Tags
Bernard L. McNamee, Clean Energy Corps, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, Grid Development Office (GDO), Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise / Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project by The Heritage Foundation (USA 2023), Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy (DOE)
Photo Credit: The Heritage Foundation
The new energy crisis is caused not by a lack of resources, but by extreme “green” policies. Under the rubrics of “combating climate change” and “ESG” (environmental, social, and governance), the Biden Administration, Congress, and various states, as well as Wall Street investors, international corporations, and progressive special-interest groups, are changing America’s energy landscape. These ideologically driven policies are also directing huge amounts of money to favored interests and making America dependent on adversaries like China for energy. In the name of combating climate change, policies have been used to create an artificial energy scarcity that will require trillions of dollars in new investment, supported with taxpayer subsidies, to address a “problem” that government and special interests themselves created.
Excerpt from “Chapter 12: Department of Energy and Related Commissions” by Bernard L. McNamee from Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project by The Heritage Foundation, Washington DC, USA, 2023 (pp. 363-364).
Highlighted below are the major proposals presented in Chapter 12 that place our current climate change policies at risk:
- Eliminate the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) which focuses on climate change and green subsidies and sets energy efficiency standards for appliances. If EERE cannot be eliminated, its budget should be reduced (pp 378-379). [Learn more about EERE at http://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy%5D
- End the role of the Grid Development Office (GDO) in grid planning for the benefit of renewable energy developers and defund most of its programs (pp 380-381). [Learn more about GDO at http://www.energy.gov/gdo/grid-deployment-office%5D
- Eliminate the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) established in December 2021 “[to] deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system” (pp 381-382). [Learn more about OCED at http://www.energy.gov/oced/office-clean-energy-demonstrations%5D
- Eliminate the Clean Energy Corps, charged with delivering a more equitable clean energy future for the American people, by revoking funding and eliminating all positions and personnel hired under the program (p 386). [Learn more about the Clean Energy Corps at http://www.energy.gov/CleanEnergyCorps%5D
Bernard L. McNamee is an energy and regulatory attorney with a major law firm and was formerly a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He is also the Street Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the Appalachian School of Law. In addition to serving as a Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner, McNamee has served in various senior policy and legal positions throughout his career, including at the U.S. Department of Energy, for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and for Virginia Governor George Allen. McNamee also served four attorneys general in two states (Virginia and Texas).
Three Worlds One Vision 
I am pleased to read that someone is finally addressing the business model behind the so-called energy crisis so clearly. However, this does not only apply to the USA, because things are no better in Europe. Which is not surprising, since the big players are always the same.
If I look at the matter less critically in relation to investors and speculators, it is simply an attempt by governments to create jobs. But this artificial intervention (e.g. electric cars) brings with it a series of other problems.
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From what I can determine, governments are aggregations of people harnessed under some overriding philosophy, whether religion, culture, language, geography, or commonly accepted agenda. Climate change is a narural occurrence, happening over eons. Geology has shown that the climate has changed irregularly in different regions at different times. Archaeology has shown ancient relics have existed in which knowledge was found, then lost as long has man has walked upright on the earth and left relics and inscribed tablets or documents. Human intervention may contribute to climate change, such as happened with the human construction of the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal, or even our fledgling attempts to leave the earth’s atmosphere.
Maybe we can blame technology , and the industrial age, but the natives everywhere seem to be restless, just now, so the common enemy seems to be the weather.
Ma Nature is probably yukking up a lot of storms. And it’s raining here, now . . .
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There are a few aspects that bother me about environmental discussions. For example, complete distortion of facts.
USA: In 2020, the average CO2 emissions per person were about 14.2 tons of CO2 per year.
Gambia: In comparison, the CO2 emissions per person in Gambia were 0.23 tons of CO2 per year.
A single launch of the Falcon 9 generates about 250 to 300 tons of CO2.
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I’m fine with the US breaking up into smaller, more self-sufficient components. We tried that with the War Between the States, but Grant and friends proceded to punish the south through Reconstruction, which allowed the corporations and the railroads to claim vast areas of the western territories, via war and banking. We had the heyday of the Industrial Revolution, but Europe was busy building for the next war, which was WWI, and so on. The magnetic poles are shifting, and the tectonic plates floating on a mass of molten metal. The “ring of fire” in the Pacific Ocean outlines where volcanoes have caused lots of weather, land, and particulate matter to shift around all over the planet. I believe someone, maybe Thomas Edison, said 99 percent of success is failure. Humankind continues to experiment with the tools at hand, just like always.
