The future is in renewable energy, there is no doubt about that. Of course, no great technology can go without meeting opposition from a handful of, I dare say, ignorant deniers, who are scared to take their heads out of the sandbox and simply take a look around.
Just like with climate change, there are still people, who are desperately scraping the bottom, looking for anything that can help them prove their point, but unfortunately all their efforts result in spreading confusion and no truth.
This is the reason why when I saw a great link that one of our readers posted under the piece on the new CoSSMic initiative, I felt the need to present you with arguments against the most common myths about renewables, especially for those who do not, or do not want to, believe in the technology.
1. Renewable energy is NOT expensive.
It is true that many years ago, investing in renewables was a bit of a push and only a limited few were able to afford it. However, times change, and this was very clearly shown in the latest report by the Synapse Energy Economics on behalf of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid. The authors present real numbers, based on actual evidence, that if only wind power is added to the grid, the price of electricity might drop by as much as $50 per MWh by 2030. This will translate into $65-$200 lower annual electricity bills for consumers. The reason is that renewables do not have the fuel cost, which is added to the bill when coal, oil and natural gas are used.
In addition, adding renewables to the grid is not as time- and effort-consuming as one might think. According to the executive director of real-time operations for the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Joe Gardner, referring to wind energy, the geographic diversity, forecasting tools, continuous technological improvements and updates, and increasing experience among the operators, make the integration very easy.
2. Renewable energy is NOT unreliable.
If you have the itch to put your money on a renewable energy project, there is nothing that should stop you. From small solar projects, to large infrastructure investments, there is a guaranteed return of your money in less time than you think. After all, the biggest players in the energy sector are investing billions into renewables, while researchers and engineers are continuously working on improving the technology. Surely, there is a reason for all this effort.
3. Renewable energy will NOT run out of resources.
It is a fact that the U.S. alone has all the resources needed to meet the entire country’s energy demands. The whole southwest region is perfectly suitable for solar, while the Great Plains provide great conditions for wind. With all technological advances and much better understanding of the technology, targets such as using 90% renewables by 2030 do not at all seem unrealistic.
There are still issues that remain, and if before these were associated with technological limitations, now they only arise because of people’s twisted perceptions and limited political will. Hopefully, this will change soon. I am convinced.
Special thanks to reader ‘ray from bristol’. Your comment was greatly appreciated.
Image (c) Reuters
