John Cox

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Tagged energy · everything

www.calculatedriskblog.com

Calculated Risk: Here comes $4 Gasoline

Gas prices were rapidly approaching $4 per gallon in Southern California counties in March 2011, with San Diego and Riverside-San Bernardino already exceeding prices from the same period in 2008 (before that year's peak of $4.63). California consistently experiences higher gas prices than most of the country, though the national average was still climbing toward the $4 threshold. The post connects rising fuel costs to consumer sentiment metrics, noting their historical correlation with economic outlook.

Permalink energyeconomicsarticle

www.findingdulcinea.com

Daylight Saving Time: Why Do We “Fall Back” and “Spring Ahead”?

Despite being intended to conserve energy, research from the California Energy Commission and National Bureau of Economic Research found that daylight saving time actually increases residential electricity demand, as savings from reduced evening use are offset by higher consumption during darker mornings and increased driving during extended evening daylight. The practice was largely promoted by retailers and candy manufacturers seeking to boost sales rather than for genuine energy savings, though it does offer some documented benefits like reduced crime and traffic accidents. The policy has proven controversial historically, with concerns ranging from farmers losing morning daylight to increased childhood accidents when the shift forces morning routines into darkness.

Permalink historyenergyeconomics

Daily Kos

Daily Kos: ExxonMobil says wind is cheapest form of electricity generation

ExxonMobil's own energy outlook chart shows wind power becoming cost-competitive with coal and gas by 2030, even without accounting for carbon's true costs. The author argues that wind's apparent disadvantages—the need for backup capacity and transmission upgrades—are not unique costs but standard features of any power system, and that even high wind penetration wouldn't require prohibitive investment in additional backup generation. The piece concludes that wind matches traditional energy sources on price while avoiding their genuine externalities: geopolitical entanglements, mining hazards, and long-term environmental damage.

Permalink energyarticleclimate

Daily Kos

Daily Kos: ExxonMobil says wind is cheapest form of electricity generation

ExxonMobil's own energy outlook data shows wind power costs are competitive with coal and gas when carbon emissions are priced, and the author argues that common criticisms of wind—needing backup capacity and grid transmission upgrades—are misleading since traditional power plants require the same infrastructure investments that the power system already accommodates. Wind's intermittency is manageable at current penetration levels (5-10%), and even in high-wind scenarios decades away, backup costs would only modestly increase wind's price while ignoring the massive geopolitical, health, and security costs embedded in coal and gas production.

Permalink energyeconomicsclimate