Could It Be The Cost?

Yahoo “news” says the reason renewable energy is not as popular as it should be is the GOP.

It’s tempting to mock Woodland residents for their skepticism of solar farms, and to place blame on rural populations for the country’s resistance to renewable energy and environmental technology. But don’t blame Woodland. Don’t blame the Manns.

Instead, consider political figures like Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, who drum up publicity for their 2016 presidential campaigns by trumpeting anti-science rhetoric, convincing voters that climate science is a myth and falsely linking alternative energy to a dearth in jobs.

Blame media outlets like Fox News, whose continued denial of climate change — despite all scientific evidence to the contrary — helps encourage lies about planet-saving progress.

I suppose it has nothing to do with renewables requiring generous government support.

If costs are “plummeting”, why do renewables need such generous government support to prosper? Could it be that renewables are still ridiculously expensive, despite any alleged price drops?

Britain recently “reset” their energy policy, de-prioritising renewables. Many other European countries have forced renewable subsidy cuts, some of which well and truly left investors stranded.

In my opinion, recent history in the renewables sector more than demonstrates that it is pretty risky investing in a business, whose profitability is wholly dependent on the fickle whims of politicians.

OK. So the health of these industries depends on the whim of politicians and right now that whim is not in the renewable corner.

And there are probably people out there who will complain that the fossil fuel industry gets a bigger subsidy. Let us assume this is so. What they fail to mention is that on a KWh basis the subsidy for energy extraction business is far smaller than it is for renewables. You will be taxed to make up the difference. Or your electric bill will be higher. Or both.

And Just as the GOP demons infect the debate with a small measure of rationality, those cronies profiting from “renewables” have their own army.

Renewable Portfolio Standard advocates recently held their 2015 National Summit. The draft RPS agenda suggests it was quite an event – populated by bureaucrats, scientists and consultants who have jumped on the climate and “green energy” bandwagon, to follow the money.

Indeed, they are no longer content with 10% corn ethanol in gasoline, or some wind and solar power in the electricity mix. Now they want to convert the entire electrical grid from fossil-fuels to renewable sources and, if Catholic bishops get their way, totally eliminate hydrocarbons by 2050, despite the horrendous impacts that would have on workers, families and the world’s poorest people.

There’s certainly a lot of money to be made. The green revolution is estimated at $1.5 trillion per year, which means potentially huge profits for those with political connections. Many who are making big bets on green technologies are ultra-wealthy people who say they are protecting the planet, when they really seem to be “protecting their wealth for future generations” of family members and cronies.

I favor ending all energy subsidies. And for the record – I don’t think the depletion allowance is a subsidy. Just as a solar cell peak watt rating is not the same at the beginning of the cell’s life as it is in the end.

In fact the taxes on businesses should be zero. Because the businesses don’t pay those taxes. Their customers do. The real cost of government would be a significant shock.

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11 responses to “Could It Be The Cost?”

  1. OregonGuy Avatar

    Eggzactly.

    Thank you.
    .

  2. captain*arizona Avatar
    captain*arizona

    I am southern white trash but not ignorant southern white trash like these people. On my side we had a congressman who thought gaum would tip over if the put in more military bases! ignorance is curable stupidity is not that is why my side has the edge!

  3. CapitalistRoader Avatar
    CapitalistRoader

    …convincing voters that climate science is a myth…

    Yahoo News needs a new demagoguery editor. The GOP candidates don’t say climate science is a myth. The do say that climate scientists are on the take. $20-some billion per year steers the vast majority of research towards the conclusions expected by President Sparklefarts.

  4. Man Mountain Molehill Avatar
    Man Mountain Molehill

    The problem with many of these otherwise ideal renewable energy sources is that they are not continuously reliable, unlike eeeevil fossil fuels. The sun only shines so many hours a day; the wind doesn’t always blow, and so on. What’s needed is a way to get the energy from where it’s produced to where it’s needed. If only there were a way to do that. Sort of a nation-wide series of tubes to conduct the flow of the electrical fluid. Once we have such a thing the solution becomes obvious. With adequate support from our masters in government this should be no great undertaking to implement.

    We use Helios’ golden rays to generate electrical fluid, through the miracle of Solar Power, which we transmit through the electrical essence tubes to where it’s required, such places as where Aeolus has taken respite, for example, where it excites giant fans into rotation which blow into the wind turbines, regenerating and rejuvenating the fluid electric for local consumption. At night the combustion of the ethanol in giant lamps will keep the solar cells running.

    We also note that small quantities of the ethanol might be diverted from energy applications to some of the end users who, through unavoidable and inherent limits in this system, unfortunately entirely beyond mere human control, are bereft of the life-giving electrical essence for extended periods to warm and console themselves.

  5. […] THERE HE GOES WITH RAMPANT SANITY: Could It Be The Cost? […]

  6. RAH Avatar
    RAH

    Oil and gas prices are trending down. renewables can not sustain themselves without massive subsidies. We need cheap energy No pie in the sky energy. Global warming advocates are for control not cheap clean energy. They were the communists , then they went to the green parties Now they openly show their totalitarian impulses and communists ideals.

  7. arctic_front Avatar
    arctic_front

    If Government money that is currently directed for scientific research for AGW study was suddenly reversed and was paid to de-bunk AGW, you’d soon have 97% consensus that man is not causing the earth to warm up. Follow the money!

  8. Sean D Sorrentino Avatar

    It would be a big stretch to argue that the people of Woodland, NC, in Northampton County would be all that influenced by the GOP as Northampton is a Dem stronghold. The “Retired Science Teacher” who asked some rather silly questions is a black woman who has been a registered Dem since 1991 according to her voter registration information, which is easily found via the NC State Board of Elections. Northampton County voted Obama over Romney 67-32%. Their entire town council are Dems. The county is 58% African-American according to the 2010 Census. This is Obama Country if there is such a place

    Oh, and they already have 3 other solar farms, and they didn’t want #4. But that’s not interesting when mocking those stupid redneck anti-science Christianist Rethuglicans down south of the Manson-Nixon line, I guess.

  9. Ernst Schreiber Avatar
    Ernst Schreiber

    You want cheap electricity? Build more nuclear power plants.

  10. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    “And there are probably people out there who will complain that the fossil fuel industry gets a bigger subsidy.”

    This is grossly misleading from an accounting perspective. The “subsidies” are roughly the same size, but fossil fuel companies have paid trillions in positive net taxes over the last decade or two, during which at no time have alt-energy producers ever pay nearly enough taxes to offset their subsidies.

  11. Gromgp Avatar
    Gromgp

    captain*arizona

    I am southern white trash but not ignorant southern white trash like these people. On my side we had a congressman who thought gaum would tip over if the put in more military bases! ignorance is curable stupidity is not that is why my side has the edge!

    Excellent comic writing, captain!