Talking points roundup: California’s irrational oil imports, the consequences of state "net zero" policies, "petro masculinity," and more
Also: the practice of using mobile gas turbines to power data centers, solar and wind dominating 2026 electricity "capacity" additions, and Illinois requiring new nuclear power.
Here are some of my favorite talking points I’ve created or shared over the last week.
On California’s irrational oil imports:
More than 40% of California’s oil starts in Texas or Louisiana, is shipped 1000 miles to the Bahamas, and then is shipped 4000 miles to CA.
Why??
Because:
1) California’s anti-freedom “climate” policies have made it illegal for CA oil operators to supply the oil Californians need.
2) The anti-freedom “Jones Act” prohibits domestic shipments unless they go on super-expensive, US-built and US-crewed ships (!)
Unleash energy freedom!
On the consequences of state “net zero” policies:
California, Oregon, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont have aggressive (75-100%) zero-emission electricity mandates AND bans on new nuclear power.
If these states don’t repeal these policies—and soon—they will face:
1) sky-high electricity rates (from catastrophically expensive overbuilds of solar/wind/batteries and carbon capture), or, eventually,
2) catastrophic blackouts.
On the practice of using mobile gas turbines to power data centers:
The US has such a shortage of reliable electricity supply that AI developers are putting gas turbines on semi-trucks in order to power data centers.
This is impressive...but the only reason that companies have to use these kinds of workarounds is that anti-fossil-fuel policies have made it so hard to build normal power plants!
We need to unleash American energy.
On solar and wind dominating 2026 electricity “capacity” additions:
Solar and wind are projected to dominate 2026 electricity additions, with only a small amount of natural gas (7%) in the mix.
This is a huge problem for electricity prices, because we pay for solar and wind on top of the cost of reliable power sources, not instead of!
On dishonest reporting about the Great Barrier Reef:
The amount of coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been trending upward since the 80s.
Last year, coral declined from the prior year. Short-term declines are common due to effects like storms or parasitic starfish.
Of course, the BBC reported this as the worst decline on record!
On the myth that solar and wind provide “low-cost energy”:
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer wants more solar and wind projects to qualify for subsidies, saying they would “provide low-cost energy.”
False.
Solar and wind don’t replace reliable power sources, they just save them fuel—and almost always at great expense!
On Illinois requiring new nuclear power:
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker just issued an order aimed at facilitating at least 2 GW in nuclear capacity additions.
It’s good to see an increasingly wider recognition of the potential of nuclear power, which has been stunted for decades by pseudoscientific regulation.
However, governments shouldn’t replace the criminalization of nuclear with mandates for certain amounts of nuclear.
In its current form, nuclear is (unfortunately and unnecessarily) highly expensive to build. In many cases it would be cheaper to build natural gas—which Illinois can’t, because of its “net zero” electricity mandate.
If Illinois wants cheap, reliable electricity, it should repeal its “net zero” mandate and let the market determine what generation needs to be built.
On “petro masculinity”:
Contrary to the idea that women are suffering from “petro masculinity,” women live decades longer and have much better lives thanks to fossil fuels. The real problem is that not enough women have access to fossil fuels.
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States with legally binding net zero mandates are in imminent danger of going to hell.
The citizens will suffer gravely and stupidly without reliable and affordable electricity and fuel.
These whiners are trying to put down the Taylor Sheridan TV series set in the oil field of Texas that is very popular.