Donn’s Articles

…Nu-Scale Cost Threat… Nu-scale was the presumptive leader in small modular reactors having obtained design approval from the nuclear regulatory commission (NRC). NuScale entered into a Carbon-Free Power Project (CFPP) agreement with several utilities in Utah, specifically the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). The six-module plant, referred to by

…LNG Potential… In 2022 the US was the third largest exporter of LNG at 76.4 million tonnes/year (Mtpy), just behind Qatar and Australia. Operations had been curtailed at the Freeport terminal as the result of a June, 2022 fire. With resumption of operations at the Freeport LNG terminal, the US

…Effect of BEVs on Electric Grid… What will be the effect of 250 million BEVs on America’s electric grid in 2050? What will it cost to allow the electric grid to safely supply 250 million BEVs with the power they need? And, is it even possible to transition the grid

…Another Dangerous Proposal… From Load Shedding to Demand Response to Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). Isn’t progress wonderful? At least on paper. But what about reality? And what’s the purpose of VPPs as proposed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)? VPPs are to eliminate the need for building new natural gas power

…Effect of Higher Battery Costs… For the past several years the forecast for the cost of Li-ion batteries has been to come down to around $80/kWh, at which point battery-powered vehicles would be competitive with ICE vehicles. However, it now appears batteries will never achieve the targeted cost of $80/kWh. Here

…It’s All About Materials… The Geological Survey of Finland published a 1,000-page report establishing the amount of materials needed to decarbonize the world. It determined how much material would be required for wind, solar, biofuels, and nuclear power to replace fossil fuels for generating electricity, and the amount of materials

…Are Pencils in Danger?… What do pencils and battery-powered vehicles have in common? Graphite. Graphite is used in pencils and in the Lithium-ion batteries powering battery-powered vehicles. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), more pounds of graphite are used in a Lithium-ion battery than copper.  According to the US

…ESG and Energy Security… Three previous articles exposed an international effort to impose sustainability standards on the United States. The three articles examined the potential effects of incorporating climate change and sustainability measurements in audited financial statements. (Links to these three earlier articles are shown below.) Until the introduction of

…About Clean Energy Crisis… There are several important issues about the energy transition that need to be discussed. Does the United States have ample fossil fuel reserves, sufficient to be the “energy arsenal” for the free world? Can wind and solar replace fossil fuels? What is the role of nuclear

…There Likely Will Be Stranded Assets… If battery-powered vehicle (BEV) sales are not mandated by the government, and the market for BEVs is much smaller than now predicted, will the battery factories being built become stranded assets? The earlier article resulted in comments questioning whether other applications would allow these

…Stranded Assets… There has been considerable conjecture that billions of dollars worth of assets in the fossil fuel industry will be stranded when fossil fuels are no longer needed because of the energy transition. But what about the billions being spent by the automobile industry to build factories for the

…Clean Energy Crisis… Clean Energy Crisis is the title of my new book now available on Amazon. The complete title is: Clean Energy Crisis The Challenge of Replacing Fossil Fuels Americans are being asked to replace fossil fuels with clean energy, in the form of wind and solar to generate

…Fusion Confusion… U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, announced: “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting our world-class scientists—like the team at NIF—whose work will help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change and maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear

…An American Story… It’s rare that a story transcends time, in this case for a lifetime, and yet is still relevant today, especially during this holiday season. The story begins shortly after WWII when the Soviet Union closed all land routes, roads and rail, into Berlin. Over two-million Germans were

…The Lonely PHEV… The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is largely being ignored by governments who are mandating battery-powered vehicles (BEVs) or zero emission vehicles. Zero emission vehicle is, of course, a misnomer, because the electricity or hydrogen, for fuel-cell vehicles, has to be produced somewhere, which inevitably involves fossil

…Clean Energy Promotion… One wonders whether the Wall Street Journal is being paid to publish reports on energy issues that are merely propaganda for clean energy. The latest example was the Alternative Energy special section on November 14. It promoted: Solar panels that “look good”  The need for more EV

…Germany Addresses Critical Materials… Germany’s economy and climate ministry (BMWK) Issued a report showing that Germany was very dependent on critical materials, more so than previously thought. An article, referring to the report, in Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) said: According to the report, Germany imports 39 of the 46 most

