The Blog

2021-

2021-02-17 b
AP FACT CHECK WAS NOT FACTUAL

AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s skewed indictment of wind power

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s dismissal of wind power as a glitchy, pricey, bird-slaughtering way to make electricity is out of step with the times.

He slammed the technology in his debate with Democrat Joe Biden on Thursday night, falsely contending wind power is dirtier and far pricier than natural gas. Here’s a look at what he said:

TRUMP to Biden: “I know more about wind than you do. It’s extremely expensive.”

THE FACTS: No it isn’t. His point is outdated.

Wind-energy costs hit all-time lows as of 2019, averaging less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour for newly built projects,

[ "Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today, costing 1–2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit." (source), THUS, WITHOUT THE PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT, IT IS NOT COMPETITIVE.]

... TRUMP: “It’s very intermittent. It’s got a lot of problems.”

THE FACTS: He’s e exaggerating the downsides.

Trump’s opinion about wind power being unreliable isn’t shared by many big energy users. By next year, renewables such as wind and solar will be providing more of Americans’ electricity than nuclear- and coal-fired power plants do, says the government’s Energy Information Administration.

And it says that by 2045, renewables will surpass even natural gas in powering U.S. electricity plants.

[BUT IT IS INTERMITTENT, just ask the millions in Texas who have been without power for hours or days this week of polar weather. A Texas electric utility executive, in off-the-record comments, stated, "... the wind turbines are shut down due to icing concerns. Ice would destroy the turbines." Now, icy conditions are not unusual in the uplands west of IH 35 in Texas. Why does Texas rely on wind turbines for almost 1/4 of its base load units knowing the turbines will be offline when needed to heat homes, greenhouses, poultry houses, etc.?

The idiocy does not stop there. The same utility insider told me, "But in San Antonio, CPS Energy permanently shut down two coal units. We are owned by the city and the mayor sides with the Sierra Club. Political." Also, "Coal units are shut down permanently thanks to Obama's regulations."

Texas has abundant natural gas resources. Are those being used to generate electricity? Unfortunately, not fully. He said, "The gas units are sometimes curtailed due to diverting natural gas for residential heating." However, natural gas burning residential furnaces require electricity to run. So, because of "green" ideology, millions in Central Texas are suffering.

The utility guy summed it up, "The remaining nuclear and natural gas units are not enough to meet demand during extreme weather conditions."

San Antonio voters were warned about this Leftist mayor. The conservative incumbent, a black woman, he defeated called him Comrade Ron during the acrimonious campaign. San Antonio has had business-friendly leadership for years. Not any more. The foolish mayor follows the George Soros agenda and the majority of the city council are far-Left radicals. If time permits, I might write, The Protocols of the Mayor of San Antonio,]
(read more)

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