Roper: Get ready for the ‘Global Warming Shutdown Act’

By Rob Roper

As Vermonters struggle to figure out how to re-open our economy in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy is taking up the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) — a scheme that essentially would keep many aspects of our economy, those relying on fossil fuels, shut down in perpetuity. If ever there was a wrong time and wrong place for a piece of legislation, this is it.

Rob Roper is the president of the Ethan Allen Institute.

Basically, what the GWSA would do is empower the Agency of Natural Resources to come up with and enforce “rules” designed to shrink the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to specific levels by 2025, 2030, and 2050, regardless of any collateral impacts and consequences. It would work by severely restricting or stopping entirely economic activity that produces GHGs, which is, of course, practically everything.

The big questions Vermonters deserve to have answered before this thing becomes law are: What would rules strict enough to meet the GHG reduction goals actually look like (spoiler alert, they will be draconian), how much would they cost, and what impact would they have on an economy desperately trying to recover from the COVID-19 shutdown? As of now, no formal economic impact analysis or cost assessment has been done.

Here are just a few examples of what kind of rules could ANR be empowered to implement to attain the GHG reduction goals outlined in the bill.

  • Ban ATVs, snow machines, pleasure boats, small planes and/or other fossil fuel base recreational vehicles.
  • Ban the use of wood stoves, fireplaces (and/or make it illegal to install these in new homes).
  • Ban backyard barbeques.
  • Ban fossil fuel powered lawn maintenance equipment such as gas powered leaf blowers (they tried this in Illinois).
  • Ban the sale of vehicles that don’t meet certain MPG requirements.
  • Ban the burning of yard waste.
  • Ban the purchase of fossil fuel based heating systems for new or renovated homes.
  • Require businesses and/or homeowners to purchase and install certain equipment to obtain licenses or permits.
  • Ban fossil fuel intensive entertainment events, such as racing at Thunder Road.

Use your imagination and you can probably come up with more.

When the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy debated this bill back in February, members asked some young witnesses how much economic “chaos” — their word — they would be willing to tolerate in order to bring about the goals of the GWSA. Needless to say, more economic chaos is the last thing Vermont and Vermonters need right now and in the foreseeable future — a point that seems lost on our elected officials.

VIDEO:

Bill Walk Through Part 1
Bill Walk Through Part 2

Rob Roper is president of the Ethan Allen Institute. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.

Image courtesy of Public domain

29 thoughts on “Roper: Get ready for the ‘Global Warming Shutdown Act’

  1. Someone has to create and sell new bumper stickers….if the BERNIE’s can slather most of Vermont’s cars with his junk….so can we! I suggest this. Five letters, in bold, and one sentance underneath:

    VT GON
    Vermont, Get Out Now

    • I have a box of bunper stickers left over from my business

      DON’T TRASH VERMONTERS white letters on green.

      Would someone like to use them as fund raisers?

    • Do it
      Doesn’t need to be fancy, just the message. I’D SELL ’em at every damn farmers market I came across.

  2. Socialists and their political enablers are nothing more than common thieves, who, as most burglars do, convince themselves they have a ‘right’ to what they’re stealing (e.g. the right to healthcare, to a minimum wage, to an unspecified world ‘climate’, or merely to dictate what’s best for our own good); or they are, as many do, taking everything they can for the pure excitement of the caper.

    The only thing those of us who understand and maintain traditional social norms (honesty, integrity, relatedness) can do is to prepare for the worst, to survive.

    It’s not as though this has never happened before.

    “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. Their very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”
    —C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

  3. The first thing that should be done is to ban the use of any 4 wheeled vehicle for any of the legislators. They should be required to commute with bicycles, all the while they put the screws to the taxpayers.
    If they choose to fly, they can sit in the class A section and turn the hand cranks so the props will operate. These imbecels in charge of our tax dollars need a wake-up call from the voters that uses the phrase Donald Trump coined :” YOU’RE FIRED!!!!!”
    The quicker the better.

  4. Question?

    Sometimes it’s what they censor continually that reveals and proves their plans. Pretty much everyone that has posted on Vermont Digger with any comment that doesn’t fall in the NWO meaning of life and might be constitutionally minded knows the organization is more lobbyist than reporting.

    In a world where we need money to run our government, one would think new sources of taxation would be welcome. There is an article about a man accused of child pornography and videoing people in the bathroom.

