Driving my kids to various events after school, I typically listen to KFAN, the local sports talk radio station in the Twin Cities.
Recently, KFAN has been airing a bunch of ads from Xcel Energy, the company that provides electricity to the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. Amazingly, the basic thrust of the ad campaign is to inform customers that Xcel’s goal is to be “carbon-free” by 2050.
As a resident of Minnesota, a customer of Xcel Energy, and a shareholder of Xcel Energy, I have to say that I disagree totally with that idea. Instead of worrying about being carbon-free in 28 years, I think they should reaffirm their commitment to “reliable energy for our customers.”
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the number of other countries that have gone down the “green” path, we can see the danger of that approach. And as my electric utility company, I think Xcel should not follow that lead.
The most recent radio ad from Xcel was the stupidest of the bunch. In looking online, I can see that it also has a video version.Here is the narration:
At Xcel Energy, we’re going carbon free by 2050. We’ll use the energy of the wind and the sun. But other things too—all kinds of energy. Because energy is everything. It’s intelligence and it’s vision and it’s imagination. Sometimes energy even comes in 16 fluid ounce cans of caffeine. You know, just to get us through. Energy is good vibes. It’s a road trip powered by electricity. Energy is science, like really high-tech super science. And it’s you, your energy, super-charged by a bajilliion, million, zillion volts of optimism. Together we’ll get to cleaner, safer, less-expensive energy for a carbon-free future. Everything is energy. Energy is everything.
I do not see myself as the target audience for this ad (although I am in the main demographic of sports talk radio: men ages of 21–54), but I have so many issues with it. Let’s break it down.
At Xcel Energy, we’re going carbon free by 2050.
In the early 21st century, there are many ways to generate energy: coal, natural gas, petroleum, hydro, nuclear, solar, wind, geo-thermal, biomass, and even burning wood. It seems to me that if you are a utility company like Xcel Energy, you should be looking at all ways to generate reliable energy for your customers, and not limiting your company to just one or two energy-generating avenues. Carbon-free means no coal, no natural gas, and no petroleum. These are reliable ways to generate power in all seasons and weather conditions.
In the early 21st century, there are many ways to generate energy: coal, natural gas, petroleum, hydro, nuclear, solar, wind, geo-thermal, biomass, and even burning wood. It seems to me that if you are a utility company like Xcel Energy, you should be looking at all ways to generate reliable energy for your customers, and not limiting your company to just one or two energy-generating avenues. Carbon-free means no coal, no natural gas, and no petroleum. These are reliable ways to generate power in all seasons and weather conditions.
We’ll use the energy of the wind and the sun.
Even I, who is not an expert when it comes to electricity, know that wind and solar are not silver bullets that will by themselves be able to supply energy for a population the size of Minnesota. There are limits to the amount of wind and sun that can be converted into electricity. And what happens when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. Well, maybe we can store the energy in batteries. (Don't bet on it.)
But other things too—all kinds of energy because energy is everything.
Don’t hold back! Please tell us all the other “things” that will supply carbon-free energy for Minnesotans in 2050. They can’t tell us what they are, but be assured that it’s “all kinds of energy.” And then the stupid branding line that appears here and at the end of the ad: “energy is everything.” Which looked at logically doesn’t make any sense because is means equals, and everything does not equal energy. I also am not a fan of the totalitarian overtones of this glib, Ministry of Information phrase.
It’s intelligence and it’s vision and it’s imagination.
It’s also a tell that you’re making this all up as you go along. If you knew what carbon-free in 2050 looked like, you would tell us.
Sometimes energy even comes in 16 fluid ounce cans of caffeine. You know, just to get us through. Energy is good vibes. It’s a road trip powered by electricity.
Ah! Energy drinks—I get it! Whatever energy drinks have to do with Xcel is trite. This little section is just blah, blah, blah. It is meaningless, but meant to make people feel that Xcel is cool—that they are on the cutting edge of things like electric cars and going heading off into the future.
Ah! Energy drinks—I get it! Whatever energy drinks have to do with Xcel is trite. This little section is just blah, blah, blah. It is meaningless, but meant to make people feel that Xcel is cool—that they are on the cutting edge of things like electric cars and going heading off into the future.
Energy is science, like really high-tech super science.
Whoa! Don’t confuse us with the “like really high-tech super science.” Maybe you guys at Xcel should just go ahead and do that wacky science and let us non-science types know when we can hit the light switch.
And it’s you, your energy, super-charged by a bajillion, million, zillion volts of optimism.
Yea! I’m a part of science! Thank you, Xcel Energy for noticing me up here in row 12 of section 218. I’ll just cheer you on with all your crazy super-science words and ideas.
Together we’ll get to cleaner, safer, less-expensive energy for a carbon-free future.
“Cleaner,” maybe. “Safer,” not for the birds. “Less expensive,” no way. Also, call me old-fashioned, but I’d like to see something about reliable here (but then they’d be lying instead of just making marketing claims).
Everything is energy. Energy is everything.
And the creepy, totalitarian, focus-grouped tagline reappears: Energy is everything.
A few final thoughts:
- I know that this is aimed at kids and young adults (thus running on a sports talk radio station), so it’s meant for a younger demographic. But all the hip, with-it language and imagery is so calculated and so patronizing, it makes the whole thing feel smarmy. It also makes me feel like something unpleasant is being forced on us.
- Nuclear energy is not mentioned at all in this ad, but nuclear is the cleanest, most reliable energy out there. If Xcel is planning on nuclear expansion, I’m all for it. In fact, I will go so far as to say that without nuclear energy as part of the plan, their goal of carbon free by 2050 is unreachable.
- And on that subject, who came up with the directive for a carbon-free Xcel Energy? Was this mandated by the legislature or some government agency? If so, they should say so in their ads so voters know who to blame when their power goes out in the middle of the winter and all their pipes freeze. If it comes from the leadership of Xcel, I can only say shame on them—they should know better. Again, as a stockholder and customer of Xcel Energy, my two main requests are simple: I want reliable energy, and I want low-cost energy. The green part of it is a distant third.
- Power Line Blog is one of my daily go-to sources for commentary on current issues. Most of the links in this go to Power Line articles. So here are two more links just for fun.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/08/the-disaster-of-green-energy.php
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/07/more-evidence-of-the-uselessness-of-green-energy.php
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/02/wind-and-solar-energy-dont-work.php
The old joke is apropos here: Q: What did socialists use for light before candles? A: electricity.
UPDATE: Dennis Prager wrote an article last year that explained how he now understood the "good German"—how regular, not evil people in WWII Germany could not speak up about the killing of 6 million Jewish people. In that vein, I think I can now understand how the Soviet Union was able to kill millions and millions of their own people through overt killing and allowing people to die through starvation. I never thought I would see a time in America where the leaders of of the country are absolutely driven to the politics of scarcity. They want to make gasoline, food, and money scarce in pursuit of their policy goals, even if it means misery for the people of the US. It is shocking to me.
