The Reason Renewables Can't Power Modern Civilization Is Because They Were Never Meant To

[Sig]

How do you see the balancing of environmental concerns with native corporate interest in competing with firms in countries with less stringent environmental regulations corresponding to lower costs of production?

I think that's a huge issue. I believe it's why we should be engaging in worldwide global environmental treaties rather than pulling out of them. And while I am generally dead set against tariffs, if we're going to go crazy with them why not base them on the externalities that aren't being priced by the import?

 

[Sig]

NextEra, the largest wind power Company in the US, is also the most heavily subsidized Company in the Fortune 500. I recall reading an article in the Journal last year that they became the global king of wind power on the backs of outright grants in the form of local, state, and federal subsidies - many billions of dollars. And very low or even interest free loans to service their massive building program and their operating expenses. And then they sell their wind generation to ISO's even during periods when the ISO can't use or distribute the power. [so it gets 'wasted' as excessive spin]

What a racket. So yes, I am all for letting markets pick winners.

So you and I both know that wind participates in the LMP auctions same as everyone else, they just bid zero or close to it. And they get curtailed if the entire stack is made up of zero bids, curtailment is a real thing and actually the latest talk in the wind and solar industry is to push down the cost curve to the point that you build expecting curtailment and still aiming to be the lowest cost with that in mind.
And and while NextEra may very well have been the most heavily subsidized company in the Fortune 500 in 2018, it's subsidies pale in comparison to big oil over the last 100 years...in dollars and lives. Big oil became king of energy on the backs of all of those same things! And let's not even start with the rate basing of nuclear plants. Santee cooper customers are paying on average $6,200 each toward a plant that was never even half built! Talk about moral hazard.

 

[Overnight]

Wind energy is great! (But it kills birds and blocks my view of the ocean and the flat horizon. Can't have it.)

Wave energy is great! (But it kills fish, turtles and dolphins. Can't have it.)

Nuclear energy is great! (But if it leaks, it kills birds, fish, turtles, dolphins and maybe people. Can't have it.)

Solar energy is great! (But it takes up too much space and the ground critters won't get any sun, and they'll die from rickets. Can't have it.)

Biomass/biodiesel is great! (But it spews too much CO2 to produce. Can't have it.)

Geothermal energy is great! (But most of the geothermal energy is at the bottom of the ocean. (Here we go with killing fish again, this time to exploit the earth's mantle. Can't have it.))

Petroleum is great! (But it....Oh, wait a minute, let me check my plastic phone to see why that is so bad, after I charge it with my plastic charging cord in the wall which makes electricity from mostly NG, a fossil fuel, because we cannot have any of the other bits. I have no brain of my own.)