Our rapidly approaching energy catastrophe...

 

 

"Sometimes I really wonder if the people in charge of our government know how to think at all..."

Our powers that be are set to really put our country in a huge energy pickle. Over really nothing. That is, unless you believe in Al Gore. By the end of this year, the highly dictatorial EPA has mandated that 85 of our coal fired plants be shut down. The earliest ones being shut down this June (in the middle of summer air conditioning season). And what are we going to use to replace them? Good question.

Shutting down that many coal plants (and that is only the start in the Administrations war on coal) will deal a devastating blow to certain parts of the country. And everyone's rates will continue to go up. By the end of last year, we were still getting 300 GW of in service coal power. By 2020, the EPA wants 60 of those GW taken off line, starting with the retirements scheduled for this year.

Some might say "so what", but let me show what the so what is all about. According to the US Energy Information Administration, at the end of 2013 our nation's electricity was obtained by using the following methods:

•   Coal 39%
•   Natural Gas 27%
•   Nuclear 19%
•   Hydropower 7%
•   Other Renewable 6%
•   Biomass 1.48%
•   Geothermal 0.41%
•   Solar 0.23%
•   Wind 4.13%
•   Petroleum 1%
•   Other Gases < 1%

What does all this mean? If we have to reduce our coal production by 1/5 of 39% by the end of 2020, something needs to take up the slack. And that is using today's consumption. Every year our energy consumption goes up. To really compare the total cost of using coal against the cost of solar and wind is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded. Way too many factors involved. However most studies do show this. Right now coal is still our cheapest way to generate electricity, and wind and solar remain high.

So as our energy mix continues to evolve (or as some say, devolve), two things are for sure. The first is that we are all in for higher energy prices. Not just by a little, some areas of the country are going to be in for quite a sticker shock. Heck, we might get back to the days of "brown outs". Next, these avian lethal wind machines are going to continue to take a huge toll on our environment. The next time a "greenie" tells you that wind power is sustainable, tell that person he or she is full of crap.

So buckle up folks. This crisis is being brought to you live and in color by the same crew who also wants to shackle you with a carbon tax on everything you do. Good luck to all of us.