Thoughts on BC Politics and More

TORONTO—Despite rhetoric that renewable energy is cheap, wind and solar power generation comes with large—yet often ignored—costs that increase electricity prices for residents and businesses, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Electricity systems are complex, and too often policymakers pursue renewable energy sources such as wind and solar without understanding their true costs,” said Pierre Desrochers, Fraser Institute senior fellow, associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga and co-author of Generating Electricity in Canada from Wind and Sunlight: Is Getting Less for More Better than Getting More for Less? The study finds that while wind turbines and solar panels are relatively cheap to operate—given their fuel source is free—they’re costly to build and connect to the power grid. And crucially, because the wind won’t always blow and the sun won’t al...

A rapid transition from fossil fuels? No way — here's why Throughout history, new energy sources have largely been added to traditional supplies rather than replacing them entirely Peter Shawn Taylor ~~ National Post ~~June 28, 2019 Here’s a story popular with anyone claiming we have just 11 years to phase out fossil fuels or face the end of our world. (Or 31 years if 2050, rather than 2030, is your preferred doomsday.) England once found itself in an energy crisis back in the mid-1500s. Rising demand for wood for home heating and industrial use was stripping forests bare. Plus, the Royal Navy was having a hard time sourcing mighty oak trees for its ships. So, Queen Elizabeth I passed a decree. “The monarchy declared that coal shall be burned, and the kingdom made it so ... there were fears and protests and new challenges … but people adapted, even flourished.” Sound familiar? People are reluctant to abandon familiar energy sources. So po...