Exposing The Ridiculously High Costs Of Generating Wind And Solar Electricity
WRITTEN BY FRANCIS MENTON ON MAR 20, 2023. POSTED IN LATEST NEWS
WRITTEN BY FRANCIS MENTON ON MAR 20, 2023. POSTED IN LATEST NEWS
Exposing The Ridiculously High Costs Of Generating Wind And Solar Electricity
Every place that tries increasing the percentage of electricity generation that comes from wind and sun then experiences rapidly rising consumer electricity costs.
The reasons why this happens are not complicated. Even at relatively low levels of wind and solar penetration, backup fossil fuel or other generation cannot be closed, so consumers must pay for two duplicate generation systems. [emphasis, links added]
At higher levels of wind/solar penetration, things like overbuilding, curtailment, and hugely expensive grid-scale energy storage come into play.
In my post of February 8, 2023, I asked “Could anybody possibly be stupid enough to believe the line that wind and solar generators can provide reliable electricity to consumers that is cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels?”
And yet it is an endlessly-repeated mantra of wind/solar advocates that generating electricity from those sources is “cheaper” than generating the same electricity from fossil fuel sources like coal and natural gas.
In this post, I will make a proposal for a way to definitively expose the falsity of the claims that wind and solar are “cheaper” than fossil fuels for electricity generation.
First, here is a smattering of quotes from various climate advocates (often masquerading as journalists or politicians) making the “wind and solar are cheaper” claim.
Note that these are not just some fringe crazies, but are prominent media and political voices — including the President of the United States — who you might think would know at least a little of what they are talking about.
From Bloomberg News, January 30, 2023: “Replacing US Coal Plants With Solar and Wind Is Cheaper Than Running Them. It now ‘unequivocally’ costs less to build new renewable energy projects than to operate existing coal plants, according to a new analysis.”
From the World Economic Forum, July 5, 2021: “Renewables are now significantly undercutting fossil fuels as the world’s cheapest source of energy, according to a new report. Of the wind, solar and other renewables that came on stream in 2020, nearly two-thirds – 62% – were cheaper than the cheapest new fossil fuel, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).”
From Utility Dive, February 9, 2023: “Renewables would provide cheaper energy than 99% of US coal plants and catalyze a just energy transition. Investment in lower-cost wind and solar resources is an economic opportunity worth up to $589 billion, providing jobs and tax base to coal communities.”
From the BBC, September 13, 2022: “Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy could save the world as much as $12tn (£10.2tn) by 2050, an Oxford University study says. The report said it was wrong and pessimistic to claim that moving quickly towards cleaner energy sources was expensive.”
From President Biden in the State of the Union address, February 7, 2023: “Look, the Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant investment ever to tackle the climate crisis. lowering utility bills, creating American jobs, and leading the world to a clean
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