Put all the lipstick you want on wind and solar - still a pig. In the summer of 2023, the Biden administration was proudly touting that, by 2030, offshore wind would power 10 million homes along the US east coast. Then the lipstick came off and the developers cancelled the much-hailed projects... citing the realities of high costs and low returns.
David Hardy, CEO of one of the failed projects, said: "...we thought we could build projects that were inexpensive, large projects right out of the gate. And it turns out that we probably still need to go through the same learning curve that Europe did, with higher prices in the beginning and a little slower pace." What does he mean by Europe's learning curve??? What he means is Germany has been experimenting with wind and solar for 20 years and Germany's electricity prices are now three times higher than US prices. And what David Hardy doesn't say: the US natural gas industry is saving Europe from starvation and freezing by supplying the liquified natural gas Europe relies on during days and weeks when wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining.
What's worse: the US offshore projects failed even though the Biden administration gave sweetheart terms. First, the wind projects were guaranteed high payments per kilowatt hour even though the electricity the turbines generate is unreliable. This leaves coal and natural gas fired plants to serve in the workhorse role of providing reliable electricity 24-7, and at less favorable rates. Second, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management waived bonding fees on the Massachusetts offshore wind project. The bonds would have provided funding to remove the turbines either at failure or end of life.
We've discussed bonding in past blog articles. Claiming "grave risks to the environment" the environmental extremists are screaming for radical bond increases on oil and gas wells. Is there some magical lipstick that prevents wind turbines and solar farms from harming the environment? Obviously not. Wind turbines and solar farms have end of life clean-up consequences... just like oil and gas wells or any other form of energy harvest.
Solar panels contain lead, cadium and other toxic minerals.
Their lifespan is less than 20 years.
But the extremists use "green" lipstick to hide the ugly end-of-life consequences of wind and solar... as well as the ugliness of turbine and solar farm operations. A little-known fact about that wind project off the coast of Massachusetts... the federal permit acknowledges the wind project will kill whales... and the permit allows that killing. Huh? And those not distracted by the lipstick have seen the eagles and other birds killed by spinning turbine blades and fried by the intense heat reflected from solar farms.
Lipstick can't hide the true essence of solar and wind - wind and solar are unreliable and expensive; they have their own way of harming the environment while operating; and at end-of-life their skeletons are a harmful mess unless cleaned up properly. The extremists want to fool us by applying gobs of green lipstick. Ask questions. Know what you're kissing. Don't be fooled by the lipstick.
In other news you never hear about, two wind projects were cancelled on the Jersey Shore according to a group known as the Guardians of the East Coast. I wish them well in their endeavor to crush the ongoing development of these expensive, do nothing and frankly unsightly projects. I would provide a link but can't figure out how to post it. Go to Youtube and google. Another thing that should be mentioned regarding solar farms is that some of them have been heavily damaged by hail storms. Ultimately, there is nothing superior to oil and natural gas, at least at this time and highly doubtful we will see anything develop during our generation that will surpass it. F…