    In the comment section I wrote, We should tax Porn, PAC’s and Lobbyists. The world, our state and our people would be better off without them.

    Didn’t see the light of day? Why? This is how they fund an tear down our republic. It is written out in military plans of other countries. These three things are doing more to influence Vermont in a negative fashion than anything else, not in a positive way. Porn is not what was meant when we were taught, love your neighbor. PAC;s and Lobbyists can’t vote, so why can they by elections and have the biggest influence in what our government does?

    In Washington DC, nobody writes a bill, it’s all done by staffers/lobbyists. Vermont policy is not our own, we are being force fed from outside organizations. Why does Bloomberg get to dictate our constitution in Vermont? Why does Blittersdorf get the gravy train of Government hand outs? How is it that 10 years+ Costco can’t open a simple gas station?

    Tax Porn, PAC’s and Lobbyists, our state would immediately benefit.

  5. They do not want this option because the control is in someone else’s hands and the money leaves their control as well.

    What morons.

  6. The GWSA envisions big spending on wind, solar, and storage,
    The more solar, the bigger the DUCK curves, that UPSET THE GRID.

    PV solar system owners should be required to install their own batteries, so their MIDDAY SURGE OF ELECTRICITY would be contained with in acceptable limits.

    If massive build-outs of heavily subsidized wind and solar were to occur (at great expense and environmental damage), which would have upstream CO2 emissions, electric grids would gradually become “cleaner”, i.e., have less CO2/kWh.

    That approach would take decades, plus the variable, intermittent, grid disturbing, electricity from:

    1) Large-scale, ridge-line wind (competitively bid) would be charged to the rate base at about 9 c/kWh, if grid support costs and subsidy costs were shifted to ratepayers, taxpayers and debt; about 18.8 c/kWh, if no cost shifting,

    2) New large-scale solar (competitively bid) would be charged to the rate base at about 11.8 c/kWh, if grid support costs and subsidy costs were shifted to ratepayers, taxpayers and debt; about 23.5 c/kWh, if no cost shifting,

    3) Residential net-metered solar would be charged to the rate base at about 21.813 c/kWh, if grid support costs and subsidy costs were shifted to ratepayers, taxpayers and debt; about 25.5 c/kWh, if no cost shifting.

    All those prices are much higher in NE than most elsewhere in the US, because of poor wind/solar conditions in NE. See table 5A, which uses data from:

    http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/fortress-vermont-a-multi-billion-boondoggle-foisted-onto
    http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/cost-shifting-is-the-name-of-the-game-regarding-wind-and-solar

  7. FORTRESS PROPONENTS OPPOSED TO LOW-COST CANADIAN HYDRO ELECTRICITY

    FORTRESS folks, who tirelessly peddle their heavily subsidized, expensive, variable/intermittent wind/solar electricity, that requires expensive, grid-scale, storage and expensive grid augmentation/expansion, absolutely do not want low-cost competition from any source, especially if that source would be 1) low-cost, say 5.7 c/kWh, and 2) would require no storage and minimal grid augmentation/expansion.

    VT-DPS employees, on loan to the legislature, “are helping” legislators write a FORTRESS VERMONT bill that specifically limits Hydro-Quebec to about 33% of the Vermont electricity fed to grid. That way, FORTRESS folks get to play their expensive “islanding/fortress” games with the other 67%.

    • They do not want this option because the control is in someone else’s hands and the money leaves their control as well.

      What morons.

  8. FROM FORTRESS VERMONT TO FORTRESS NEW ENGLAND

    If a future NE electricity mix would be 40% from wind, 40% from solar, and the rest from hydro and wood and refuse burning (gas and nuclear plants would be closed), and if all of New England were as foolish as Vermont, and Fortress Vermont were to become Fortress New England, instead of a “down-payment” of about $1.2 billion, about 122/6 x 1.2 = $24.4 billion would be required to install 122/6 x 2400 = 48,800 MW of battery storage systems during the 2020 – 2025 period.

    About 122/6 x 0.9 = $18.3 billion would recur every 15 years to replace the battery systems!
    Additional multi-$billion “down-payments” would be required after 2025.

    All that, and more, would be shifted onto ratepayers, taxpayers and debt, to support the massive build-outs of heavily subsidized cripples, called wind and solar, that could not even exist on the grid without the other generators and/or grid-scale storage systems. See URL.
    http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/cost-shifting-is-the-name-of-the-game-regarding-wind-and-solar

    6-Day Wind/Solar Lull: The normal average electricity fed to the NE grid during a 6-day period is about 122 billion/365 x 6 = 2 billion kWh.

