CFACT put up two new billboards during Governor Brown’s climate summit that tackle California’s ridiculous 100% renewables/zero-emissions law head-on.
The billboards are on the Sierra Highway between Palmdale and Rosamond, California, just north of Los Angeles.
The first depicts a road sign that warns, “Insane Electricity Prices Ahead.” That’s a no-brainer. We’ve seen this story before. The data is in.
California is making the exact same mistakes that wrecked energy markets in Europe.
Inefficient “renewables” caused electricity prices in countries like Germany, Denmark, and Spain to double and triple, placing great hardships on ratepayers and making it tough for their industries to compete.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “Engergiewende,” or energy transition, is estimated to have cost over half-TRILLION Euros by 2025. (SEE ALSO: Germany And Calif. Would Have 100% Clean Power If They’d Bet On Nuclear, Not Renewables)
Meanwhile, all those solar panels and wind farms can’t meet Europe’s energy needs. Anti-nuclear campaigners overlap with climate campaigners so Germany’s nuclear reactors are shutting down.
That leaves coal in charge of keeping the lights on. Despite the mind-boggling useless spending, European emissions have not declined.
Who gets hit the hardest?
CFACT’s second billboard features a vanity license plate which reads “PWR HIKE — 100% renewables with one million+ energy poor? California’s pipe dreamin’”.
Energy poverty is no joke. California leads the nation in poverty and homelessness. Tripling California’s electricity prices will hit the poor the hardest.
It’s the ultimate regressive tax. California elites won’t like it but can take high costs in stride. It’s not the same for people struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg, Jerry Brown, Alec Baldwin and the rest of the gilded elite just don’t get it.
California’s mistaken new energy law spells trouble for everyone. As business flees, the politicians in Sacramento are going to want to inflict the same burdens on the rest of us to “make things fair.”
This energy-wound is self-inflicted. California should adopt a wiser course and others should avoid repeating their mistake.
Read more at CFACT
SB100 doesn’t compare to nations like Germany that have tripled their cost of power with renewable energy. These countries still use fossil fuel power plants to kick in when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. The 100% requirement of SB100 doesn’t allow backup fossil fuel power plants to exist. In other posts I have stated the only feasible way to implement the requirement is to have frequent blackouts become a normal part of life. But lets say I’m wrong, and California does whatever it takes to provide round the clock power even if doing so increases the rates by 6 to 10 times. What would this system look like?
There are other theoretical ways, but the only “practical” way to do this is with a massive artificial hydro electric system. When the wind is blowing and the sun shinning, pump water from a lower elevation lake to one at a higher elevation. Then when needed, run the water back powering generators. The problem is with this is the massive scale, and cost, required. There would have to be almost enough generating capacity in this artificial system to power the entire state. Unlike current hydro electric power, there would have to be both an upper lake and lower lake. I’m sure some existing lakes could be used, but many, many lakes would have to be made. In some cases water would have to be piped in from some distance.
The water would be recycled. However, with many square miles of water surface this system would generate, in their hot dry summers significant water would be lost to evaporation. Replacing this water would be an additional burden to a state short on water.
Currently with fossil fuel back up generators, when renewable power goes away the engines can throttle up quickly. This is not true of hydro electric power that must over come the inertia of tons of water to get going. I’m just guessing, but a reasonable guess would be a 10 to 30 second black out as the hydro power comes on line. Though irritating to homes, routine short blackouts can be a big hit for industry. I once worked in a lab used by many people that took 90 minutes to recover from even a short power disruption. In other areas there are processes and tests that must be restarted or backed up to recover. I have worked in some of these areas.
The bottom line is SB100 makes it incredibly expensive to have round the clock power and even then there would be problems.
Though native to Oregon, I went to high school in California just outside of San Jose. I’m still in contact with friends down there. Every friend still in California that I’m in contact with is leaving the state because of its environmental policies. One friend said he has many friends who are leaving for the same reason. These are the people the industry needs. These are the people who pay the taxes to support the large welfare population and the Bullet Train. It is not in the state’s best interest to lose them.
One of thee friends is retired which is more significant than it may seem at first. There are primary industries, second industries, and some are hybrid. A primary industry brings money into an area like agriculture, airplane manufacturing, or software. Secondary industries must survive on the money already in an area such as grocery stores and doctors. Obviously primary industries are very important. A retired person is a primary industry because they are being money into an area with their social security and pension. Unlike those who are still working, a retired person doesn’t have to find another job before they can move. With fixed incomes and insane energy prices one their way retired people have good reason to leave the state.
Willing suspension of disbelief is Hollywood’s enabler. Sacramento thinks they can make renewable energy viable after others have failed. LaLa Land is not a movie, it’s a sorry state of mind.
I am loathe to give credit to California for current clean – air technology. Credit should go to the engineers working for capitalist corporations who emphasized efficiency and low emissions. By the sheer size of its market, California’s demands have been met.. However, the laws of physics will force the dreamers to wake up. 100% renewable energy? Only the elites could afford it. They’d have the place to themselves.
“Only the elites could afford it. They’d have the place to themselves.”
No. Even the elites can not afford it. No matter who or how much they tax the Infrastructure costs will mandate a HUGE tax burden. If California’s 100% renewables/zero-emissions law stands it will collapse under it’s own weight and the elitists will eventually find themselves marginalized.