Our Energy Policies Are Incorrect

Green energy at what cost?

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal editorial board published an opinion piece titled, “America’s Summer of Rolling Blackouts.”

It was a well-written piece that concisely summarized the conundrum the energy industry is facing. It is a better written, more professional piece than my attempt a few weeks prior, highlighting the glaring issue in the power industry.

I would recommend everyone read the WSJ article. It provides a glimpse of the issue that will eventually impact most of us.

To summarize the article, parts of the US could experience blackouts this summer, as the power grid has become vulnerable.

And it is mainly due to policy and economics.

The objective of power grids is to ensure reliable delivery of electricity. They may no longer be able to achieve this goal. This means us as consumers may experience blackouts. In 2022, we should not have to deal with such an issue.

Partly due to increased regulation for fossil fuels and subsidies for renewables, many coal (and nuclear) plants have been retired. As a result, there is less reliability available. Fossil fuel plants are reliable because they can generate power as needed, simply by using resources. Renewables, on the other hand, are not reliable because they are susceptible to nature.

In times of peak demand, renewables (and the remaining fossil fuel plants) can not…