    In case of a randomly occurring, 6-day wind/solar lull, about 664.4 million kWh would be fed to the NE grid, as shown in table 1.

    The NE battery (48,800 MWh) could provide only about 50% of its capacity (24,400 MWh), because the rest has to be available for 1) midday DUCK-curve management (which may involve curtailment) and 2) counteracting the ups and downs of wind/solar outputs, 24/7/365.

    If demand management/rationing were applied to reduce normal average electricity fed to the NE grid from 2000 to 1600 million kWh, the shortfall would be 2000 – 400 – 664.4 = 935.6 million kWh, which could be made up by:

    1) imports, if sufficient connections to adjacent grids, or
    2) a very large capacity of batteries, which would be off-the-charts expensive.

    Connections to Adjacent Grids: About 10,000 MW of new connections to adjacent grids (about $15 billion, turnkey), operated at 0.65 capacity factor, could provide the 935.6 million kWh shortfall during the 6 days.

    NOTE: What would happen if a second lull comes along a few days later, and the battery systems are not yet sufficiently charged after dealing with the first lull, as happened in Germany. See URL
    http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/wind-and-solar-energy-lulls-energy-storage-in-germany

  9. The Global Warming SPENDING act.
    http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/fortress-vermont-a-multi-billion-boondoggle-foisted-onto

    Depending on how much the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, variable/intermittent wind and solar often supply too much or too little electricity. The solution of the 100%-in-state proponents is to store unused electricity in batteries (or some other medium) and then dispatch from storage as needed, 24/7/365, to maintain ISO-NE-specified grid conditions.

    The 100%-in-state proponents propose a $1.2 billion down-payment on “Fortress Vermont”.

    – About $900 million would be for new electricity storage systems, during the 2020 – 2025 period, and tens of $billions thereafter, if their plan for 100% in-state renewable electricity were implemented.
    The battery capacity would be about $900 million/($375/kWh) = 2400 MWh, i.e. 600 MW delivered for 4 hours. See Notes.

    – About $300 million would be to pay wind/solar system owners whose electricity outputs would be curtailed during high winds and very sunny days, during the 2020 – 2025 period.

    NOTE: The NREL states the average turnkey capital cost of grid-scale, 4-hour, battery systems was $375/kWh in 2018, and projects $250/kWh for 2025, $210/kWh for 2030, and 155/kWh for 2050. Such battery systems would absorb solar during mid-day hours and release it during late-afternoon/early-evening hours. See figure ES-2
    https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/73222.pdf

    NOTE: NREL defines the 4-hour duration as the output duration of the battery, such that a 4-hour device would be able to discharge at rated capacity for 4-hours. In practice that would mean that the device would charge for more than 4 hours and would nominally hold more than its rated energy capacity in order to compensate for losses during charge and discharge.

    • So Willem,

      In the playground of Vermont. One has to realize the terrain. You are talking truths, so is Rob. And yet despite this we will lose, epically, why?

      For every post on this article, Zuckerman, and every progressive sends an email out to 60% of the Vermonters. What does it say. Does it include any details? Never.

      What it will say is, Republicans are blocking environmental actions that will save the world, reduce your carbon foot print or stop climate change.

      That is their true goal, to frame the conversations in a light that says the VT GOP are anti environment. AND…..because they have ALL the power of the press, AND because they have educated 20 years of Vt Students with indoctrination…..

      We have no hope of winning the other 70% of Vermonters who don’t vote Republican. What you are talking about is too big a leap, our kids weren’t even taught science for God’s sake.

      We play into losing once again by not offering ANYTHING for good stewardship.

      It could be simple things,

      Getting the Nitrogen filled silt our of our bays and small lakes.
      Improving our municipal sewers.
      Promoting more gardening, take all taxes of gardening supplies
      Allowing small cars that get great gas mileage to our state, Kei Trucks for example

      These are ideas any conservative can and would get behind. Doing nothing makes the only choice the public has is to unwittingly support the NWO plans being developed in our state.

      The really sad part is, they don’t ever have to do anything, just bringing up the topic, every election cycle keeps all the parties perfectly in place, which is what they want. They have complete control of the narrative, the VT GOP unwittingly give them the exact answer they want every time, we always fall for their trap, it’s really tiresome. It’s why we’ve lost for 20 years in row too.

