Institute for Energy Research

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. IER maintains that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society.

Most Recent Articles by Institute for Energy Research:

Al Gore’s Energy Problems August 26, 2017
Al Gore is at war with himself. Little wonder that his hypocritical, hyperbolic message goes backward with his every push
IER Statement on Department of Energy Grid Report August 25, 2017
New report on electricity markets and reliability
Gas Tax Revenues Will Plummet With Large Increase in Electric Vehicles August 24, 2017
The lost gasoline tax revenues from electric vehicle penetration can be enormous if sales skyrocket
Does the Developing World Want Solar Power? August 23, 2017
Citizens in developing countries want power that they can rely on 24 hours a day
IER Publishes “The Solar Value Cliff: The Diminishing Value of Solar Power” August 21, 2017
California Gas-Fired Power Plant Files for Bankruptcy August 20, 2017
La Paloma is not the only power plant in California facing closure due to its policy promoting renewable energy
Will Solar Power Be at Fault for the Next Environmental Crisis? August 16, 2017
Solar photovoltaic energy is not as environmentally conscious as many think it is
Climate Optimism, Energy Realism for the Next Generation August 14, 2017
Climate economics
Will Consumers Forfeit Traditional Vehicles for Electrics? August 11, 2017
Consumers must be convinced that the combustion era is ending and electric is taking over for the bans on combustion vehicles to be effective.
Actually, Plenty of Intellectuals Oppose a Carbon Tax August 9, 2017
U.S. carbon tax a "shell game"
Book Review: “Keeping the Lights on at America’s Nuclear Power Plants” August 9, 2017
Timely reminder that America can and should reassert nuclear power as a key pillar of our electric grid
Whitehouse-Schatz Carbon Tax Proposal Ignores Realities of Political Process August 6, 2017
The American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act Is Not a Market Solution
Electricity Prices in South Australia Skyrocket August 3, 2017
Without the proper back-up power and policies that support it, the United States could end up facing the similar unreliability that challenges the electrical grid in South Australia
Milton Friedman on Energy August 1, 2017
Milton Friedman's timeless energy insights should be appreciated for all time
A Crude Primer: Would a Barrel of Oil by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet? July 29, 2017
Remember these basics: "light" versus "heavy" refers to API gravity, "sweet" versus "sour" refers to sulfur content, WTI and Brent are geographic benchmarks that give us a glimpse of the prices buyers, sellers are circling around on the open market
Growth in Rooftop Installations Expected to Decline This Year July 28, 2017
Reasons for the decline differ by market with residential solar facing market saturation in certain markets, financial problems for solar manufacturers and changes to state net metering policies to more fairly compensate homeowners for excess power
Switching to Markets Could Save You 15 Percent or More on Climate Insurance July 26, 2017
We're talking about hobbling energy development today in order to make the Earth a few degrees cooler for people who will probably have robots fly them to work.
Despite the Paris Agreement, China and India Continue To Build Coal Plants July 25, 2017
China and India, ranked first and third globally in greenhouse gas emissions, are planning to build coal-fired plants at home and in other countries to bring electrification to the developing world and to continue to grow their economies
BP Predicts Global Oil Demand Will Peak in 2042 July 21, 2017
BP expects oil, coal and natural gas to provide 75 percent of the world's energy in 2035 despite the growth in non-carbon energy sources
Rick Perry and Say’s Law July 18, 2017
Subsequent economists, eager to justify interventions in the name of fighting depression, have caricatured "Say's Law" into something that Say never wrote
‘Deep Decarbonization’ vs. Direct-Use Natural Gas July 15, 2017
A massive regulatory structure remains in place that will follow the political winds in the future. Legislative reform of EERE's mission--indeed the agency's very existence--is required to achieve pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer, America-first energy poli
States Consider Moratoria on Wind Construction July 13, 2017
The cost of renewable energy and issues with aesthetics are causing state legislators to question whether their renewable energy mandates should continue and/or if a moratorium should be used to study the issues
California’s Solar Energy Overload July 11, 2017
Rapid expansion of renewable power can cause unexpected problems with electric grid stability.
U.S. Has Large Backlog of Uncompleted Oil Wells July 8, 2017
Oil prices may continue to decline unless OPEC digs deeper and cuts oil production even more. U.S. oil production is increasing, compensating for the OPEC oil production cuts, and the excess oil is creating a glut on the market
Clarifying Paris, Part 2 July 6, 2017
The American public needs to understand that much of what they've heard concerning climate change policy is nonsensical and indeed internally contradictory.
For the First Time in Six Years, a New American Coal Mine Has Opened July 6, 2017
The Philosophic Roots of the Paris Agreement Part V: “Small is Beautiful” July 3, 2017
Natural economies of scale and grid reliability emerge from a let the consumer decide energy policy. In a free society, small, medium, and large can be beautiful
BP Sees Large Drop in Global Coal Production, Small Drop in Consumption June 27, 2017
The Philosophic Roots of the Paris Agreement Part IV: Conservationism June 24, 2017
The case for government conservationism has not been made. Energy policy predicated on market conservation is merited on consumer, producer, taxpayer, and civil grounds
The Wind Lobby’s Policy Two-Step June 24, 2017
Falling costs of production ultimately lead to lower retail prices in a competitive market