USA
Gregg Goodnight Member, The Right Climate Stuff Research Team, CO2 Coalition
As a member of the Right Climate Stuff subcommittee for study of the Texas Grid problems of February ’21, I have gained perspective on the issues associated with the transition to 100% renewable power by 2035 that has been proposed by the Biden administration. With over 150 deaths associated with the ERCOT incident, and over $200B of economic losses, it serves as a warning against the hasty, unnecessary, not fully thought through conversion to wind and solar power resources. Our report on this incident discussed the following: 1. Federal investment and operational support of wind and solar power in Texas resulted in the growth over 20 years of renewable power to comprise 25% of all electrical supply. 2. Power pricing policies put in place in Texas beginning with deregulation in 2000 tilted the playing field such that wind and solar resources grew by 26GW (30% of total) at the same time more reliable power supply including coal and gas dropped 3GW (-4%) 3. During winter storm Uri, loss of wind power during peak load conditions resulted in a critical shortage of power at 2AM on 2/15/21. This resulted in a major loss of frequency control. The result was a several days long outage that was minutes away from a severe state-wide black-out that could have resulted in thousands of deaths, hundreds of billions of economic damage, and weeks of continuing power shortages. It was a very close call. 4. The unresolved issue with “green energy” is the intermittent nature of this power. Little power is generated if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. The intermittency is a daily, monthly, and seasonal phenomenon. Batteries are an expensive, theoretical answer to this issue, but no reasonable forecast has battery cost coming down by the 10X factor required for batteries to be practical. Based on the above, we recommend: 1. Stop the Clean Futures Act (HR1512). This Federal legislation would mandate 100% renewable power by 2035. This proposal is impossible to implement from an engineering standpoint, wasteful of resources, expensive, and will critically damage national grids. 2. Stop the Energy Dividend and Carbon Innovation Act (HR763). This Federal Legislation will increase energy prices through taxation but will not result in sufficient reduction in fossil fuel usage to make any difference in global warming even if the existing climate models are correct. 3. Submit the Paris Agreement for Senate approval. This is a treaty and the US Constitution requires the Senate to approve and it should be judged on its merits. Require China lower its emissions on a proportionate basis lest any US reductions become meaningless.
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