Andrew G. Benson
@a-g-benson.bsky.social
Energy Economist | PhD @ UC Irvine, Class of ‘21 | currently employed at Kairos Power (posts do not imply endorsement of employer) | Albuquerque, NM
https://github.com/a-g-benson
https://github.com/a-g-benson
I think there's something wrong with me because Jeffery Epstein's opinions on nuclear power are, quite possibly, the most irrelevant topic on Earth but... "nuclear" is the first keyword I searched.
November 22, 2025 at 3:55 AM
I think there's something wrong with me because Jeffery Epstein's opinions on nuclear power are, quite possibly, the most irrelevant topic on Earth but... "nuclear" is the first keyword I searched.
I am well aware that Sierra Club have retracted their support for The Population Bomb but I think the correct way to atone an epistemic mistake of that magnitude is to dissolve your organization.
November 9, 2025 at 1:15 AM
I am well aware that Sierra Club have retracted their support for The Population Bomb but I think the correct way to atone an epistemic mistake of that magnitude is to dissolve your organization.
Any organization that looked at the available evidence sixty years ago and decided that coal is a cleaner form of energy than nuclear power is irredeemable. Happy to see it self-destruct, for any reason.
Quote from Edgar Wayburn, 5-time president of SC.
digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21757...
Quote from Edgar Wayburn, 5-time president of SC.
digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21757...
November 9, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Any organization that looked at the available evidence sixty years ago and decided that coal is a cleaner form of energy than nuclear power is irredeemable. Happy to see it self-destruct, for any reason.
Quote from Edgar Wayburn, 5-time president of SC.
digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21757...
Quote from Edgar Wayburn, 5-time president of SC.
digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/21757...
In the electricity sector, the dominant measure of average total cost of a power plant has been levelized cost of energy (LCOE). In 2013, the U.S. Energy Information Administration introduced the complimentary concept of levelized avoided cost of energy (LACE):
www.eia.gov/conference/2...
www.eia.gov/conference/2...
October 18, 2025 at 12:38 AM
In the electricity sector, the dominant measure of average total cost of a power plant has been levelized cost of energy (LCOE). In 2013, the U.S. Energy Information Administration introduced the complimentary concept of levelized avoided cost of energy (LACE):
www.eia.gov/conference/2...
www.eia.gov/conference/2...
October 17, 2025 at 12:32 PM
What I am saying is in agreement with OP's article. Did you interpret my quote-tweet as disagreeing with her?
October 11, 2025 at 5:20 AM
What I am saying is in agreement with OP's article. Did you interpret my quote-tweet as disagreeing with her?
"Taxing the 1% more than the USA does" is not how Europe pays for its social welfare state.
wid.world/document/why...
wid.world/document/why...
October 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
"Taxing the 1% more than the USA does" is not how Europe pays for its social welfare state.
wid.world/document/why...
wid.world/document/why...
No European country pays for its social welfare state by taxing the rich more the USA does. They pay for it with VAT (consumption tax), which is regressive. And European income taxes are *less progressive* than American income taxes.
Source: wid.world/document/why...
Source: wid.world/document/why...
October 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
No European country pays for its social welfare state by taxing the rich more the USA does. They pay for it with VAT (consumption tax), which is regressive. And European income taxes are *less progressive* than American income taxes.
Source: wid.world/document/why...
Source: wid.world/document/why...
Yglesias's argument is that Abundance should be pitched to swing voters as "we will make you richer, so that you can afford a big-ass truck" without implementing any tangible policy changes that increase the availability or decrease the costs (the abundance) of big-ass trucks.
September 24, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Yglesias's argument is that Abundance should be pitched to swing voters as "we will make you richer, so that you can afford a big-ass truck" without implementing any tangible policy changes that increase the availability or decrease the costs (the abundance) of big-ass trucks.
I can't faulty anybody for not following the twists and turns of this scumbag's public persona, but just so you know, this tweet is consistent with Hanania's recent rebrand as "heterodox conservative who is anti-MAGA, because MAGA is a cult for low-IQ people" (www.vox.com/today-explai...)
September 11, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I can't faulty anybody for not following the twists and turns of this scumbag's public persona, but just so you know, this tweet is consistent with Hanania's recent rebrand as "heterodox conservative who is anti-MAGA, because MAGA is a cult for low-IQ people" (www.vox.com/today-explai...)
Even if one is willing to be totally agnostic as to somebody's partisan affiliation, presidential vote, and stance on all other issues, Marc Andreessen is not a YIMBY in good standing!
2nd screenshot is the headline of citation [82]☠️
2nd screenshot is the headline of citation [82]☠️
September 5, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Even if one is willing to be totally agnostic as to somebody's partisan affiliation, presidential vote, and stance on all other issues, Marc Andreessen is not a YIMBY in good standing!
