“We are building a clean energy future.” To tell President Joe Biden.

Who are “we”?

Well, you pay for it. He and his “green” friends will be responsible for most of the building.

Lately, they've been pouring more money into “renewable energy.” They promise to provide us with “carbon-free electricity” from the sun and wind. (Related article: 'Reality will rob us': Biden opens door for Chinese EVs to flood US, experts say, before moving on to expropriation)

my new video uses scenes from a new documentary series called “Juice: Power, Politics, and the Grid” to illustrate some of the issues involved.

As political scientist Roger Pilke Jr. puts it: we feel the wind The idea of ​​getting something for free is very appealing to people. ”

In California in particular, politicians are now demanding that all new homes be equipped with solar panels, that all new cars sold in 2035 be zero-emissions vehicles, and that all electricity in the state be carbon-free by 2045. Requires funding from free resources.

We are getting results, but they are not good results. Electricity costs in California increased three times faster than in the rest of America.

People in Washington state pay about 11 cents per kilowatt hour. In Oregon it's 13 cents. In California it's currently almost 30 cents.

Can they at least get reliable energy for that? no.

The big problem with wind and solar power, of course, is that they don't work when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. It can happen when people need their heat and air conditioning the most.

The increased use of “renewable energy” is the reason power outages occur more frequently in California.bloom energy To tell In 2019, the number exceeded 25,000, an increase of several thousand over the previous year.

“We couldn't have predicted or planned.” Said Governor Gavin Newsom. right. (Related: 'A pain in the eyes of the working class': California Green proposal could jump pump prices by 50 cents)

Instead, they embraced an unscientific green fantasy.

Requiring all new homes to have solar panels is a big reason why California homes are some of the most expensive in the nation. The average home price is approximately $800,000.

If you can afford it, you can get funding from the government for solar power. However, the benefits mainly go to the wealthy. Poorer people are more likely to rent.

Moreover, subsidies are inefficient.

“Our solar panels generate power during the day when the sun is up, so we can sell excess power to the grid when it doesn't need it,” said electrician Lee Cordner. I will explain. In that case, the power grid would be overwhelmed with solar power and not be able to use it all. Nevertheless, they are made to pay a very high price for their power. ”

That's good news for homeowners. Taxpayers pay for the wealthy to install heavily subsidized solar power systems.

I installed panels on my house for a tax credit. But I'm not fooling myself by thinking that solar power will measurably reduce climate change or that wind power is particularly environmentally friendly.

“To manufacture just one turbine, we need to extract 900 tonnes of steel, 2,500 tonnes of concrete and 45 tonnes of non-renewable plastic,” explains ecologist Marlin Tuttle. “Then you have to transport it and burn the fuel and get it all over the world. None of this stuff that goes into the turbines is renewable.”

And they wear out. Currently, turbines shut down for maintenance after just 10 years. Maintenance costs about the same as a new turbine, but government subsidies make it worth it for “green” companies.

biden announced $11 billion in grants to “bring clean energy to rural areas.” This mainly encouraged people to install wind and solar power in inappropriate locations.

Solar power makes sense in the southern United States and other sunny locations. However, an above-average number of solar subsidies are being paid. Minnesota. (Related: David Blackmon: In an election year, will the Biden administration finally get serious about natural gas?)

In the documentary, the Minnesota resident laughs and says: “The state is giving me a ton of subsidies to build solar power in scenic, sunny Minnesota.”

The “Juice'' series highlights the folly of governments pouring money into “green'' programs promoted by politically connected people.

As solar and wind power become more efficient, they will become cheaper and people will install them themselves. Politicians should stop destructive intervention.

The entire documentary is available at JuiceTheSeries.com.

Mr. Stossel posts a new video every Tuesday on JohnStossel.com about the battle between government and freedom.

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