North Carolina is the second-largest hog producing state in the United States. Thus, disposal of hog waste is a constant concern and contentious issue. In a new paper, Kelly Lester of the John Locke Foundation describes what has failed and what might work. The Failures: “Regulatory Overreach. Government regulations, rather than addressing the root of…
Tag: Regulation
So Public Power Will Solve Maine’s Problems?
An unusual battle is unfolding in Maine. Voters will decide on Nov. 7 whether the state can buy the state’s two for-profit utilities and turn them into a publicly owned utility, “Pine Tree Power.” (Currently, the for-profits are state-regulated monopolies.) The conflict is extraordinary because it involves many claims of savings, climate success, and eminent…
Don’t Count on an Expanding Electric Grid
As regulated businesses, utilities’ incentives differ from those of many businesses. Citing a study in the Yale Journal of Regulation, economist Timothy Taylor explains why these incentives argue against a substantial buildout of a transmission network. This—even though the government is trying to force an “electric” economy. Taylor points out that shareholders of utilities are…
Straight Talk on Nuclear Power
Two prominent analysts raise doubts about nuclear power as the “answer” to climate change alarm. Ben Zyker warns conservatives about the costs. “Recent analysis from the Energy Information Administration reports estimates of prospective nuclear electricity production costs more than double those of natural gas-fired electricity. (If we include the cost of backup generation to avoid…
What’s This Chevron Precedent and Why Does It Matter?
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case (Loper Bright Enterprises et. al vs. Raimondo) that will revisit a past Supreme Court decision known as the “Chevron precedent.” If the Court overturns or modifies that precedent, it would weaken agencies’ power to regulate. A group of New Jersey fishing companies has sued the…