Green Grift: Renewable Energy’s Inefficiencies, Subsidies for Rich
Green Grift: Renewable Energy's Inefficiencies, Subsidies for Rich Daily Signal
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“We’re building a clean energy future,” says President Joe Biden.
Who is “we”?
Well, you pay for it. He and his “green” cronies do most of the building.
Lately, they’re pouring more of your money into “renewable energy.” They promise to give us “carbon-free power” from the sun and wind.
My new video illustrates some problems with that, using scenes from a new documentary series called “Juice: Power, Politics, and the Grid.”
Political scientist Roger Pielke Jr. notes, “It’s quite intuitive for people to understand that there’s a lot of power in solar energy. We feel the wind. The idea that you can get something for nothing, people find enormously appealing.”
California’s Push for Renewable Energy
Especially in California, where politicians now require all new homes to have solar panels, all new cars sold in 2035 to be zero-emission, and all the state’s electricity to come from carbon-free resources by 2045.
They’re getting results, but not good ones: California’s cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of America.
- People in Washington state pay about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.
- In Oregon, 13 cents.
- In California, now almost 30 cents.
Do they at least get reliable energy for that? No.
The big problem with wind and solar power, of course, is that they don’t work when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. Sometimes that happens when people most want heat or AC.
Increased use of renewables is why blackouts are more common in California. Bloomenergy says there were more than 25,000 in 2019—thousands more than the previous year.
“We failed to predict and plan,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. Right. Instead, they embraced unscientific green fantasies.
The Cost and Inefficiency of Solar Power
Requiring all new homes to have solar panels is a big reason California has the most expensive housing in America. The average house costs almost $800,000.
If you can afford that, you get government money for generating solar power. But the handout goes mostly to the rich. Poorer people are more likely to rent.
On top of that, the subsidy is inefficient.
- “As their solar panels produce power during the day when the sun is up,” explains electrical engineer Lee Cordner, “they’re able to sell the excess power … into the grid exactly when the grid doesn’t need it. The grid is then inundated with solar power and can’t use it all. Nonetheless, they get paid a very high price for that power.”
Nice for homeowners. Taxpayers pay for rich people to have a highly subsidized solar system.
I put panels on my house partly because of a tax credit. But I don’t delude myself by thinking that solar power will measurably reduce climate change, or that wind power is especially green.
The Environmental Impact of Wind Power
“Just to produce one turbine, we have to extract 900 tons of steel, 2,500 tons of concrete, and 45 tons of nonrenewable plastic,” explains ecologist Merlin Tuttle. “Then we’ve got to transport that and burn fuel, getting it all carried across the world. None of these things that go into a turbine are renewable.”
And they wear out. Turbines now get shut down in just 10 years for maintenance. Maintenance costs almost as much as a new turbine, but it’s worth it to “green” companies because of government handouts.
The Inappropriate Placement of Wind and Solar
Biden announced an $11 billion subsidy to “bring clean energy into rural communities.” That mostly encouraged people to put wind and solar in inappropriate places.
Solar power makes sense in America’s south, and other sunny places. But an above average number of solar subsidies go to Minnesota.
In the documentary, a Minnesota resident laughs and says, “The state is about to give me a whole bunch of subsidies to … build solar in scenic, sunny Minnesota.”
Conclusion
The “Juice” series highlights the stupidity of government throwing money at “green” schemes pushed by the politically connected.
When solar and wind become more efficient, they’ll be cheaper, and people will adopt them on their own.
Politicians should stop their destructive meddling.
You can watch the full documentary at JuiceTheSeries.com.
COPYRIGHT 2024 JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.
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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 13: Climate Action
The article discusses the issues related to renewable energy, specifically solar and wind power, and their impact on the cost of electricity, housing prices, and the environment. These issues are directly connected to the Sustainable Development Goals mentioned above.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
- SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
- SDG 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
- SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
The targets mentioned above are relevant to the issues discussed in the article, as they focus on increasing the share of renewable energy, promoting sustainable infrastructure and industries, improving environmental impact in cities, and integrating climate change measures into policies and planning.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- Investment in renewable energy infrastructure
- Cost of electricity in different regions
- Number of blackouts or power outages
- Average housing prices
- Amount of government subsidies for solar power
- Environmental impact of renewable energy production (e.g., extraction of resources, transportation, waste management)
The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include the percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix, investment in renewable energy infrastructure, cost of electricity in different regions, number of blackouts or power outages, average housing prices, amount of government subsidies for solar power, and the environmental impact of renewable energy production.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. | – Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix – Investment in renewable energy infrastructure |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. | – Investment in renewable energy infrastructure – Environmental impact of renewable energy production (e.g., extraction of resources, transportation, waste management) |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. | – Cost of electricity in different regions – Number of blackouts or power outages |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. | – Amount of government subsidies for solar power – Environmental impact of renewable energy production (e.g., extraction of resources, transportation, waste management) |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: dailysignal.com
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