The True Cost of Green Energy and the Fight for Ethical Science

On March 13, 2024, Trent Loos, Xavier Figueroa, Lori Martin Gregory, and Kevin Van Winkle joined the show. Loos investigates the true cost of industrial battery storage for renewable energy, revealing costs sixteen times higher than conventional power, while examining the water and subsidy implications for farmers Figueroa introduces a new initiative to restore integrity to scientific research, explaining how federal funding has created dependency that allows government.

Exposing the Real Price of Renewable Energy Storage

Start listening at 74:29 – Hour 2

Trent Loos, a sixth-generation farmer and rancher who hosts a program on Glenn Beck’s network, breaks down the economics that green energy proponents would prefer to keep hidden. Following up on claims that the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium was powered entirely by renewable energy, Loos has been investigating the actual costs of industrial-scale battery storage.

His research reveals that while the average American pays 15 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, industrial lithium battery storage costs a minimum of $1.20 per kilowatt hour, potentially reaching $1.50 for extended storage. When combined with solar power generation costs of approximately $1 per kilowatt hour, the total cost for Super Bowl power would have been roughly $2.42 per kilowatt hour, more than sixteen times what typical consumers pay. Loos notes that Nevada Energy, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, received $3.5 billion in wind power subsidies alone last year.

“So the price for the Super Bowl on 10 megawatts would have been $2.42 per kilowatt hour, and the average American citizen pays $0.15. And who paid for that?”

Trent Loos, Sixth-Generation Farmer and Rancher

The discussion extends to the broader implications of renewable energy mandates on farmers. Loos describes a friend who received a subsidy for solar panels but discovered the battery needed to store power independently would cost $70,000, with a lifespan of just one year. The water usage required for lithium battery manufacturing and solar panel production adds another layer of environmental concern that rarely enters the public discourse. Caller Jenny highlights the USDA’s $3.1 billion investment in “climate-smart commodities” projects, with $40 million going to Farm Journal media, raising questions about conflicts of interest in agricultural reporting.

Building a New Foundation for Scientific Integrity

Start listening at 34:50 – Hour 1

Xavier Figueroa, who holds a doctorate in neurobiology from the University of Washington, and Lori Martin Gregory, a fourth-generation journalist with experience on Wall Street covering biotech and pharmaceutical companies, join Kim to announce the World Society for Ethical Science. The initiative, developed in partnership with Dr. James Lyons-Weiler and Dr. Peter McCullough, aims to create a platform where unbiased scientific information can be shared without narrative constraints.

Figueroa explains how federal funding has created a system of dependency in academic research, with universities unable to survive without government grants. This arrangement, he argues, allows agencies like NIH and NIAID to guide research direction, often at the expense of genuine scientific inquiry. The Society aims to provide an alternative venue for scientists whose findings contradict prevailing narratives.

“Once you are actually allowed to see and all doubts are erased, the path becomes very clear. COVID really cleared a lot of those doubts and second-guessing natures that we have and really showed us that now we’re really at war and we have to take control of our institutions and fix them. And if we can’t fix them, make new ones.”

Xavier Figueroa, PhD Neurobiology

Martin Gregory shares her journey from Wall Street to health freedom advocacy, describing how California’s SB 277 in 2015 eliminated parental vaccine choice and awakened her to the power of special interests in public policy. She discovered that by the time legislation reaches the floor, the deals have already been made behind closed doors. Her analysis of vaccine court data revealed an 1,188% increase in flu shot injury payouts between 2015 and 2016, a story that received virtually no mainstream media attention.

Colorado’s Legislative Flood and the Fight for Douglas County

Start listening at 20:25 – Hour 1

State Senator Kevin Van Winkle, a native of Douglas County now running for County Commissioner, provides a sobering assessment of the legislative session underway at the state capitol. With the part-time legislature past its halfway point, Van Winkle describes a backlog of problematic bills targeting the Second Amendment, religious liberty, parental rights, and life issues that will be pushed through in the coming weeks.

“Douglas County has to be a shining city on the hill for all of Colorado, because so many of our friends and neighbors like Arapahoe County and Jefferson County have traditionally been Republican. And now it’s very hard to find a Republican in any elected office.”

Kevin Van Winkle, Colorado State Senator

Van Winkle emphasizes the importance of water planning for Douglas County’s future, noting the county is water-secure through 2050 but needs wise leadership to plan beyond that horizon. He criticizes the RWR plan to bring water from the San Luis Valley, explaining he met with farmers and ranchers there who fear for their livelihoods and have formed compacts to prevent water extraction. The Senator served eight years in the state house, including leading the longest debate in statehouse history to defend life, before moving to the Senate.