Eric Berger, writing for the Houston Chronicle, published an article on Friday titled Nuclear power’s core of support gains strength. He provided some opposing view commentary from Peter Hartley, a man he describes as “an energy expert at Rice University”. Here are some of the quotes from the article:
“I just don’t think there will be a big renaissance,” said Peter Hartley, an energy expert at Rice University. “I believe the new administration will be much tougher on nuclear energy. Even if they implement carbon dioxide controls, I think the result will be primarily more natural gas plants, rather than wind.”
…
“Add in capital costs, Rice’s Hartley said, and nuclear energy becomes more expensive than coal or natural gas.”
With the help of my favorite search engine, I was shocked, shocked I say, to learn that in December 2007 Rice University’s press and public relations department wrote the following about Professor Hartley
“Peter Hartley, professor of economics, has been named the George and Cynthia Mitchell Family Chair in Sustainable Development and academic director of the Shell Center for Sustainability (SCS).”
Another cut and paste of the words “Shell Center for Sustainability” into the Google search box led me to verify that
“The Center was launched in early 2003, with funding from the Shell Oil Foundation and subsequent funding from the Shell Oil Company.”
One more cut and paste revealed that George and Cynthia Mitchell earned their ability to fund academic chairs after George
“started an independent oil and gas company, Mitchell Energy & Development, that he sold to Devon Energy in 2001 for $3.5 billion.”
As a guy who has been involved in the grant application and review process at the university level, I can testify that professors never bite the hand of the grant makers. Any commentary about nuclear energy by an economics professor claiming to be an energy expert should clearly disclose when that “expert” is funded directly by oil and gas interests.