  10. Yup, the NWO is alive and well in Vermont.

    Sadly many believe the world is going to end, if you are of that mindset, banning straws is an act that will make the world a better place. Nobody asks nor seems to care even of you believe the world is going to end, that this one act is not going to do it. It is the price for environmental forgiveness.

    If you are conscientious about our environment, if you want to be a good steward of the land, what are Vermont Republicans putting on the table? Clearly it doesn’t take much for those who worship the environmental god, to make things right in their minds.

    If you don’t offer anything to eat at your table, 60% of the voters don’t come to your party. The VT GOP can’t win any elections with 30% of the voters. Or are the Rinos in complete control?

    A hippy living off the land isn’t much different than a prepper. The biggest difference is the prepper has a better understanding of human nature, that somebody could very likely come a take all you stuff, they understand what 2a is all about.

    If you don’t serve some portion of food at your table that 60% of the public likes, you’ll never have them over for dinner. You will never win an election. They want us fighting, that how they win! If well all sit down for dinner Vermont wins.

  11. If anyone was doubtful that these people are communists, you now have proof they are. the time for the Green Mountain Boys to organize and rise up is nearing. Public disobedience is the only thing that will stop this nonsense.

  12. Rob, You can raise as many red flages as you care, to but Vermonters have no one to blame but themselves for this insanity. As long as they continue to elect these pipe dreamer, feel good morons, NOTHING WLL CHANGE!!!!

    • Nothing will change because we aren’t smart enough to change our response. And we keep losing because of it.

      And because we won’t change, the NWO, keeps getting all they want. We are complicit for being too stupid to change our response. We too are a MAJOR part of the problem.

      It’s almost like we enable them on purpose.

  13. Welcome to the ‘New and Improved” world of sin tax 2.0
    Oh, you want to operate an ATV – pay up.
    Seeing more and more people carrying pistols these days.
    Sometimes they don’t conceal them very effectively.

  14. If the lib Dems and their gwsa sink the economy, then, state voters should just grab them and tar and feather them and run them out. It would be no more extreme than their strong arm tactics.

  15. I believe given what Vermonters have been thru in the last 3 months, there would be an all out voter riot by the people of this State! Tempers are short and people have been laying low as we have been told, and a lot suffering just to get by!
    If those idiots under the gold dome think this is the time to try to force this upon us, they would be making a huge mistake!
    Hopefully anyone trying to do this would be on the OUTSIDE looking in!! Crazy!

  16. Freedom and unity, what part of that state motto do the libtards not get?
    I feel for you guys up there. What the heck is wrong with your gov too? Your state should be a leader in opening up. What is he scared of? Hope he hasn’t been talking to the tyrant over in maine.
    Good luck, kick the socialist idiots OUT!!!

  17. “Ban the purchase of fossil fuel based heating systems for new or renovated homes” – Replaced by what? Just give up on heating homes? Wood burning furnaces? Electric heat is out, given that fossil fuels provide the energy. A not unreasonable question on a cost/benefit basis: If every energy dependent activity right down to electric light in Vermont were shut down (in other words, if everyone left) how much would it improve Vermont’s climate – and who defines “improve”? How much would it offset the considerable societal and economic benefits derived from the current use of fossil fuels?

  18. Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy is taking up the Global Warming
    Solutions Act (GWSA) here’s just part of there hit list, you know it will grow, give them
    an inch they’ll take a foot. So ” read it and weep ” you make work to have them, but they
    ” Liberals ” don’t want you to have them…………………………….

    Ban ATVs, snow machines, pleasure boats, small planes and/or other fossil fuel base
    recreational vehicles.

    Ban the use of wood stoves, fireplaces (and/or make it illegal to install these in new homes).
    Ban backyard barbeques.

    Ban fossil fuel-powered lawn maintenance equipment such as gas-powered
    leaf blowers (they tried this in Illinois).

    Ban the sale of vehicles that don’t meet certain MPG requirements.

    Ban the burning of yard waste.

    Ban the purchase of fossil fuel-based heating systems for new or renovated homes.
    Require businesses and/or homeowners to purchase and install certain equipment
    to obtain licenses or permits.

    Ban fossil fuel-intensive entertainment events, such as racing at Thunder Road.!!!!!!

    Wake up Vermonter’s, these progressive need to be railroaded out of town, you just
    can’t make this stuff up, your way of life is not in their agenda.

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