When we started in the energy industry over a decade ago, it was very common to hear the claim that “renewables are the cheapest energy sources,” based on Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) metrics. Many advocates added, “even without subsidies!” These claims went largely uncontested for years, with journalists and the mainstream media seemingly eager to parrot common […]

The AI hype machine is running at full steam, and the expectation of massive growth in data center load is causing a storm in the energy industry. As the narrative is currently told, data centers are going to devour gigawatts of power, leading to a massive increase in electricity usage and peak demand—with the costs […]

A few weeks ago, we wrote about how Gallup polling found 66 percent of Americans think the environment is getting worse despite the fact that air quality in the United States has improved dramatically since the 1970’s. This improvement was due in large part to the Clean Air Act and its subsequent amendments, as a reader noted. […]

For the last decade, interconnection queues in regions across the country were largely populated by wind, solar, and battery storage proposals due to federal incentives, state renewable energy mandates, flat power demand, and healthy reserve margins that facilitated the growth of intermittent resources while limiting the perceived need for additional dispatchable generation. However, things have […]

A recent Gallup poll found that Americans’ rating of the environment has reached a new all-time low, with 66 percent of respondents saying the environment is getting worse. The only problem? The data show the exact opposite is happening. Perception vs. Reality According to Gallup, only 35 percent of Americans rate environmental quality as excellent or good, […]

by Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling We are currently working on an exciting new project called the Social Cost of Blackouts. In this upcoming report, we argue that regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and utility regulators should be required to determine whether proposed power plant regulations or integrated resource plans (IRPs) will result […]

In a November 8th, 2025, interview with the New York Times, Calvin Butler, the CEO of Exelon, one of the largest utilities in the United States, quipped that the best hack for lowering your electric bill is to turn off your lights. The notion that Americans can save money on their power bills by simply consuming […]

by Isaac Orr NextEra Energy Resources is descending upon my home county of Waupaca, Wisconsin, seeking to build a 300- to 375-megawatt (MW) solar facility called the Cloverleaf Solar Project. The project would be located on 1,500 acres near Clintonville, Wisconsin. You’d be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Clintonville, or aren’t sure how to pronounce […]

On Tuesday, March 10th, an EF-1 tornado destroyed the Dunns Bridge Solar I and II facilities owned by the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). The facilities, located outside of Wheatfield, Indiana, had 2.4 million solar panels, totaling 700 megawatts (MW) of power capacity, and reportedly cost $1 billion to construct—a little over $1,400 per […]