The Great Renewable Energy Scam: Is There A Change In The Wind? l WordPress l Ed ublogs http://mavinichs.edublogs.

org/2012/10/27/the-great-renewable-energy-scam-is-ther e-a-change-in-the-wind-l-wordpress/ People dont like being forced to purchase things they may not want, which is why over half of us are hoping that the Supreme Court throws out the individual insu rance mandate in President Barack Obamas health care plan.Theres also a worldwide rebellion brewing against being forced to purchase expensive electricity produce d by so-called renewable sources, now being exacerbated by the availability of ver y cheap natural gas from shale formations.But, here in the U.S. there are some 3 0 different statewide renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) that also mandate price y power, usually under the guise of fighting dreaded global warming.RPSs command that a certain percentage of electricity has to come from wind, solar, geother mal, or biomass. Given that this power generally costs a lot more than what come s from a modern coal or gas plant, your local utility passes the cost on in the form of higher bills, which the various state utility commissions are only too h appy to approve in the name of saving the planet. RPSs generally do not include hydroelectric power, which produces no carbon diox ide. Its also much more predictable than solar or wind, and costs about the same as the average for gas and coal combined. Its not in the portfolio standards beca use dams are soooo 20th century, and it isnt a darling of the green lobby, like s olar, wind and biomass. But hydro can deliver more juice than solar is ever lik ely to. Nor do RPSs allow for natural gas. There are massive quantities in shale formati ons around the country, and new horizontal drilling techniques are releasing so much of it that it is now the cheapest source of electrical power. If our envir onmentalist friends were at all serious about climate change, they would enthuse over it because it produces significantly less carbon dioxide than an equivale nt quantity of coal when used for power generation. Instead, they are horrified that cheap gas will destroy solar and wind. Their worries are quite well-founded. In November, NextEra Energy, the countrys largest wind-energy producer, said it would develop no new wind projects this ye ar, as utilities sell cheaper gas power.When are governments going to learn that they ought to butt out of the energy business? RPSs that specify certain techno logies are essentially picking winners and losers based more upon political pull than market logic. One needs to look no further than ethanol as a motor fuel, mandated by the feds. Sold as renewable and reducing pernicious carbon dioxide emissions, it actually produces more in its life cycle than simply burning an equivalent amount of gaso line. It alsounconscionablyconsumes 40% of U.S. corn production, and we are the b y far the worlds largest producer of this important basic food. The popular revulsion against ethanol has succeeded in cutting its massive feder al subsidy, of $0.54 per gallon, which ran out on Dec. 31. But that doesnt stop the federal mandate. Last year it was for roughly 14 billion gallons from corn and it will be nearly 15 billion in 2012. By 2022, up to 20 billion gallons will be required all from corn unless there is a breakthrough in so-called cellulosic ethanol, which, no matter how much money the government throws at it, hasnt happe ned. Indeed, the largest cellulosic plant, Range Fuels, in Camilla, Ga., just w ent bankrupt. The loss to American taxpayers appears to be about $120 million, or about 25% of a Solyndra. Dont expect Congress to zero the ethanol mandate anytime soon. Farm country tends to be conservative on pretty much everything except propping up corn prices, wh

ich is what ethanol mandates do. Having seen the ethanol debacle, will the states put solar and wind in their rig htful (small) niches by repealing the RPSs? Increasing utility bills with renewa ble mandates is politically dangerous, and there is less and less political will to subsidize and otherwise prop up energy sources and technologies that cost to o much. Look for a movement in the many state legislatures that approved the outrageous RPSs without asking people how they liked being forced to buy something they dont want. Or will cheaper natural gas and hydro be allowed in the standards in the place of wind and solar? There is likely to be some legislation introduced this year and a lot more in the future, as the U.S. catches on to the great renewable energy scam. See more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmichaels/2012/01/19/the-great-renew able-energy-scam-is-there-a-change-in-the-wind/