The subsidies are largely gone for wind. In my region wind farms are everywhere in the eastern part of my state, and Texas is covered with them. We also have huge solar farms and all coal plants have either been closed, converted, or scheduled for conversion to natural gas. Natural gas , wind and solar together are far cheaper than coal in 2022. Our largest power company says that when they convert the last coal plant in the state to natural gas in 2023, they will save $10m per year in costs.
The stated goals of subsidies (supposedly) were to stimulate demand for wind and solar technology in the hope that their high cost would decline. As we see today that is no longer viable as the technology has plateaued and therefore these larger companies can enter the market as is (but these large companies are diverse in other sources so they eliminate competition and thus control pricing to the consumer. So now they can settle in and reap their harvest at the expense of the ratepayers.... sound familiar?
I live in the Northwest. After WWII the federal government went headlong into producing and promoting cheap hydroelectric power throughout the nation. It was particularly rewarding in states (like mine) that had this abundant renewable natural resource.....but what happened? Corporate America took over, much like what might be happening in your area with wind and solar. Costs started soaring because of two major factors; They found out they could sell (initially surplus electricity) to California at a 50% higher rate and # 2 the environmentalists started going after the smaller hydro plants for the usual reasons and all of a sudden supply and demand became the front-runner for profitability.
So in your area maybe wind and solar can be competitive? But lets be clear wind and solar do not provide the same value to the grid as conventional electricity sources. In addition to not operating on demand (a subsidiary but tangible issue with power grids going down.), both wind and solar provide little of capacity value that is needed to maintain long-term reliability to the grid. Instead they rely on other electricity generators (that dreaded fossil fuel, natural gas in your case),to provide the services they cannot.....thus imposing those costs on other generators and the structure of the grid itself. The wind and solar facilities do not pay theses costs, ratepayers do. The Texas heat wave of 2019 provides a good example of how renewables can distort electricity grid operations.
So my simple reference is aimed at the very idea of replacing fossil fuels and subsequently blowing up our economy in the process. It's not "about time" for fossil fuels to be eliminated when you don't have replacements with the infrastructure to back it up. Political agendas always put the cart before the horse and ignorantly use this to disingenuously promote man as the culprit to changing climates. ........hydroelectric power invested in it's infrastructure without compromising the welfare of it's citizens...why? because we had fossil fuels in place to hold us over. Then we were able to use cheap hydroelectric power to vault into the era of opportunity and prosperity for any citizen who was willing to participate.
So you promote wind and solar....and who do you think will profit from that? Well the bottom line points to China both indirectly (from big tech) and directly. Solar panels made in China, wind turbans made mostly from parts and steel alloys made in China. Batteries made in China. Rare earth minerals (components of solar cells and batteries) ...all from China or sourced from Chinese investments in many third world countries...and if China takes Taiwan, computer chips..China will control our infrastructure and everything that runs them..and if they wish, because we have no protection against securing our electric grids and computers that run almost everything now, they could shut us down with a single EMP rocket. Incidentally this phony Biden "infrastructure bill' has no provision to take care of this.....and it is not that costly to permanently idiot proof this serious threat to our security.
America citizens will pay dearly if this nonsense isn't thwarted.
So one other comment to you: You have some one-sided pot shots at particular posts which are opposite views....didn't do any research so can't comment .....You seem adamant about promoting wind and solar and have pushed back rather religiously, to dominate the thread? It leads one to believe that you might be vested in something? Who do you work for? I kinda don't think you are a farmer
