For years we at CDN have been warning that climate alarmism was impaling itself on the horns of a dilemma. One horn is the inability to deliver the climate catastrophe necessary to justify their distortions of science and disastrous policy ventures. The other is the inability to deliver the green energy transition. And we said that both were going from being clouds no bigger than a man’s hand to crossfire hurricanes as the once-distant deadlines rushed toward us. So here we’re pleased to note that in a departure from the “10 Patronizing Ways to Win Climate Debates with those Ignorant Fools” genre, Climate Cosmos offers a brief summary of “Why Are We Still Waiting for a Green Energy Revolution That Never Arrives”. It is just one article, and it skims the surface. But it does so with considerable resolve and covers a surprising amount of ground, from the ugly footprint of EVs to difficulties transforming the grid to failures to invest in nuclear to Third World poverty to the weakness of batteries. Oh, and they also complain about capitalism but nobody’s perfect. So we do suggest that anyone still thinking the green energy transition is blossoming all around us at least do a quick check that they could in principle answer such concerns with something other than a sneer.
Canary Media may email us “Clean energy’s big year” and insist that:
“The US smashed clean energy records last year. Can it keep up the pace?”
But the answer is no. Reality is slowly exacting its revenge. And as for a “Clean Prosperity” missive about how “Electricity demand rising at fastest pace in years”, do they really not understand that demand does not create its own supply? Say’s Law says the opposite, for anyone who cares. And everyone should. But according to the Canary Media piece, it’s full subsidy ahead instead:
“Boosted by tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act and the plummeting costs of renewable technologies, developers added 48.2 gigawatts of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage capacity in 2024. In total, carbon-free sources including nuclear accounted for 95% of new power capacity built in the U.S. last year; solar and batteries alone made up 83%.”
Which also means, driven by government misunderstanding, Americans are not investing in stuff that works. And it may well matter. Even to climate alarmists.
The New York Times “Climate Forward”, for instance, tries to explain “Why coal has been so hard to quit in the U.S.” Alas, they blame politics while insisting that “Most experts say coal is simply uneconomical.” Right. Which is why jurisdictions that turn to alternative energy have such… uh… hang on. But at least they do admit that it’s going slowly, unlike say “Clean Prosperity” which also peddles an Economist piece on how “A new electricity supercycle is under way/ Why spending on power infrastructure is surging around the world”.
Answer: because governments are still betting on their green fantasy:
“The decarbonisation of electricity generation is one factor. Adding wind and solar power, often in remote locations, requires extending power lines and investing in hardware and software to manage their intermittency. In Britain the government’s ambition to achieve a net-zero grid by 2030 has prompted network operators to submit investment proposals amounting to nearly $100bn over five years. Even in America, where the incoming president is a climate-change sceptic, investment in renewable energy is expected to continue rising in the years ahead thanks to the plummeting cost of solar and wind power.”
But at least it sobers up toward the end with:
“Expanding manufacturing capacity will leave these firms exposed if the electricity supercycle turns out to be no such thing. Growth in EV sales has already slowed in many rich countries. The AI boom could yet turn to bust.”
Ya think? Especially as bits and pieces of the great green energy engine keep falling off. For instance Climate Change Dispatch informs us that “Airbus Abandons Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft”. And it does so caustically:
“As communism did in the 20th century, the Green Revolution produced an infinite number of fantasies, promises, and unrealistic dreams. Amateurish plans that look wonderful on paper are turning out to be complete nonsense when put to the test of reality. Blackout News reports on the latest green wake-up call: ‘European aviation giant Airbus has halted the development of a hydrogen-powered aircraft, which had been slated to be introduced by 2035.’ The major reason for the halt is reported to be the lack of necessary hydrogen infrastructure. In short: planners realized that it wasn’t financially feasible and it wasn’t going to work. And, as is the case with almost every pie-in-the-sky green project, the cancellation always gets followed by a statement that the project is simply being put off temporarily and that it remains the target for the future.”
We would add caustically that the economic problems are nothing to the physics ones.
The Economist also contributed a piece on “Why the world’s green engine is stalling”. We could retort that the engine in question isn’t stalling, making noise, causing vibrations or spewing wealth because the world doesn’t have such a thing. But instead we can just let them impale themselves with their argument that “Brazil has everything it needs to be the world’s green engine. It just needs the right driver.” Instead of being corrupt and inefficient. Brazil will save us, if only it weren’t Brazil. Thanks for that.
