{"id":396426,"date":"2025-08-20T10:20:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396426"},"modified":"2025-08-20T10:20:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:20:48","slug":"big-oil-and-early-solar-trying-and-failing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396426","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Big Oil\u2019 and Early Solar: Trying and Failing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar is hardly an infant industry, as documented here<\/a> and here<\/a>. And \u2018Big Oil\u2019 tried to make it economic a half century ago\u2013and failed. A six-year-old article, \u201cHow Big Oil Of The Past Helped Launch The Solar Industry Of Today<\/a>, by Andrea Hsu tells the story, one that is pertinent today given the bust of the industry (see tomorrow\u2019s post). She begins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Renewable energy has gotten so cheap that even oil giant Exxon Mobil, which reported $20.8 billion in earnings in 2018<\/a>, is getting in on the savings. Over the next couple of years, Exxon Mobil will begin purchasing wind and solar power in West Texas, part of a 12-year agreement<\/a> signed late last year with the Danish energy company Orsted. The plan is to use cheap, clean electricity to power Exxon Mobil\u2019s expanding operations in the Permian Basin, one of the world\u2019s most productive oil fields.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Was this economics or greenwashing? If it was economics, or almost so, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) was responsible, which allowed an immediate 30 percent tax write-off<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu continues by delving into history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It\u2019s not the first time economic considerations have led the company to explore the possibilities of solar. Half a century ago \u2014 before climate change was a topic of much discussion and before Exxon was accused of deceiving shareholders and the public by downplaying the risks of climate change, prompting investigations and lawsuits \u2014 the company then known as Jersey Standard funded groundbreaking research into solar photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight into electricity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Continuing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Other oil companies would follow. While the amounts spent by these big firms were tiny compared with their vast resources, these early, critical investments in solar technology laid a foundation for what is now a growing, multibillion-dollar industry.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why this interest by Exxon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Exxon\u2019s interest in solar was piqued at a time when it was unclear whether there were fortunes still to be made from fossil fuels. \u201cThe origin was actually a strategic one,\u201d says Adam Louis Shrier, 81, a chemical engineer who spent 25 years at Exxon working in various commercial, technical and corporate positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soaring demand for oil through the 1960s drove concerns about the U.S. oil supply. Inside Exxon, there were discussions about whether the company was becoming overly dependent on the countries that had formed OPEC<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat if these producers start jacking up the price and our market dries up?\u201d Shrier, who began working at Exxon in 1963, remembers people asking. \u201cWhat can we do if we can\u2019t be in the oil business at all?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Peak Oil and Peak Gas, a mirage brought on by domestic price and allocation controls on crude oil and oil products<\/a>, as well as on natural gas<\/a>, was the culprit. Worst, Exxon felt a need to get out of its core competency into alternative energy and non-energy businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

As early as the 1960s, Shrier says, Exxon executives said, \u201cWe\u2019ve got to diversify.\u201d Exxon began looking into side businesses such as office machinery and word processing. Shrier, who had been in the company\u2019s central engineering operation, was put in charge of nonconventional energy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Elliot Berman tests solar arrays on the roof of Solar Power Corp.\u2019s offices<\/strong>.\u00a0Solar Power Corp. via John Perlin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Berman\u2019s Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu continues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Part of Shrier\u2019s portfolio included overseeing a new research unit headed by a photochemist named Elliot Berman. In 1970, Berman had approached Exxon with an idea that other companies had passed on: figuring out how to build a solar panel that would be economic for use on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar cells had been used successfully in space since 1958, when a solar-powered transmitter was launched<\/a> aboard the satellite Vanguard 1. Berman was among those who believed that solar photovoltaic technology had great potential on Earth, where millions of people lacked electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s the sun. Here are the people,\u201d says Berman, who is 89 now. \u201cAll you have to do is figure out a way to put the two things together.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Uncompetitive Cost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu then explains the failure of solar in the energy-troubled 1970s, even when a 10 percent ITC was in effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The big challenge was cost. Manufacturing silicon \u2014 the material of choice for solar photovoltaics \u2014 was exorbitant. The solar cells being sent into space cost more than $100 per watt. For solar to be successful on Earth, Berman knew he had to bring the cost down to a fraction of that. He aimed for $10 per watt. (Today the cost is estimated to be less than 50 cents per watt.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His small research team began searching for a material that would be significantly cheaper than silicon. At the same time, he needed to prove that solar could work commercially on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One particularly compelling idea emerged from a trip to one of Exxon\u2019s oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil platforms were required to have navigation aids \u2014 foghorns and flashing lights, all powered by batteries. The batteries didn\u2019t last long, and replacing them was a big expense for Exxon, not to mention an environmental hazard. The spent batteries were sometimes disposed of in the ocean, Berman says. Solar would be cheaper, he told the company.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Exxon\u2019s First Try: Contracting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo speed development of a product that Exxon could market,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Berman looked to buy ready-made silicon solar cells. He approached someone he knew at one of the space program\u2019s solar cell manufacturers, who readily agreed to Berman\u2019s desired price of $10 per watt. \u201cSo I gave him a purchase order for $100,000,\u201d he says. \u201cRemember, I was at Exxon. I could write big checks!\u201d But the seller couldn\u2019t deliver. What he had were space rejects, slightly imperfect solar cells that Berman believes would have been fine for terrestrial use \u2014 but there weren\u2019t enough of them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Exxon\u2019s Second Try: In-house<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu continues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

