excalibur
Diamond Member
- Mar 19, 2015
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What a disaster the lockdown Queen Witchmer is.
And voters gave her a second term. And handed Democrats both houses of the state legislature as well.
Idiot voters!
www.washingtonexaminer.com
And voters gave her a second term. And handed Democrats both houses of the state legislature as well.
Idiot voters!
...
Unfortunately, some Michigan lawmakers are pursuing a series of so-called green legislative efforts that will stop the state’s progress square in its tracks. The leading culprit is House Bill 4739, which will subject Michigan families and businesses to “a carbon-free energy portfolio of 100%” by 2035, with some minor exclusions. To put it lightly, this would devastate the Michigan economy and provide no environmental benefits .
Let’s first look at the economics. Michigan gets about 63% of its energy from conventional sources like coal and natural gas ( 33.4% and 29.4% , respectively). 26% comes from nuclear , while wind and solar provide only around 8%. This means that two-thirds of Michigan’s most affordable electricity will need to be replaced by more expensive and less reliable renewables. In other words, higher prices and lower reliability for Michigan residential consumers and businesses.
While the pro-renewable community tries to handwave these problems away, there is enough real-world evidence that shows how harmful a forced transition to renewables actually is—especially to manufacturing-heavy economies. Take Germany, for instance, where the political class is forcing a transition from conventional fuels to less dense energy sources such as wind and solar. Because of that, industry in the country faces a 40% increase in energy prices .
Many will blame this increase on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but that’s not the real story. As an initial matter, the residential retail price for electricity in Germany was already triple that of the U.S. average in 2021. Germany’s reliance on Russia was a result of its push towards renewables (and its shift away from nuclear energy), which left it unable to generate the power it needed to fuel its modern industrial economy. It relied instead on Russian hydrocarbons, and that is what created the vulnerability.
And it’s being felt by German businesses. The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry recently reported that industry pessimism about the economy is as severe now as it was during the 2008 financial crisis and the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. Seventy-eight percent of businesses surveyed identified rising energy and raw material prices as two of the biggest risks they face, contributing to expectations that their businesses will deteriorate. Another survey found that nearly 25% of Germany’s small- and medium-sized businesses are considering or actually relocating parts of their operations to other countries. One prominent example is German company BASF’s decision to invest in China rather than Germany (or Michigan).
The great irony of the entire episode is that Putin’s gas and oil, which was backfilling for the deficiency of renewables, is now being backfilled by coal .
There are examples closer to home as well. Like the Michigan proposal, California has a zero-carbon energy goal, which it plans to reach by 2045. Like Germany, California imports energy to make up for its own policy deficiencies—indeed, California is America’s leading electricity importer. Also, like Germany, electricity prices in California are significantly higher than the U.S. average. The result is that businesses and industry can’t leave California fast enough.
Why would anyone in Michigan want to replicate what’s happening in California or Germany? And who is going to backfill Michigan’s energy shortfalls?
...
Unfortunately, some Michigan lawmakers are pursuing a series of so-called green legislative efforts that will stop the state’s progress square in its tracks. The leading culprit is House Bill 4739, which will subject Michigan families and businesses to “a carbon-free energy portfolio of 100%” by 2035, with some minor exclusions. To put it lightly, this would devastate the Michigan economy and provide no environmental benefits .
Let’s first look at the economics. Michigan gets about 63% of its energy from conventional sources like coal and natural gas ( 33.4% and 29.4% , respectively). 26% comes from nuclear , while wind and solar provide only around 8%. This means that two-thirds of Michigan’s most affordable electricity will need to be replaced by more expensive and less reliable renewables. In other words, higher prices and lower reliability for Michigan residential consumers and businesses.
While the pro-renewable community tries to handwave these problems away, there is enough real-world evidence that shows how harmful a forced transition to renewables actually is—especially to manufacturing-heavy economies. Take Germany, for instance, where the political class is forcing a transition from conventional fuels to less dense energy sources such as wind and solar. Because of that, industry in the country faces a 40% increase in energy prices .
Many will blame this increase on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but that’s not the real story. As an initial matter, the residential retail price for electricity in Germany was already triple that of the U.S. average in 2021. Germany’s reliance on Russia was a result of its push towards renewables (and its shift away from nuclear energy), which left it unable to generate the power it needed to fuel its modern industrial economy. It relied instead on Russian hydrocarbons, and that is what created the vulnerability.
And it’s being felt by German businesses. The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry recently reported that industry pessimism about the economy is as severe now as it was during the 2008 financial crisis and the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. Seventy-eight percent of businesses surveyed identified rising energy and raw material prices as two of the biggest risks they face, contributing to expectations that their businesses will deteriorate. Another survey found that nearly 25% of Germany’s small- and medium-sized businesses are considering or actually relocating parts of their operations to other countries. One prominent example is German company BASF’s decision to invest in China rather than Germany (or Michigan).
The great irony of the entire episode is that Putin’s gas and oil, which was backfilling for the deficiency of renewables, is now being backfilled by coal .
There are examples closer to home as well. Like the Michigan proposal, California has a zero-carbon energy goal, which it plans to reach by 2045. Like Germany, California imports energy to make up for its own policy deficiencies—indeed, California is America’s leading electricity importer. Also, like Germany, electricity prices in California are significantly higher than the U.S. average. The result is that businesses and industry can’t leave California fast enough.
Why would anyone in Michigan want to replicate what’s happening in California or Germany? And who is going to backfill Michigan’s energy shortfalls?
...
Michiganâs proposed âgreen energyâ policy threatens to slam the door on manufacturing renaissance
Opinion Michigan’s proposed ‘green energy’ policy threatens to slam the door on manufacturing renaissance By Jack Spencer June 26, 2023 01:16 PM Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email Print Opinion Michigan’s proposed ‘green energy’ policy threatens to slam the door on manufacturing renaissance By Jack...
www.washingtonexaminer.com
