Too much cash for wind farms

The report argued that the government is over-investing in wind farms and that wind power is unreliable, costly and does not have the environmental benefits generally assumed.

The report was covered in the Daily Express, Daily Telegraph, ConservativeHome, Scotsman and Yorkshire Evening Post, along with dozens of regional newspapers and 126 regional news websites. 

Summary

The ASI's report on 'The Limits of Windpower' received widespread print and online coverage. 

Wind energy benefits overblown, says think tank

·     Wind power unreliability means there is little environmental benefit

·     Need for reserve power generation or energy storage facilities to provide for users needs makes wind power a costly energy source

·     UK government should stop overinvestment in onshore and offshore wind turbines

The report ‘The Limits of Wind Power”, released today by the Adam Smith Institute and US’s Reason Foundation, reveals that the heavy investment in wind power in the UK and US is misguided. Wind energy will never be suited as the lone or primary source of grid electricity due to its variable nature and will not deliver the environmental benefits expected. 
 
The study looks at the limitations of wind power and argues that wind energy needs either expensive energy storage facilities or reserve power generation facilities to provide for users needs. Wind energy is intermittent and therefore these back ups are needed to avoid blackouts or brownouts.
 
Reserve power would have to come from facilities that use fossil fuels, which must operate even when not being used to ensure the reliability of the electrical grid.  This undermines the supposed environmental benefits of wind power. 
 
In light of this, the UK government is overinvesting in onshore and offshore wind farms. Not only is investment in wind power expensive, but it will also fail to provide a reliable source of energy for grid users. The Adam Smith Institute paper argues that the practical upper limit for wind power’s contribution to an electricity grid is 10% of the total energy mix. At the moment the government is hoping that between 8% - 15% will be generated by offshore wind alone by 2020, an unachievable target.
 
“Very high wind penetrations are not achievable,” said William Korchinski, author of the report. “As wind’s share increases, system reliability will be adversely affected disproportionately – unless adequate reserve power is available. That power reserve is expensive and lowers any possible environmental benefits.”

Would new taxes on alcohol and pop make you drink less?

Eamonn argues that a low tax won't change people's behaviour and that any money raised on the 20p tax on fizzy drinks would be spent on the bureaucracy to bring it in. 

You can here the discussion on BBC Radio Wales here. (from 15.37mins in). 

Summary

Dr Eamonn Butler is a guest on BBC Radio Wales discussing the negative impact of minimum alcohol pricing and a 20p per litre sugary drinks tax. 

Eamonn on BBC Breakfast TV on a fizzy drinks tax

Summary

Dr Eamonn Butler argues on BBC Breakfast TV that a 20p tax per litre on fizzy drinks would  be a terrible idea. Government should not micromanage our lives and people do not want more taxes introduced. The tax would just lead to more bureaucracy and hit poor families hardest.

Does business have a responsibility beyond making a profit?

Summary

Sam Bowman goes on BBC World Service's 'In the Balance' and discuss corporate social responsibility and whether businesses should feel obliged to give back to society. He argues that a business's first priority should be its shareholders and CSR may come at the cost of business profit and the returns to shareholders. He also discusses tax avoidance and other topical issues on this 30min programme.

You can listen to the full discussion here. 

Response to GDP figures

In response to today’s GDP figures, Sam Bowman, Research Director at the Adam Smith Institute, said:

“We shouldn’t be too surprised by these GDP figures. Since GDP figures include government spending, cuts to spending will depress the headline rate even if the private sector is doing quite well.
 
“What we are experiencing is a rebalancing of the economy. In 2012, nearly a million private sector jobs were created, a very positive development. The state is cutting its workforce, freeing up more labour for private sector productivity.
 
“However, the government is not doing enough to promote the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). EU regulation costs British business £100bn a year, and our taxes on business are killing jobs. Scrapping Employers’ National Insurance contributions for SMEs could create over 500,000 new private sector jobs.
 
“The government is right to cut state spending and employment, but it needs to promote stronger private sector growth to pick up more of the slack. Targeted tax cuts and deregulation designed to boost private sector job creation are just what the doctor ordered.”

Get the government out of the marriage business

People in same-sex relationships have, rightly, fought for equality before the law. But they have ignored the bigger question – why the state should have anything to do with consenting adults' relationships at all. We have privatised industries and services with excellent results: now, why don't we privatise marriage?

Marriage has not traditionally been a preserve of the state, only entering the statute books in England in the Marriage Act of 1753. According to historian and author of ‘Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage’, Stephanie Coontz, it was only in the 16th Century that European governments began to require marriages to be performed under legal auspices at all, marriage is a public contract between consenting adults. Most of what is in modern marriage could be agreed upon privately by consenting adults: property rights (over inheritance, for example), parental responsibilities, duties of care, next of kin nomination, and so on. Other rights, such as residency sponsorship for non-citizens, should not be restricted to married couples at all...

You can read the full article on PoliticsHome here.

Summary

Sam Bowman writes on PoliticsHome that in the debate over gay marriage, both sides have missed the point. The government should privatise marriage, making the whole gay marriage debate redundant. 

The cost of minimum alcohol pricing

Sam argues that minimum alcohol pricing is unnecessary and alcohol consumption has already been dropping over the last few years. He claims that the Sheffield Alcohol Policy projections are completely bogus and this policy will hit the poor hardest and is based on a moral panic about an exaggerated issue.

You can listen to his interview here (from 15.44 mins in).

Summary

Sam Bowman talks on BBC Radio Humberside on why minimum alcohol pricing is a bad idea and will not help problem drinkers. 

The working poor

In his interview, Sam argues that the government must stop taxing those on minimum wage to help the working poor. He also argues that welfare benefits need to be curtailed so that it pays to work and claims that a minimum wage actually creates more unemployment.

You can watch his interview here from 03.52mins in. 

Summary

Sam Bowman appears on BBC Look North talking about the rising cost of living and the working poor.

Economic stagnation is here to stay

In response to Osborne’s Autumn Statement, Sam Bowman, Policy Director at the Adam Smith Institute, said:

“One thing became clear today: economic stagnation is here to stay. There is no growth and no prospect of growth without a change of course that focuses on deregulation and targeted tax cuts. There is no trade-off between growth and deficit reduction. You can’t have one without the other.
 
“The key is to go for private sector growth. Government regulation is smothering small and medium-sized businesses, and today’s rate relief announcement is not enough to help them. National Insurance is a tax on jobs and prevents the creation of over 500,000 jobs by small and medium businesses. It should be scrapped. The best way to stimulate the economy is to give small businesses a break.
 
“The highlight of today’s budget is the rise in the tax-free personal allowance, which the Adam Smith Institute has long called for. It should be raised to the minimum wage level so that the poorest earners pay no tax at all. Scrapping of the fuel duty hike is a good thing, but we should not be too impressed at a Chancellor deciding not to raise taxes – we need cuts to regressive consumption taxes.
 
“The government and media have focused on trivial changes in spending like the £5bn newly allocated to capital projects. Meanwhile, the state borrows that amount every two weeks – or another £331 million every day.
 
“Deeper cuts to public spending are clearly needed to cut the deficit, but these are not possible without a fundamental shift away from socialistic monoliths like the NHS. The only way real cuts to expenditure can be made is by shifting to more efficient, market-based models of social insurance for healthcare and welfare. The claim that we can make substantial savings by ‘trimming waste’ is a lie – and we’re fast learning what a dangerous one it has been.”