…Editors and Obvious Misinformation… Editors should be able to prevent publishing obvious errors.  Even though the left has turned words upside down Orwellian style, the left certainly can’t claim that an error is not an error. A recent article made the following claim: “Clean energy investments are rising as many sustainable

…Is America at a Crossroads?… Will America have to choose between environmental issues, such as endangered species and air pollution, or mining for critical minerals? While the media has focused on minerals for batteries and clean energy, there are other minerals critical to America’s economy that are being imported …

…WSJ Promoting BEVs… The Off Duty section of the Wall Street Journal devoted nearly two pages to the article Should I Buy An EV Now? It covered topics such as:  Why do I want an electric vehicle? What’s wrong with internal combustion? I do want an EV, but shouldn’t I

…Blackouts Threaten New England, Again… It was only a few years ago, the winter of 2018, that New England was spared from dangerous blackouts by storing oil at key natural gas power plants. Natural gas power plants can burn oil as well as natural gas.  In January 2018, oil saved

…Novel Grid Battery Introduced… A revolutionary new battery design was recently announced that used basic materials, i.e., iron and water, where the battery can store electricity for as long as 100 hours rather than only a few hours with Lithium-ion batteries.  The Form air-battery is also far less costly than

…The Answer is Simple… America’s New Energy Crisis, blared the WSJ headline.  The headline was followed by a plethora of jumbled explanations of why the United States is suffering an energy shortage not seen since the 1970s. At the end of the article, the WSJ concludes; “No one knows what

…Can Battery-Powered Vehicles Compete?… My April 26 article showed that the best all-around vehicle was the ICE, and that a plug-in hybrid was a viable alternative, but that battery powered vehicles (BEVs) just didn’t add up. It referenced another article showing that the cost of lithium-ion batteries would have to

…Destroying Energy Security, Part 3… This is the last of three articles examining the potential effects of incorporating climate change and sustainability measurements in audited financial statements. Note that the SEC’s current proposals are restricted to climate change, while international organizations also include sustainability measurements. While many groups, such as

…Destroying Energy Security, Part 2… These three articles examine the potential effects of incorporating climate change and sustainability measurements in audited financial statements. Note that the SEC’s current proposals are restricted to climate change, while international organizations also include sustainability measurements. While many groups, such as Climate Action 100+, are

…Destroying Energy Security, Part 1… These three articles examine the potential effects of incorporating climate change and sustainability measurements in audited financial statements. Note that the SEC’s current proposals are restricted to climate change, while international organizations also include sustainability measurements. While many groups, such as Climate Action 100+, are

…The Politics of Energy, Part 2… Part 1 made it clear the United States has the energy resources needed to counter its enemies and support its allies. America’s abundant resources are also among the least costly in the world. “The lower the cost of energy, the greater its effect on

...The Politics of Energy, Part 1… The United States is blessed with abundant energy resources and can be energy independent if it chooses.  How should the United States use its energy resources in the face of very real threats to its survival? For example, people who have adopted the view

…China’s Coal-fired Power Plants Dominate… The current US administration and its allies are hell-bent on eliminating America’s CO2 emissions, no matter the consequences, because of a perceived climate threat. A few examples include: Coal-fired power plants are being closed and rules are in place preventing the building of new High

…Europe’s Rendezvous with Destiny… Europe’s obsession with eliminating fossil fuels has led it to the brink of disaster. By relying on Russian energy to avoid developing its own, Europe has placed itself at Russia’s mercy. This strategic dependency is now abundantly clear as Russia throttles back on shipments of natural

…IPCC Summary Report, Part 2… It’s clear from Part 1 that: The SMP is prepared by politicians and can reflect their views rather than those of the scientists, and The politicians can override the scientists to make the Assessment Report conform to the SPM. The CO2 Coalition Amicus Curiae brief

…IPCC Summary Report, Part 1… The IPCC issues its Summary Report for Policy Makers (SPM) after it issues its Assessment Reports.  The Assessment reports are prepared by Scientists, while the Summary for Policy Makers is prepared by politicians. Purportedly, the SPM reflects the science of the Assessment Report. However, the