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May I add, Friedrich, that the U.S. Department of Defense puts its own emissions at 51 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in fiscal year 2021, which was roughly the same as the emissions produced by Sweden.
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Katherine, it saddens me that you remain a climate change denier, despite all the increasing extreme climate events here in the USA and worldwide. May your days be blessed ❤
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I keep saying the climate changes minute to minute, every day. Here in Savannah, we have not seen the sun for several days. It is muggy and still. Mosquitoes are happy, though, and spiders are spinning lots of webs. There is a shift in animal populations, but even they are fiding ways to adapt. The polar axis is shifting. Is that changing the climate of the entire planet? It depends on where you look, what you measure, and how you interpret the results. There are still those who believe the sun revolves around the earth. Time will filter out what is meant to survive.
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Friedrich, the transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy sources comes with its own unique problems for which we must find solutions. On the other hand, the reform of the US Department of Energy as formulated by The Heritage Foundation in its Mandate 2025 is not seeking a new business model, but rather a return to the dominance of the fossil fuel industry. Among their proposals (p. 365) are: “Unleash private-sector energy innovation by ending government interference in energy decisions. Stop the war on oil and natural gas. Allow individuals, families, and business to use the energy resources they want to use and that will best serve their needs.”
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The richer nations must change their way of life
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I agree, Derrick, but change without pain goes against the grain.
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Unfortunately it won’t happen
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Derrick, it’s with a heavy heart that I concur.
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😦
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While electric cars and green energy may often be construed simply as displaced carbon production, the answer is not to eliminate all entities trying to reduce greenhouse gases and create new technologies, just because #45 wants more water pressure in his shower. Positive steps can still be taken to reduce or stabilize the wild weather of climate change and our ultimate demise. And since when has job creation become a bad thing? Happy Sunday Rosaliene. Allan
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You raise an interesting question, Allan. Job creation in the transition process to renewable energy sources is definitely a bad thing for the fossil fuel industry.
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If Project 2025 gets implemented, we’re doomed. 😦
Thank you, Rosaliene, for focusing on this alarming far-right game plan.
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We are doomed for sure, Dave. Especially for us here in California, which I plan to address in another post. Since Friday, we are facing excessive heat warnings, with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, to stay in effect through the weekend until Monday night at 8 p.m.
No gardening for me this weekend. Confined indoors, I’ve been doing everything possible to stay cool. I woke during the night with palpitations. I cannot imagine a world when this could become an everyday reality. In Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday, September 3rd, marked 100 straight days of 100-degree temperatures!
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So sorry, Rosaliene, for the planet — and for you and others living in such hot temperatures. Those “leaders” who deny and ignore climate change are abetting the Earth’s “murder.” 😦
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I’m sorry, too, Dave 😦 The minority elite, who control the narrative, live within a reality far removed from ours.
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What is this fixation on leadership? What is the benefit of aligning with any religious, sexual, or political group? If we all love the planet, we can find ways to insure planetary health by individual initiative.
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Katherine, in the past, you and I have agreed to disagree on climate change. Unfortunately, individual initiative is not enough to deal with the instability of our planetary health and the millions of people here in the USA and worldwide who are suffering the consequences of massive natural disasters.
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Rosaliene, Except that people are coping, as individuals find help from neighbors and close associates. Yes, there are disasters, but those who can find higher ground do so. Great inventions and movements build on themselves over time. They do not always start with much fanfare, or public attention.
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“If we all love the planet, ….” I wish we all loved the planet, but unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. Some people care more about making more money than they will ever need, putting all of us at risk.
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I concur with Dave. And add that it breaks my heart to see how concerned the Heritage Foundation – gatekeeper of privilege and nihilism of the caste of the cynical – is with the fate of the common people and mankind. And for those interested in the true conservatism of the responsibly privileged, I recommend a FT longread: Adair Turner: ‘I still think we have a chance of limiting global warming to well below 2C’ – https://on.ft.com/3YBqJbd via @FT. (Here’s to hoping the link functions when I post this).
