $96 for onshore wind, $211 for photovoltaic generation and $244 for offshore wind... |
| Are Speculators to Blame for High Gas Prices? Of crucial import is that one speculator's profit is another's loss, meaning that they have little net impact on commodity prices... |
