Reality Forces Reason into Power Choices
2 hours ago Guest Blogger
Guest essay by Gordon J. Fulks
At a time when campaigning politicians defy reality with extravagant promises, recent developments suggest reason may be returning to the electric power sector – even as the Biden administration frantically tries to spend billions on so-called ‘renewable energy.’
Much of this drama plays out in my Pacific Northwest, where policymakers favor faddish, ideological approaches to energy needs over practical technologies relying on fossil fuels, nuclear, or hydro. One result has been the intrusion of expensive, unreliable, and environmentally damaging wind turbines on the beauty that makes the Northwest special.
Among those saving us from ourselves are native people, for whom the land is sacred. They recently forced the federal government and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to cancel the sale of large offshore tracts for wind development.
Also playing a role were market realities: Only a single, inexperienced company bid on the project. Other competitors dropped out because offshore wind is financially risky, involving high costs and the hazards of a corrosive and stormy marine environment. Besides, who wants intermittent power that costs more than it is worth? No one.
Another ally in the fight for sanity is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, sometimes known for harebrained schemes such as blocking out the Sun to cool the planet. Sweden nixed that.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/12/06/reality-forces-reason-into-power-choices/
