Latest news with #DianaFurchtgott-Roth
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
The wisdom of ending wind and solar subsidies
Diana Furchtgott-Roth and Ryan Strasser, Tribune News Service The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act signals a major shift in federal energy policy. Among its provisions, the law accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for new wind and solar projects and eliminates long-term subsidies for renewable developers on public land. The law revives a principle that should guide all energy policy: Let the best ideas win on their own merit. Rolling back the subsidies should relieve pressure to use valuable land for solar and wind farms. Consider the direct land use involved in today's energy sector. Wind projects take up approximately 30,000 acres to produce the same amount of electricity as a 2,500-acre coal plant. Solar is also land-intensive, requiring about 5,000 acres for equivalent output. However, when government subsidies reduce the use of public land for renewable energy sources, investors are no longer incentivised to look at the tradeoffs of their land-use footprint. Land is a finite and valuable resource. Using it for energy comes at the expense of other potential uses. When developers receive subsidies, they do not have to account for the value of alternative uses for the land. If an energy source requires more land, it should pay for that land. Communities across the country are voicing concerns, objecting to large-scale wind and solar developments that disrupt local land use, strain water resources, and alter rural landscapes. According to Robert Bryce's Renewable Rejection Database, more than 800 wind and solar projects have been rejected or restricted by local governments in the United States since 2015. One example of the disadvantages of large-scale renewable energy projects is the Spotsylvania Solar Energy Center in Virginia, a solar facility that spans over 6,300 acres, one of the largest solar projects east of the Rockies. Locals raised their concerns over the project's environmental effects, particularly the clearing of 3,500 acres of forested land, which involved the removal of around a million trees. Residents feared toxic substances leaching from panels into groundwater, in addition to the heat generated by the installation of 1.8 million solar panels, manufactured by Chinese companies. Despite the opposition, full operation began in 2021. Virginians' average electricity rates rose from 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2019 to 15 cents/kWh in June 2025. This 50% rise in energy prices over less than 6 years underscores that wind and solar projects generally don't save money and entail serious environmental and community costs of their own. Supporters of climate-change subsidies often argue that a rapid shift to renewable energy is necessary as they believe resource depletion or environmental harm is on the horizon. Even though America still holds centuries' worth of recoverable fossil fuels, this argument is flawed in its understanding of energy production. Coal, oil, and gas are the most efficient and profitable energy sources available. Over the past 20 years, wind and solar have received global subsidies of $9 trillion. The most recent data from the Energy Information Administration show that renewable energy sources received over $15 billion in federal subsidies in 2024, compared to $3 billion for fossil fuels. If renewable energy is truly the cheapest and most competitive option, why do its supporters call for lavish government support? Some argue that without such incentives, renewable energy investment will dry up. However, when the government gives special financial help to one type of energy, it makes it harder to see which energy sources are the best and most affordable. This distorts fair competition. If wind and solar energy are the future of America's energy sector, they should compete without the crutch of federal aid. Subsidizing large-scale land for renewable energy development raises electricity prices and uses public, taxpayer-owned lands. The result is not cleaner and more reliable energy, but misallocated resources. Spain offers a cautionary tale. With over half of its grid supplied by renewables and a national push toward 100% by 2050, the country suffered a 12-hour blackout on April 28. Two solar panels in southwest Spain went down, and the grid had insufficient inertia, or backup, to continue operating. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents more than just a shift in federal spending; it reflects a renewed commitment to competitive land use in America's energy sector. By phasing out preferential tax treatment and below-market land deals, the law encourages energy developers to compete on merits and meet America's rising energy demands with an approach rooted in efficiency, reliability, and competition.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FORMER U.S. DOT LEADER JOINS TERN TO ADVANCE ITS AI-POWERED GPS ALTERNATIVE
Diana Furchtgott-Roth Appointed to Advisory Board Amid Rising Global Pressures to Accelerate Satellite-Free Navigation Technology AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tern, the developer of the AI-powered navigation IDPS™ (Independently Derived Positioning System), announced today that Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a nationally recognized transportation economist and former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has joined its Advisory Board. A long-time advocate for resilient and scalable alternatives to satellite-based positioning, Furchtgott-Roth brings decades of expertise at the intersection of transportation policy, infrastructure, and innovation. Her work at the DOT included leading national efforts to evaluate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies in response to increasing threats to GPS from outages, spoofing, and satellite vulnerability. "Diana brings unmatched credibility and clarity on the urgent need for a GPS alternative," said Shaun Moore, Tern CEO and Co-Founder. "Her leadership will be instrumental as we expand IDPS™ across commercial automotive , fleet, defense, and infrastructure sectors." Her appointment comes at a time of escalating geopolitical pressure. U.S.-China relations are under renewed strain, not just economically through rising tariffs, but geopolitically as tensions deepen across the Indo-Pacific. These pressures underscore the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure that remains critically dependent on satellite-based systems. As trade frictions grow, so does the likelihood of adversarial disruption, making it imperative to accelerate deployment of resilient, non-satellite-based navigation solutions. Furchtgott-Roth underscored this in The Daily Telegraph recently, writing, "Disruptions would pose an immense economic and national security threat, costing trillions of dollars daily, dwarfing any market disruptions from tariffs." She continued, "The global cost of GPS interference is too high for world governments to wait for it to fail. This is an area where like-minded governments can and should work together to develop reliable back-ups, both for economic and military security." Tern's IDPS™ uses vehicle sensors and AI to provide uninterrupted, high-accuracy navigation without GPS, GNSS, or cellular signals. The company recently completed successful testing with the Volpe Research Center, through a US Department of Transportation contract, including the first known "cold start" demonstration, accurately initializing position without any prior knowledge or external signal, a milestone long thought to be out of reach. "Tern's approach flips the model," added Moore. "Rather than patching legacy systems, we're building a new foundation for navigation that's intelligent, resilient, and ready to scale." Learn more and request a test drive of IDPS™. Media Contact: Julie Andersen | jandersen@ ABOUT TERN: Tern's patented, award-winning Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS™) redefines navigation by using proprietary AI to interpret real-time map and sensor data, enabling precise vehicle positioning without relying on satellites. Seamlessly integrating into OEM platforms, commercial fleets, and defense systems, IDPS™ delivers unmatched reliability and safety, even in GPS-denied environments. Founded by a team of elite navigators and AI pioneers, Tern is setting the new standard for positioning technology. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Tern Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
08-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
President Trump Takes Credit for February Job Gains
"Balance of Power" focuses on the intersection of politics and global business. On today's show, Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of the Heritage Foundation Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, shares her thoughts on what disturbances she's bracing for in the US economy. Elizabeth Wydra, Constitutional Accountability Center President, talks about President Trump going on record saying Elon Musk is the head of DOGE and the potential legal ramifications of the President's comment. Melinda Haring, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, discusses the US & Ukraine set to talk next week and what to expect from these conversations. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
07-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
What Tariff Led Disturbances Should Americans Brace For?
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of the Heritage Foundation Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, shares her thoughts on what disturbances she's bracing for in the US economy following President Trump stating Americans will feel a disturbance at first with his tariff plans. She talks about whether the uncertainty over the President's tariff plans will impact business investment, hiring, and she discusses what to expect in the next US jobs data when the federal job cuts will be reflected. Diana Furchtgott-Roth speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
