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Wind Power Now Cheapest Energy In UK and Germany; No Subsidies Needed

Posted by Soulskill on from the time-to-work-on-scale dept.

Socguy writes: Bloomberg reports wind power has now crossed the threshold to become the cheapest source of energy in both the UK and Germany. This is notable because it's the first time this has occurred in a G7 country. In the U.S., wind and solar are still massively overshadowed by the power generated from fossil fuel plants, but the percentage is creeping up. It's gotten to the point where it's starting to affect the lifetime profitability of new plants.

6 of 421 comments (clear)

  1. Show us the data by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, yeah, call me a skeptic but I want to see the costs associated with actual power generation as opposed to the line items for punitive regulation.

    1. Re:Show us the data by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's almost impossible to compare because figures for the externalized costs of coal and gas are very hard to calculate. It's difficult to evaluate the value of health and a human life, or how much damage can be attributed to energy production and not other things.

      In any case, as wind gets cheaper its capacity factor is rocketing up too.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re: Show us the data by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 5, Funny

      He said evaluate, not valuate. Big difference that 'e' makes.

      God dammit. Sticking an 'e' on something to pretend it's something new is just internet marketing!

      ;-)

      --
      People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
    3. Re:Show us the data by gurps_npc · · Score: 5, Insightful
      So does the TSA, the FDA, and many other government agencies.

      The problem is that the set dollar values DIFFER .And not by small amounts. Most insurance companies value human life at about $50,000 per year with younger people having more years left, while older people having less. Basically, 70 grand parents = 1 baby. The NHTSA uses a value of around $550,000 - if it costs much more than that, they don't require a safety device, less it becomes a law. The EPA says a human life is worth $9 million. Economists tend to value it at just $1 million, while the USA anti-terrorism services estimates they spend $180 million per life saved.

      So your 'solution' is not helpful - you just end up arguing about whose numbers to use.

      --
      excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  2. Re:Congratulations by N1AK · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You've managed to make traditional energy sources more expensive than wind. Impressive.

    And you've managed to make junk food (HF Corn Syrup) cheaper than fresh food; at market interference goes we've still got a lot to learn to be half as retarded as that.

  3. Re:still blowing smoke by Moof123 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Fossils have a plethora of subsidies, some more obvious than others.

    You don't need a big military presence in the middle east, or even the threat of one to keep the wind blowing. Oil does. We end up having to maintain alliances, troops, and share military firepower with awful countries like Saudia Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and many more. These relationships are deeply corrosive to the image we try to portray to ourselves as "freedom loving Americans". Double think becomes necessary at an early age. Good luck estimating a price tag for a corroded soul.