Failures of the renewables transition are insults to taxpayers
By
Ronald Stein
|
September 2nd, 2025
Natural gas and crude oil are commonly needed fossil fuels to manufacture insulation, wires, and computers used in all methods of generating electricity. This is because components of natural gas and oil are essential feedstocks for creating plastics, which are used for insulation and many computer parts.
Fossil fuels are also required for the vast energy needed throughout the manufacturing process.
Insulation
Many of the polymer plastics used for insulation, like polyethylene (PE), cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are made from feedstocks derived from fossil fuels. Natural gas liquids, primarily ethane, are heated in cracker plants to produce ethylene, which is then used to create polyethylene for electrical wires and cables. Crude oil fractions, particularly naphtha, are also used to make ethylene and other petrochemical feedstocks for different types of plastics.
Wind turbines and solar panels only generate electricity, so where is the transition away from fossil fuels?
Wires
https://www.cfact.org/2025/09/02/failures-of-the-renewables-transition-are-insults-to-taxpayers/
