By Paul Homewood The pervasive narrative about offshore wind in recent years has been that costs are falling and that wind power is cheap. But scratch below the surface and you find that things are not quite so rosy. Turbine manufacturers have been losing money hand over fist in recent years. Collectively over […]
Kathryn Porter: The myth of affordable green energy is over
Kathryn Porter: The myth of affordable green energy is over
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming Tags: celebrity technologies, wind power
One last pre-election fiscal post
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
A few weeks ago I wrote a post surveying the range of fiscal indicators (local ones and IMF/OECD metrics) to look at recent New Zealand fiscal policy across time and across countries. I included in that post this chart, which I had cobbled together using IMF April data for other countries and their estimates for […]
One last pre-election fiscal post
Israel has not formed a “unity government”
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
There is a headline in the Washing Post (in an entry in their live blog today) that says, “Netanyahu and Gantz form unity government.” This is misleading. No new government has been formed; therefore, there’s no unity government. All ministers of Bibi’s narrow right-wing/Haredi coalition remain in place. Benny Gantz and a couple others from […]
Israel has not formed a “unity government”
Claudia Golden wins Nobel Prize in Economics
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
For her work explaining Gender Gaps in wages and employment. From the Economist:Since around 2005 the wage gap has hardly budged. Here Ms Goldin’s work questions popular narratives that continue to blame wage discrimination. Instead, in a book published in 2021, Ms Goldin blames “greedy” jobs, such as being a consultant or lawyer, which offer…
Claudia Golden wins Nobel Prize in Economics
Productivity growth….or lack of it
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
Earlier in the week a journalist asked me for some thoughts on which political party in government had managed the economy better – in overall macroeconomic terms – over the years since we moved to MMP. My initial response was that the answer would be pretty dull. Pressed to write something anyway, I outlined briefly […]
Productivity growth….or lack of it
Book review: Information Rules
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of information
It’s been a while since I posted a book review, as I’ve been busy with teaching and various research evaluation activities (this year I’m a panellist for both the Royal Society’s Marsden Fund, and the Health Research Council). However, recently I did manage to finish reading Information Rules, by Carl Shapiro and Hal Varian. The…
Book review: Information Rules
Costs Blowout: Rocketing Power Prices Keep Proving Wind & Solar Most Expensive
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming Tags: celebrity technologies, wind power
Households and businesses faced with crippling power bills are just another bad optic for renewable energy rent seekers. The political support upon which the seemingly endless flow of massive subsidies depends, in turn, depends on the proles’ attitude to those charged with delivering reliable and affordable power. Having just been whacked with 20-30% increases in […]
Costs Blowout: Rocketing Power Prices Keep Proving Wind & Solar Most Expensive
The WW2 Bomber designed to replace the Flying Fortress
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: World War II
WW2 Jet Engine Development – WW2 Special Documentary
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: World War II
Why Switzerland Has 374,142 Bunkers (and likely more)
13 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics Tags: Switzerland
Anti-Israel Statements After the Massacre Trigger Free Speech Fights in Higher Education
12 Oct 2023 1 Comment
Universities and colleges across the country have become embroiled in a debate over free speech in the aftermath of the massacre of Israelis by Hamas terrorists this week. Various student groups have expressed support for Hamas or their cause while condemning Israel. Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapters have even shown the image below of one […]
Anti-Israel Statements After the Massacre Trigger Free Speech Fights in Higher Education
How uber-Woke colleges respond publicly to the horrific slaughter, rape, and kidnapping by Hamas
12 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
Now that the horrors committed by Hamas in Israel are being revealed in detail, colleges and universities are issuing statements about the Israel/Palestine war. As I adhere to the University of Chicago’s Kalven Principles of institutional neutrality, I don’t think any such statements should take sides, even though I think that there’s a clear right-and-wrong […]
How uber-Woke colleges respond publicly to the horrific slaughter, rape, and kidnapping by Hamas
Ronald Coase part 2: Markets Don’t Fail, They Fail to Exist
12 Oct 2023 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economics of regulation, history of economic thought, industrial organisation, law and economics, property rights, Ronald Coase, Ronald Coase, theory of the firm
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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