25 May 2016 | by Stephen Heins Once upon a time, Congress created independent regulatory agencies for a reason. It gave them five-member commissions, in which the chairman of each commission holds the deciding vote, for a reason—to avoid ill-advised, partisan agendas. In another words, each agency has a significant amount of freedom to make nonpartisan regulations [...]
Thought Piece by Stephen Heins [White House and many Federal Agencies are likely to start acting like synchronize swimmers in Wash DC. Below, the problematic and probably misguided goals of the EPA. After all, all of the information provided below came from a recent EPA PR document announcing their goals. Within its last six months, the White House [...]
Originally posted in Energy Central 9 February 2016 | By Steve Heins, The Word Merchant “The EPA and The Clean Power Plan: The Climate Science is Far from Settled,” (…and the EPA hasn’t yet addressed any of the important issues surrounding the energy, technology and telecommunication convergence.) While many of us actively try to follow the broad-based scientific discussions [...]
Originally posted in Energy Central Posted on October 16, 2015 Posted By: Stephen Heins Topic: Environmental, Emissions & Carbon Management For decades the EPA, with its piercing scrutiny, complex regulations, and ruthless punishment of polluters, has ruled through fear and intimidation. But with a growing list of recent debacles, scandal, and regulatory snafus, the tables may [...]
For decades the EPA, with its piercing scrutiny, complex regulations, and ruthless punishment of polluters, has ruled through fear and intimidation. But with a growing list of recent debacles, scandal, and regulatory snafus, the tables may be turning, and the EPA itself may have good reason to feel afraid, especially after triggering a second wastewater spill [...]
Originally posted in Forbes/Opinion 4 Mar 2015 | By Stephen Heins The idea of “cooperative federalism” began with the New Deal in the 1930s when it came to include a division of responsibilities among the states and the federal government agencies of electric power and distribution. By the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the EPA set [...]
Originally posted in Forbes/Opinion 23 Dec 2014 | By Stephen Heins The world of energy (oil, pipelines, OPEC, fracking, gasoline prices, peak oil, tar sands and natural gas, to mention the most overly discussed) has entered a new phase, while reasserting its place in the world headlines. In the meantime, another very important American energy story—electricity for the present [...]
13 May 2007 | by Stephen Heins A report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued earlier this month provides a sobering assessment of the impact global warming could have on the climate and has prompted government officials, environmentalists, and even some of the most skeptical conservatives to sit up and take [...]
Originally posted by Energy Central September 19, 2005 | By Stephen Heins Now that California is in the last stages of adopting its Energy Action Plan II, it is an opportune time to discuss the comprehensive solutions being enacted there. First and foremost, California has been able to conduct a thorough discussion of energy policy and [...]
Originally posted by Energy Central August 8, 2005 | By Stephen Heins The most recent Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) decision on July 20, 2005, must be considered an important ruling for the future of energy policy in Wisconsin. With this decision, Wisconsin became the first state in the U.S. to take the bold step of [...]
