TRANSLATION: I don't want to talk about all the referenced numbers your posted that show I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about
This is an interesting and rather lengthy document from a conservative think-tank arguing in August of 2020 that the real costs and benefits of offshore wind energy will be much poorer than anticipated. I'm no economist but I noted a number of points in their arguments that should be noted. The article seems to make a real attempt to imply that the Block Island wind farm is representative of costs for offshore wind farms and they clearly succeeded in convincing you of that falsehood. The Block Farm numbers, which started high and, by contract, get higher, are the only numbers mentioned for several pages worth of text. You stated $470/MWh but that will only be paid should the farm last the full 30 years the contract anticipates. Currently power cost slightly over $240, which is also absurdly high. Additionally, the very low values given for fossil fuel produced on shore of $30 to $37/MWh is the wholesale price. Once you finally get to them, we find that, at least as the Manhattan Institute reports it, that offshore power will cost $70-$80/MWh with a single outlier at $160. That is, the examples in this article actually cost LESS than the numbers I posted in post #132 above. Some of these prices are fixed and some rise 2-4% annually. These are common pricing strategies in any business model to compensate for the constantly rising cost of replacement.
The article makes a somewhat half-hearted attempt to pump up "local pushback", claiming people are still concerned about the health effects of windmills' noise and that farmers are not happy at losing arable land (for a $4k-$8k annual lease). State programs requiring utilities to move to renewable, non-emitting technologies are portrayed as heavy handed government over reach ignoring the will of the people. No evidence of any sort is provided to support these claims.
This will be the cost for one facility after another 23 years and will almost undoubtedly be the most expensive electricity on the planet. I find it very unlikely this price will ever be paid. I think the Block Island facility, in the face of loads of far less expensive competition, will either be renegotiated or abandoned.
That was your position before you had taken up a single iota of actual information.
