Are Wind and Solar Power Really More Expensive and Less Reliable?
|February 10, 2022
Not that long ago, critics of renewable sources of energy had a point when they claimed wind and solar power cost more and were less dependable than fossil fuels, mostly because they depend upon the wind blowing and the sun shining.
But that is changing. The steady progression of scientific achievements are making wind and solar as cost-efficient to produce as fossil fuels, and increasingly competitive at storing energy as well.
“The myths about renewable energy are based on prices and performance that are typically out-of-date,” said Bruce Usher, a professor of professional practice at Columbia Business School, where he teaches on the intersection of financial, social and environmental issues.
Advancements have both improved performance and lowered costs, said Steven Cohen, former long-time executive director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and now senior vice dean the University’s School of Professional Studies.
“Just as we saw with computers, the more time engineers spend on these issues, the better the technology becomes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the myth abides.
Renewables vs. Extreme Weather
Despite claims to the otherwise, renewables are no less reliable than other power sources during extreme weather events.
In Texas, which is the only state with its own power grid, Gov. Greg Abbott falsely blamed wind and solar power for last winter’s failure of the state’s energy grid during severe storms that saw power generation disrupted and natural gas pipelines freeze. Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry piled on, claiming that the incident exposed the danger of relying of renewable energy.
A federal study actually found that renewable sources outperformed fossil fuel production during the incident, which was mostly caused by failures of equipment inadequately protected from the freezing temperatures, regardless of the energy source. National Public Radio concluded it was a systemwide failure to prepare for extreme cold.
Cohen said the case in Texas was also ultimately a failure of regulation.
“Due to the deregulated nature of the Texas power system, windmills which can easily be protected from cold were not protected,” he said. “Windmills in northern Europe and the U.S. have no issue operating in the cold.”
In California, other critics of renewables made similar claims last summer during heatwave-related blackouts, even after a state study (PDF) found that the main causes were climate change-induced extreme weather, inadequate resources and planning processes, along with market practices — all unrelated to renewables.
“In California the issue has also been old transmission equipment, which causes forest fires and then is damaged during fires,” Cohen said.
Perhaps the common denominator …….