The vote in Crawford County marks the 330^th time that government entities from Maine to Hawaii have rejected or restricted wind projects since 2015. (Details on those rejections can be found in the Renewable Rejection Database.)

The Crawford County vote also matters because it is happening at the same time that the Biden administration and renewable energy promoters in academia are pushing for yet another extension of the production tax credit, the federal subsidy that is the key driver of the wind sector. The PTC, which expired at the beginning of this year, is the single most-expensive energy-related provision in the federal tax code. Between 2020 and 2029, the PTC will cost the federal treasury some $34 billion. Big utilities like NextEra Energy and MidAmerican Energy, which are collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits, want even more federal tax gravy. 

Congress shouldn’t give it to them. Academics, climate activists, and politicians never get tired of claiming that weather-dependent renewables are the cheapest forms of power generation. But if wind is so cheap then the industry surely doesn’t need the PTC, a subsidy that has already been extended 13 times. 

The wind sector -- which is in the midst of a crisis due to soaring commodity prices and regulatory uncertainty -- desperately wants an extension of the PTC, which pays generators as much as $25 per megawatt-hour for the electricity they produce. But more subsidies will only fuel more land-use battles in rural America and give more incentive to giant utilities like NextEra Energy and Mid-American Energy to continue their land grab in rural towns and counties. 

Local governments and landowners are rejecting wind projects because of concerns about falling property values, ruined viewsheds, and potential loss of tourism dollars. They are also rightly concerned about the sleep-disrupting noise pollution that is emitted by 500- and 600-foot high wind turbines. 

To ward off Big Wind, local governments are implementing noise and height limits on wind turbines, establishing zoning setbacks, and even seeking permits to build heliports, which would prevent the construction of wind turbines within a 1-mile radius of the landing pads.

To be sure, the backlash doesn’t fit with the narrative being promoted by the biggest media outlets in the country, including National Public Radio, The New York Times, and Washington Post. It must also be noted that the The New York Times has never reported on the backlash against renewable energy in the state.

Read the entire article at the following weblink:

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/05/19/ohio_county_vet...

Despite Abundant, Safe Nuclear Power, Reactors Continue to Shutter

Nuclear power in the United States dates back to 1958, peaking at 104 operating nuclear reactors in 2012, but plants have been closing steadily since.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a major source of federal open data, and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) revealed how the domestic energy resource fits into the U.S. energy landscape.

But while the number of reactors now stands at 93, electricity generation has actually increased, according to the EIA:

According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as of November 2021, there were 23 shut down commercial nuclear power reactors at 19 sites in various stages of decommissioning.

In 2013 through 2019, annual nuclear generation capacity and electricity generation increased each year (except in 2017) even as the number of operating reactors declined. Power plant uprates—modifications to increase capacity—at nuclear power plants have made it possible for the entire operating nuclear reactor fleet to maintain a relatively consistent total electricity generation capacity. These uprates, combined with high-capacity utilization rates (or capacity factors), helped nuclear power plants maintain a consistent share of about 20% of total annual U.S. electricity generation from 1990 through 2021. Some reactors also increased annual electricity generation by shortening the length of time reactors are offline for the refueling.

The CRS released a report on June 10, 2021, on the commercial nuclear industry.

The report details how many reactors have shut down and names seven more projected to close through 2025:

Another seven U.S. reactor retirements have been announced through 2025, with total generating capacity of 7,109 MW (equal to roughly 7 percent of U.S. nuclear capacity). However, announced retirements have not always occurred as planned: 16 reactors previously announced for permanent closure have continued operating pursuant to state interventions that provide them with additional revenue sources. Those 16 reactors, in 6 states, represent 15,734 MW of electricity generation capacity (16 percent of total U.S. nuclear capacity). Many other U.S. reactors have been identified by recent studies as being “at risk” of shutdown for economic reasons, although their closures have not been announced.

Economic pressure on nuclear power plants is less immediate in areas of the country where electricity prices are set by state regulators rather than markets, such as in much of the Southeast. Under such “traditional” rate regulation, all power plant expenditures must be approved by state regulators, and electricity customers are charged rates sufficient to recover those costs plus a reasonable investment return. However, many other factors can affect plant-specific costs, revenues, and operating profits.

The recent U.S. nuclear power plant retirements and announced future shutdowns have drawn substantial congressional attention, including proposed legislation, committee hearings and markups, and enacted authorizations and appropriations. For example, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on nuclear energy March 25, 2021, at which concerns about nuclear plant shutdowns were raised.

The CRS report includes a portion on the political nature of the nuclear industry:

“The recent U.S. nuclear power plant retirements and announced future shutdowns have drawn substantial congressional attention, including proposed legislation, committee hearings and markups, and enacted authorizations and appropriations. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on nuclear energy March 25, 2021, which included a focus on existing U.S. nuclear plants. Chair Joe Manchin said in his opening statement,  “Lifetime extensions are cheaper than new builds and are generally cost competitive with other generation technologies. We cannot afford to let this carbon-free energy resource fade out.”

Sen. Manchin (D-WV) subsequently sent a letter to President Biden urging him “to take action to preserve our existing nuclear fleet and prevent further closures.”

The full article appears at the following weblink:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/06/01/reports-despite-abund...

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