Isaac Orr

Minnesota

Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment

Podcast Co-Host at In The Tank Podcast

I grew up on a dairy farm in WI, work on energy and environmental issues in MN. Geology enthusiast. Tweets and typos are my own.

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Articles

ISAAC ORR AND MITCH ROLLING: ‘Beautiful Clean Coal’ Is Affordable, Too

1 week ago | dailycaller.com | Isaac Orr

President Trump signed several executiveorders Tuesday that will allow coal-fired power plants to stay online past planned retirement dates, identify coal resources on federal lands, and bolster the reliability of the electric grid. The orders may help the U.S. face an uncomfortable truth: wind turbines and solar panels can’t cost-effectively meet the U.S.’ growing electricity needs. Coal provides an important source of the reliable and fuel-secure energy needed to keep the lights on.
A U.S. Iron Ore Mine Faces Shutdown Because Michigan’s Wind and Solar Mandates will Cost it $15 Million Per Month

1 week ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr

The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er. - Gordon Lightfoot in the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
This RTO Could See Blackouts By 2028

3 weeks ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr

In its 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment (LTRA), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) identified the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) as the region most at risk of rolling blackouts, stating the regional transmission organization (RTO) “falls below established resource adequacy criteria in the next five years.” NERC warns: MISO’s capacity resource turnover continues to occur with coal unit contributions being primarily replaced by solar, wind, and...
EPA Reversing Biden's Impossible Power Plant Rules, Averting Blackouts And Higher Rates

1 month ago | climatechangedispatch.com | Thomas Richard |Isaac Orr

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would roll back the Biden administration’s greenhouse gas emissions standards on power plants. [emphasis, links added]That’s great news for consumers, who will suffer from widespread blackouts and billions of dollars in costs if the rules are not repealed.
9 Takeaways from the JP Morgan Chase Energy Study You Won't Want to Miss

1 month ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr |Robert Bryce |Alex Epstein |Ted Nordhaus

On March 4th, JP Morgan Chase released its 15th Annual Energy Paper. The report, written by Michael Cembalest, is a 55-page analysis with hundreds of graphs and charts on the state of the energy industry. It spans most aspects of the energy industry, discussing costs for wind and solar, conventional fuels, electrification and heat pump adoption, a status update on the deindustrialization of Europe, and the use of green hydrogen.
Nine Slides on Our Win Reining in Utility Green Plating

1 month ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr

We have some great news! This week, the Minnesota House Committee on Energy Finance and Policy passed a version of our “Only Pay for What You Get Act” out of committee. The bill passed along partisan lines, with the eight Republicans voting in favor and the seven Democrats voting in opposition. While the bill will likely need a few amendments, the committee members endorsed the concept behind it that ratepayers should only be forced to pay utility profits on the reliable portion of a power plant.
Chris Wright is Right: Keep the Coal Plants Running

2 months ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr |Robert Bryce

“We are on a path to continually shrink the electricity we generate from coal, and that has made electricity more expensive and our grid less stable.” - Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Bloomberg TV. Secretary Wright is absolutely right. America must stop closing its coal plants because they generate some of the most affordable and reliable electricity in the country, especially compared to wind, solar, and battery storage.
Disposable Power Plants: Wind and Solar Are the Single-Use Plastic of the Power Plant World

2 months ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr

“I love trash” - Oscar the GrouchOn a recent podcast, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that once we build wind and solar facilities, they provide free electricity forever. We’ve written several articles debunking the myth that wind and solar are free or cheaper than other forms of energy, but RFK Jr. was also wrong to use the word forever.
The Bad Boys Start a Business

2 months ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr |K.T. Lynn |Robert Bryce

A bit of professional news this week. For the last six years, we have worked at the Minnesota-based think tank Center of the American Experiment. Now, we are excited to finally announce that we have left the nest and started our own energy modeling think tank called Always On Energy Research.
PJM, MISO, SPP, and ERCOT Join the Legal Fight Against EPA's Carbon Rules

2 months ago | energybadboys.substack.com | Isaac Orr |Roger Pielke Jr

But Saul, how can I sue these people and institutions? - Saul GoodmanOn Friday, September 13th, four regional transmission organizations (RTOs) filed an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals of Washington D.C. challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal and new natural gas power plants and asked the Court to remand the rules back to EPA.