Bill Lawson: Clean energy still inefficient

Your Dec. 6 editorial “N.C. goes wrong way in climate race” chastised Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration for correctly curtailing the crony capitalism of the renewable energy lobby. This lobby has been at the government trough for decades squealing that it only needs subsidies for a few more years to be cost competitive with traditional energy.

McCrory correctly opposes EPA’s Clean Energy Plan as it scuttles 45,000 megawatts of power, more than the entire electric supply of New England. While reducing global average temperature only less than 2/100th of a degree, it will destroy 500,000 jobs, while slashing a family of four’s income by $1,400.

In 2013 wind received subsidies of $5.9 billion, generating 168 billion kilowatt-hours. Solar received subsidies of $4.3 billion and generated 19 billion kwh. Natural gas received only $690 million but delivered over six times more electricity than wind and solar combined with 1,141 billion kwh.

Renewable industries lack reliable methods to forecast mid- to long-term climate viability. Green-energy proponents use long-term averages of past weather patterns when developing 20-year models for proposed projects then contradict themselves by insisting that manmade “climate change” will dramatically alter weather patterns in the same periods. Which is it?

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Bill Lawson: Clean energy still inefficient."