2nd screenshot is the headline of citation [82]☠️
2nd screenshot is the headline of citation [82]☠️
In the words of an infamous Tumblr user, "they crave that mineral."
September 4, 2025 at 4:12 AM
In the words of an infamous Tumblr user, "they crave that mineral."
How long of a vacation? Here's a book of 1100 pages to help you meet your "thinking about the Roman Empire daily" quota.
I'm currently half-way through and it's very engaging, highly opinionated, but candidly, only of interest to people who already think about the Roman Empire daily.
I'm currently half-way through and it's very engaging, highly opinionated, but candidly, only of interest to people who already think about the Roman Empire daily.
August 31, 2025 at 2:51 AM
How long of a vacation? Here's a book of 1100 pages to help you meet your "thinking about the Roman Empire daily" quota.
I'm currently half-way through and it's very engaging, highly opinionated, but candidly, only of interest to people who already think about the Roman Empire daily.
I'm currently half-way through and it's very engaging, highly opinionated, but candidly, only of interest to people who already think about the Roman Empire daily.
the "Who killed Hannibal?" meme would also work here
August 26, 2025 at 10:38 PM
the "Who killed Hannibal?" meme would also work here
FYI - probably not an optimal arrangement for maximum sample size
August 26, 2025 at 8:44 PM
FYI - probably not an optimal arrangement for maximum sample size
What an absurd rule. I find it hard to imagine an actual human was behind that decision. r/Games has--checks notes--3.4 million subscribers? That has to be some badly coded automod. According to the wiki rule 8 covers your submissions elsewhere:
August 10, 2025 at 4:22 PM
What an absurd rule. I find it hard to imagine an actual human was behind that decision. r/Games has--checks notes--3.4 million subscribers? That has to be some badly coded automod. According to the wiki rule 8 covers your submissions elsewhere:
FYI, this is how your website looks to people who use dark mode. I use Firefox, but replicated the issue in Edge and Chrome. The font color changes to black with good contrast against the white background when dark mode is deactivated.
Thanks for your work!
Thanks for your work!
July 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
FYI, this is how your website looks to people who use dark mode. I use Firefox, but replicated the issue in Edge and Chrome. The font color changes to black with good contrast against the white background when dark mode is deactivated.
Thanks for your work!
Thanks for your work!
Yglesias absolutely agrees with you that a wealth tax is popular; his objection to it is that raising income taxes on the rich:
1. is just as popular
2. isn't vulnerable to judicial ratfuckery by drones of the Federalist Society in the way a wealth tax would be
www.slowboring.com/p/wealth-tax
1. is just as popular
2. isn't vulnerable to judicial ratfuckery by drones of the Federalist Society in the way a wealth tax would be
www.slowboring.com/p/wealth-tax
July 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Yglesias absolutely agrees with you that a wealth tax is popular; his objection to it is that raising income taxes on the rich:
1. is just as popular
2. isn't vulnerable to judicial ratfuckery by drones of the Federalist Society in the way a wealth tax would be
www.slowboring.com/p/wealth-tax
1. is just as popular
2. isn't vulnerable to judicial ratfuckery by drones of the Federalist Society in the way a wealth tax would be
www.slowboring.com/p/wealth-tax
Back when Hochul announced the pause on congestion pricing, Yglesias criticized her for it and said that congestion pricing would become popular once enacted. He's on the same side as you here!
www.slowboring.com/p/new-yorks-...
www.slowboring.com/p/new-yorks-...
July 6, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Back when Hochul announced the pause on congestion pricing, Yglesias criticized her for it and said that congestion pricing would become popular once enacted. He's on the same side as you here!
www.slowboring.com/p/new-yorks-...
www.slowboring.com/p/new-yorks-...
GHG emissions in California will go down regardless of the effect of this bill. That's how Cap & Trade works when the cap is scheduled to decline over time.
climatechangepolicies.legislature.ca.gov/system/files...
climatechangepolicies.legislature.ca.gov/system/files...
July 2, 2025 at 6:16 PM
GHG emissions in California will go down regardless of the effect of this bill. That's how Cap & Trade works when the cap is scheduled to decline over time.
climatechangepolicies.legislature.ca.gov/system/files...
climatechangepolicies.legislature.ca.gov/system/files...
Glancing at the trend line, I don't see a change in trend, let alone a discontinuity, around mid-2015. It's certainly possible the trend would have slowed or stalled but for the ruling. A claim like that requires quasi-experimental evidence to assess.
news.gallup.com/poll/646202/...
news.gallup.com/poll/646202/...
June 26, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Glancing at the trend line, I don't see a change in trend, let alone a discontinuity, around mid-2015. It's certainly possible the trend would have slowed or stalled but for the ruling. A claim like that requires quasi-experimental evidence to assess.
news.gallup.com/poll/646202/...
news.gallup.com/poll/646202/...
The derangement is mutual.
June 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
The derangement is mutual.