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It also breaks my heart, Dingenom. For now, those who profit from our planetary ecocide have not suffered the consequences of their actions due to their privileged lifestyles.
Thanks for sharing the link to the interview in the Financial Times. Considering that Mandate 2025 proposes an end to investment in grids, I was pleased to read that Adair Turner disagrees when he said: “This does require investment in grids. It requires investment in storage. But I am confident that all the technologies exist to do it. And again, if you look at India, where the ETCs partner, TERI, has done detailed modelling, it’s reasonable to believe that the total cost of electricity with the storage and the grids will be no higher than today’s fossil-fuel-based systems.”
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The far right is demented.
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Neil, The Heritage Foundation, author of the Mandate or Project 2025, claim that they “don’t work on behalf of any special interest or political.” I understand that to mean that they are not part of the far right extremists.
Their “mission is to formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense…. But unlike so many other organizations in Washington, D.C., The Heritage Foundation’s focus isn’t on putting more power into the hands of government—it’s on returning power to the people.” I understand “people” to mean the transnational corporations.
You can learn more at their website: https://www.heritage.org/about-heritage/mission
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Trump loves the uneducated. They can be convinced that change of any kind puts them at risk and find comfort in going backwards.
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Sadly true, John. When we refuse to change our ways, we can be brought to our knees by the unexpected consequences.
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There’s a very serious battle going on between the different money groups and the climate is a side note. The people who want to continue fossil fuel usage stand to lose billions in income, the climate be damned. Same with gun control issues. It’s all about how much money they can continue to make, and F*CK everything else.
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I wish I could disagree with you, Tamara, but it’s our tragic reality 😦 What has been so scary to observe is that these power groups are prepared to play the long game to regain lost ground and achieve their goals.
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Exactly. They’d rather go scorched earth than cede anything.
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Climate and environmental issues are important. I’m behind anything that leaves the world better than when I entered. But I do not want it to be manipulated by political or corporate greed.
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Mary, when it comes to political and corporate greed, we lost that battle when corporations gained personhood.
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Exactly! And behind it all are hordes of lawyers and, above all, lobbyists who are making sure that nothing changes any time soon.
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Wow. Read through the comments here and . . . just, wow. Seems many people will still be screeching about government overreach as they, for instance, die a heat-related death or get swept away in a flood. If there are aliens watching and observing us, they must be incredulous.
Thank you for sharing this, Rosaliene.
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You’re welcome, Tracy. Climate change is definitely for real here in California. Under our excessive heat warnings in Los Angeles County, since Friday, I have to be extra vigilant to stay cool. In addition to 100-degree temperatures, my sister living in the High Desert, also has to deal with toxic smoke from the “Line Fire” raging in their region of the San Bernardino County. The fire has already consumed over 17,000 acres and threatens over 35,000 buildings.
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I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that. And your poor sister! Wildfire smoke on top of that heat is incredibly difficult and unhealthy. We had that here in CO earlier this summer and it about broke me, emotionally speaking. I’m sending good thoughts to you, your sister, and everyone in SoCal.
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Thanks very much for your good thoughts, Tracy ❤
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The horror show of the future continues, and, indeed, has already begun. You are a brave soul Rosaliene, doing your part to save the planet. Some doubt it in spite of the near unanimity of scientists who are signalling the the danger of climate change, including the disappearance of countless species. Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Dr. Stein. Brave are the souls who are in the front lines, facing teargas, beatings, and prison.
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Interesting how they use bits of truth to weave their tale. For example, “These ideologically driven policies are also directing huge amounts of money to favored interests and making America dependent on adversaries like China for energy.” Other than the ideologically driven part, isn’t this kind of true? Except that we’re in no way near transitioning to “green” energy. It’s always the other sides fault and then there’s reality. Thanks for sharing this, Rosaliene!
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You’re welcome, Mara! The architects of this document are skilled at drawing us in with selective facts, then hitting us with solutions that exacerbate the real crises that we face.
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Thank you for highlighting these devastating programs, Rosaliene. So important for all of us to be informed.
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You’re welcome, Rebecca.
