21 Comments
User's avatar
SH68137's avatar

ReNewable Energy Questions

1 Why do renewables need subsidies ?

2 Why are electricity rates increasing ?

3 Why are there more black/brownouts with renewables?

“We get a tax credit if we build a lot of wind farms.

THAT'S THE ONLY REASON TO BUILD THEM.

They don't make sense without the tax credit.”

- Warren Buffett

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Buffett said that back in 2014. It was true then. It's true now.

Expand full comment
Urs Broderick Furrer's avatar

Keep up the great work, Robert!

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Thank you.

Expand full comment
Tuco's Child's avatar

Excellent article, thank you. Some related details:

The Joule-er’s Accountant, Part 2: Energy Density and Nuclear Power

A Substack Collaboration: The Joule Thief, Tuco’s Child’s Newsletter, and GreenNUKE.

https://thejoulethief.substack.com/p/the-joule-ers-accountant-part-2-energy

Expand full comment
Gene Nelson, Ph.D.'s avatar

Thank you for attempting to encourage New York state to enact a science-based energy policy. Given the state's current energy trajectory which included the unnecessary closure in 2021 of Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC,) the state is headed for deadly blackouts during polar vortices.

Just as is the case in California, Germany, and the UK, a power grid needs "muscle" in the form of nuclear power and fossil-fired generation. (The technical term is synchronous grid inertia - SGI.) Solar, wind, and batteries contribute negligible SGI. SGI keeps the grid stable. See Why is Grid Inertia Important? https://greennuke.substack.com/p/why-is-grid-inertia-important

Expand full comment
Chautauqua Updates's avatar

New Yorkers fight back. Thank you for this. Here is another excellent video of the Wind Victims of Arkwright, NY

https://youtu.be/DfTCosgNF80?si=9iTLvC4_KUqP3BHK

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Thanks. Yes, rural communities like Arkwright have been pushing back for years. But you won't read about it in legacy media outlets. It doesn't fit the narrative.

Expand full comment
Reason Together's avatar

The great whirling monsters trodding the western Catskills have destroyed its once glorious beauty. It is a man made epic tragedy.

Expand full comment
William Blackwell's avatar

Developing reliable sources of electricity, which we all need, is upside down with the green crowd. Hurry up, nuclear development and deployment!!

Expand full comment
Nigel Southway's avatar

How many more data points do we need to agree that other than Nuclear we are wasting our time with renewables.

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Agreed.

Expand full comment
Ed's avatar

Robert- really enjoyed your keynote address at the IMPA conference and I have been binging your Youtube series.

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Thanks very much. Was great to be back in Indiana. And yes, Juicetheseries.com

Expand full comment
Barnes Moore's avatar

Another great article. I would be surprised if you have not read this, but just in case. Dark days are coming unless corrective action is taken soon. https://www.powermag.com/nations-power-operators-warn-congress-of-a-coming-reliability-shortfall/?utm_source=omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pwrnews+eletter&oly_enc_id=7809B9474578C8R

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

Thanks. Yes, that Congresional hearing was sobering. The growth in power demand that the RTOs are forecasting is amazing. Will it happen? We'll see. A lot depends on supply chains, labor, and whether AI ends up needing as much juice as Big Tech thinks. The history of the computer age is one of ever-increasing efficiency.

Expand full comment
B Apple's avatar

It irritates me to no end that Big Tech was anti-hydrocarbons and pro-renewables for about the past 2 decades. Now that the reality of their power needs are hitting their wallets they all of a sudden care about real baseload power generation. Hearing Bill Gates recently say “unfortunately” we’ll need more natural gas is quite frustrating. Power engineers have been sounding the alarm about our aging grid and early retirements for a very long time.

At least the grid operators are now finally sounding the alarm on prioritizing reliability and cost over emissions. What a novel concept!

Expand full comment
Jeff Walther's avatar

Google's own researchers told them wind adn solar wouldn't work more than ten years ago adn Google kept right on pushing the BS.

https://www.theregister.com/2014/11/21/renewable_energy_simply_wont_work_google_renewables_engineers/

Expand full comment
Gene Nelson, Ph.D.'s avatar

Good points. Sadly, California's grid operator does not provide *any* economic benefits for providing frequency stability. Reliability can receive token economic benefits. These are the consequences of having a power grid designed in large part by special - interest lobbyists peddling the solar, wind, and batteries Kool-Aid. (There aren't a cadre of lobbyists for nuclear power in California.)

Expand full comment
Robert's avatar

Well done piece. As a NYS resident, I live this stupidity.

Expand full comment
Robert Bryce's avatar

The foolishness is obvious and unfortunate. The state's decarbonization targets won't be met because they can't be met. It's not possible.

Expand full comment