…The Why, of Why Blackouts?… There is a looming threat of blackouts this summer. The Wall Street Journal reported: “Last week the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned that two-thirds of the U.S. could experience blackouts this summer. Welcome to the ‘green energy transition.’” The primary reason for blackouts

…Net-Zero Reality Conclusions… (This is the last of five articles, using published data and simple logic, to demonstrate net-zero carbon is unattainable with wind, solar or nuclear, or a combination of these methods for power generation.) Three alternative methods for achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 have been evaluated, and it’s

…Net-zero, Reality Check #4… Neither wind, nuclear or PV solar, can achieve net-zero carbon, but could a combination of the three achieve net-zero carbon by 2050? Nuclear Status Unfortunately, nuclear will probably not be able to add additional new generating capacity before 2050. Two new units in Georgia will likely

…Net-zero Reality Check #3… (This is the third of five articles, using published data and simple logic, to demonstrate net-zero carbon is unattainable by 2050 with wind, solar or nuclear, or a combination of these methods for power generation.) Climate change scaremongers insist we eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

…Net-zero Reality Check #2… (This is the second of five articles, using published data and simple logic, to demonstrate net-zero carbon is unattainable by 2050 with wind, solar or nuclear, or a combination of these methods for power generation.) Climate change scaremongers insist we eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

…Net-Zero Carbon Reality Check #1… (This is the first of four articles, using published data and simple logic, to demonstrate net-zero carbon is unattainable by 2050 with wind, solar or nuclear, or a combination of these methods for power generation.) Climate change scaremongers insist we eliminate the use of fossil

…Malicious Claims of Sea Level Rise... One of the more malicious claims made by climate alarmists concerns sea level rise, misleadingly dramatized on the September, 2013 cover of the National Geographic magazine. More recently, NOAA published an article claiming that sea level rise in the next 30 years would equal

…Best Car Technology… Battery-powered vehicles (BEVs) are currently the darling of the media and proponents of net-zero carbon policies. But widespread adoption of BEVs have serious consequences, not the least of which is that BEVs require the use of rare, hard-to-mine and costly materials primarily available from China. Then there

…US Military: A Recipe for Disaster… Leaders must define the mission, stick to it, and avoid any deviation from it. CEOs have the luxury of being able to go WOKE, because, for the most part, in the short term, it only hurts profitability. Military leaders don’t have the same luxury,

…America’s LNG Export Potential… The current status of natural gas production, consumption and exports is in a state of flux brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  How much LNG has the United States exported, and can the US play a leading role going forward? The US produced 34,149

…Americans are the Villains… Americans are the villains enabling climate change. A new study, Impacts of poverty alleviation on national and global carbon emissions, was summarized as follows:  “Wealth and income are disproportionately distributed among the global population. … Consumption patterns and consumption-based carbon footprints, result in carbon inequality. Due

…How Europe Dithers… While Europe fiddled with climate related renewable energy projects, it allowed itself to become dependent on Russian energy. In spite of all that has happened with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it appears as though Europe is still focused on battling climate change and eliminating fossil fuels.  For

…SEC Promotes Net Zero… The SEC is preparing to issue rules requiring corporations “to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports [that have] a material impact on its business, results of operations, or financial condition.”  It would also requires disclosure of a registrant’s greenhouse gas emissions.

…Inflation and Rule of 70… With inflation raising its ugly head, it’s helpful to use the rule of 70 to estimate the effect of inflation on our lives. Many people are aware of the rule of 70, but some are not. This will remind people about the rule, and, perhaps, make

…Clarifying Oil Information… News reports abound with data on oil production, oil imports and oil exports, yet much of the data seems to be contradictory. For example, the best article yet on why the US isn’t producing more oil was by Paul Tice in The WSJ on March 16, and

…Replacing Russian Energy… The Russian invasion of the Ukraine has thrust Russia’s energy strategy to the forefront. Which is more strategically important, oil or natural gas? In terms of dollars, oil and natural gas have about the same economic value. Here is a direct BTU/$ comparison: Oil = 58,250 BTU/$ NG

…Reliability is Everything… A recent Wall Street Journal article, The Power Struggle, raised the importance of grid reliability, but claimed that electric grid failures were caused by climate change. The claim that climate risk is undermining grid reliability is an illusion. The WSJ article correctly diagnosed the danger of  blackouts,