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I can’t believe people are still writing books like this. Of course it’s the Heritage Foundation which just happens to be the biggest gas-lighting organization in our country right now. I guess being on the verge of a 6th mass extinction — driven by mankind’s avarice in its race to get all the resources available before someone else does — is not enough to convince some people. And as long as there are deniers, there will be reason enough not to take action and that is the whole goal for these guys. They knew oil production peaked in the 70s but that wasn’t enough reason to start developing alternatives because billions were at stake. These are the people my grandmother would describe as “crying with a loaf of bread under each arm.” The WHO estimates that over 2 billion people will be forced to relocate in the next 20-30 years because of a climate change-related inability to grow food and a lack of clean water. Here in the U.S. we can’t even tolerate several thousand immigrants coming into the country every day. We are really going to lose our marbles when 2 billion people are on the move. The future we get is the one we deserve, I guess, although why most of us have to suffer for the terrible decisions of the few wealthiest among us is anyone guess. Thanks for sharing, Rose. It ain’t over til it’s over, I guess, but gosh is it getting bleak.
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Pam, thanks so much for adding your thoughts. I’ve also been thinking about the growing number of displaced people worldwide, due to a climate crisis, who are already on the move. As I see it, climate change denial is easy when it’s affecting someone else miles away. Until the day comes when the wildfire is in our backyard, the floodwaters reach our second floor, or the excessive heat takes the lives of the most vulnerable in our family. As you say, it is getting bleak 😦
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It makes we want to cry, Rose, esp. since most of the people decrying climate change claim to be Christian and isn’t the whole mantra of Christianity to love your neighbor as yourself? Perhaps they don’t think much of themselves then?
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Pam, this is what happens when one blends politics with religion. The teachings of Jesus can get lost in the power struggle.
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so true.
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The bigger problem as I see it—data storage already uses 25% of all electricity generated, and they’re just getting started. By 2040 1/2 of all electric consumption will be data storage from the surveillance state—and who exactly does this benefit? It certainly isn’t the way of life I’ve hoped for.
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Jimoeba, thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts.
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Thank you for presenting this, Rosaliene. I don’t know if those who promote this “Mandate” are stupid, evil, confused, or a combination of these conditions. God helps us.
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You’re welcome, JoAnna. I would recommend that you check out the Mission Statement of The Heritage Foundation at the link below. What can I say? They must have contingency plans in place for themselves and their loved ones. If not, the pursuit of power has so corrupted their minds, they believe themselves to be gods.
https://www.heritage.org/about-heritage/mission
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Thank you for the link. The mission statement principles seem like they could be easily contradictory. Creepy stuff.
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Creepy, indeed, JoAnna.
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Rosaliene, the more I learn about this mandate, the more outrageous, dangerous and scary such extremism proposes. They are fostering greater division contradicting the flash point that they are supposed to be champions for all Americans? I think the people backing this mandate haven’t read a lick of what has been orchestrated throughout the pages of such insane proposals. Unreal! Thank you for your continued enlightenment for humanity’s sake sistah Rosaliene. 🤗🙏🏼😊💖🌞
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You’re welcome, Kym. There’s lots more in the Mandate or Project 2025 that I won’t be able to cover on my blog. I read it in small doses over several months.
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Girl, this thing is enough to choke you to death. It seems like a bad movie when you begin to mull over just a few pages of it. It blows me away how division, hatred, and downright diabolical thinking has sauce poured over it pretending to be a thing that’s suppose to be unifying (and for who?), edible, and okay! But you know, I thought about the wayward thinking by the alleged priests and religious leaders during Jesus’ time, and they had such backward thinking then too. We must take a page from the disciples on how to rise above and diminish such extreme opposition. They never seem to go away, but neither shall we! 🤜🏼🤛🏼
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I agree, Kym, that backward thinking is nothing new over millions of years of human civilization. It does seem that humanity is in a perpetual battle between the forces of good and evil. We must not tire in our struggle.
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AMEN sistah Rosaliene! I agree 100% 🤗🙏🏼😊
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Rosaliene, my “like” is for your efforts in exposing this horrific plan, so that people will know the impact of their vote. The plan’s devastating impacts are beyond comprehension. And of course the candidate denies having anything to do with it…
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Thanks very much, Steve. What’s happening here in the USA not only impacts your country (Canada), but also all countries worldwide. The global climate crisis is an existential threat that affects humanity and all non-human life on our planet.
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Absolutely, and there are enough world powers throwing caution in the wind, without the devastation P25 would bring.
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