A new paper published by the Global Warming Policy Foundation warns that renewable energy policies being pursued around the world are unrealistic.
That’s because renewables-only grids require large amounts of electricity storage to make them viable. However, the world currently lacks any power storage technology that is both affordable and scalable. [emphasis, links added]
As the paper’s author, Francis Menton explains:
“The amount of storage required is very large – perhaps as much as two months of average demand. The cost then becomes absurd: you could spend all of your GDP on batteries every year, and it would still not be enough. Hydrogen is better, but is still astonishingly expensive, because it’s so inefficient.”
In one of Mr. Menton’s estimates, the cost of providing lithium-ion batteries for a grid could be more than ten times GDP. Moreover, because the batteries wear out, the expenditure would need to be repeated every few years.
Despite this, policymakers are plowing ahead with the deployment of wind and solar, hoping that scientists will come up with something to save the day.
GWPF Director, Dr. Benny Peiser said:
“The skyrocketing prices in UK electricity markets in recent days are a warning. Without economic forms of electricity storage, a drive for renewables is going to end very badly for consumers.”
Francis Menton: The Energy Storage Conundrum (pdf)
Looks like another example of ideologues being “math deficient.” When you (simply) look at the NUMBERS of wind turbines, acres of solar panels and terrawatts of battery storage required to convert your domestic electric grid to 100% renewable, it makes NO SENSE. Top that, with the FACT that electricity is only 20% of our domestic primary energy and you start getting an idea of the SCOPE of the energy transition. Hopes, dreams & aspirations have LITTLE APPLICABILITY when you stare down the energy imperatives of cost, energy/power density, SCALE & usstainability. Like I have (now) said for years, this debate (on energy) is located on the WRONG side of campus. This is no job for social justice warriors. This is a job for scientists & engineers. Until we can start making that clear distinction between political science & PHYSICAL science, this will only continue to unravel…
Bravo!
it’s more like they are allergic to or repelled by mathematics, likely due to having difficulty adding 1+1 in 6th grade
If the radicals continue to get their way and we continue to replace reliable fossil power with intermittent wind and solar, the only possible out come is blackouts will become a normal way of life. This new scenario would be very different to what we are used to. Opening refrigerators during a blackout would be very limited. Unless one has a grill cooking would be limited to when power was available. Wired/fiber internet doesn’t work during a power outage even if there was someway to power the router and computer. As we experienced recently, cell phone towers go off line of the power is out for very long. People would keep their homes warmer so they would take longer to cool down with the loss of power. No power for traffic lights would slow traffic resulting in burning more gas. Use of generators for private homes would significantly increase. These have more emissions per unit of energy than commercial power plants using fossil fuels.
Liberal Environmentalists are as delusional as they can get and they like to recite Gores stupid poem at their earth Day Rallies