After a fruitless search, Berman concluded that his team would have to make its own solar cells. A breakthrough in cost came when they figured out they could use silicon castoffs from the semiconductor industry. Imperfect silicon wafers may have been problematic for electronics but made little difference in the efficiency of solar cells, Berman discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1973, the Exxon-funded Solar Power Corp.<\/a> began manufacturing and shipping its first product: five silicon wafers on a circuit board encased in silicone rubber. These solar panels provided power in the U.S. and abroad \u2014 in places as far-flung as Australia and Mali \u2014 to oil platforms, mountaintop telecommunications stations, recreational boats and rural villages where solar energy was used to pump water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think Elliot\u2019s most brilliant thing was to delineate all the markets that existed for solar at even the relatively high price that it was,\u201d says John Perlin, author of Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year Story of Solar Energy. <\/em>\u201cThe real breakthrough of Elliot \u2014 with the help of Exxon \u2014 was planting the flag of photovoltaics throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu provides the (neo-Malthusian<\/a>) context:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the energy crisis of the 1970s was unfolding. The 1973-1974 oil embargo<\/a> sparked fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter warned the nation: \u201cThe oil and natural gas we rely on for 75% of our energy are simply running out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What wasn\u2019t running out was sunlight. Using solar power to fulfill the world\u2019s energy needs seemed like an ever more promising option. Exxon ran a print and television ad campaign with the slogan \u201cEnergy for a strong America,\u201d showcasing various ways the company was working to secure energy for the country \u2014 with solar featured alongside coal and nuclear power.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, <\/strong>Exxon had competition on the solar front. Looking to diversify its holdings in a time of uncertainty, Los Angeles-based oil company Atlantic Richfield acquired a solar company of its own, renaming it ARCO Solar. Berman would later join the company as chief scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arco Joins In<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

While Exxon had brought down the cost of solar cells and had opened up markets worldwide, ARCO Solar invested in making the technology better, boosting the efficiency of solar panels, honing manufacturing tools and techniques and creating a product that was more durable. \u201cThat fundamental investment in materials, and understanding how these things behave\u201d were crucial, says Terry Jester, an engineer who joined ARCO Solar as a college senior. \u201cNow people don\u2019t even talk about the reliability of solar panels,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re so reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Despite the tangible gains, the oil industry\u2019s solar investments were \u201chighly suspect in a lot of people\u2019s minds,\u201d says Chris Eberspacher, who was ARCO Solar\u2019s director of research and development in the 1980s. Numerous oil spills occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and off California\u2019s coast in the 1960s, \u201970s and \u201980s. \u201cThere was clear evidence of environmental spoliation, so I think oil companies were seen with great skepticism,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hsu notes the 1970s demise of mass solar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Many presumed that oil companies were getting into solar so they could sabotage the industry from the inside. Eberspacher, who describes himself as a product of the 1970s environmental movement, saw something different.\u201d Our clear marching orders were to change the world,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARCO Solar quickly became the world\u2019s largest solar manufacturer. And yet the company still wasn\u2019t turning a profit. Atlantic Richfield Chairman Robert Anderson\u2019s defense of the spending became company lore, says Eberspacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe would say something to the effect of \u2018You may like the activity or you may not, but all the money we\u2019ve spent on solar so far is roughly equivalent to one dry hole. And we don\u2019t intend to give up. We intend to drill this hole all the way to the bottom.\u2019 \u201d In the end, the oil companies did give up\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exxon closed down Solar Power Corp. around 1984, after Shrier wrote a report finding that it would be at least a decade before the solar business would be self-supporting. ARCO Solar powered through the 1980s, thanks in part to continued support from its chairman, but at the end of the decade, it was sold to the Germany company Siemens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A Verdict?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m no fan of oil companies, but I have to be fair when I think about who did what when,\u201d Eberspacher says of the oil industry\u2019s early involvement with solar. \u201cWhether they did that for strictly economic reasons, whether they did that for some mix of economic and public relations reasons, it doesn\u2019t matter. They were there. They made a difference. And that difference enabled an industry which is now changing the world.\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A final comment is in order. Seen from today, some six years later, Big Oil\u2019s venture into solar was a mistaken notion that oil and gas were finite, depletable resources past the point of maximum production. But once price and allocation controls were relaxed and then removed in the in the early-to-mid 1980s, oil and gas went into surplus where they have remained, with few exceptions, since. New-generation extraction technologies (resourceship<\/a><\/em>) have made these energy minerals expanding<\/em> resources, not depleting ones. Thus,the need for solar as grid electricity has diminished, except for the artificial prop of special government subsidies, a story well known in today\u2019s energy debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solar is hardly an infant industry, as documented\u00a0here\u00a0and\u00a0here. And \u2018Big Oil\u2019 tried to make it economic a half century ago\u2013and failed. A six-year-old article, \u201cHow Big Oil Of The Past Helped Launch The Solar Industry Of Today, by Andrea Hsu tells the story, one that is pertinent today given the bust of the industry (see tomorrow\u2019s post). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":396430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691837400,691837401,691818056,691820002,691828999,691818181,691819121],"class_list":{"0":"post-396426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-andrea-hsu","9":"tag-arco-solar","10":"tag-climate-change","11":"tag-exxon-mobil","12":"tag-investment-tax-credit-itc","13":"tag-renewable-energy","14":"tag-wind-and-solar-power","16":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQNbuRZTEwdysOh1QlZf7GchGHb2WROgxJldYt9tf0jqpAP2QFOnRQ1pcsDAvrBX0iJOFJBHun_Z2xe1M8raJb1X9eaCYdA05NiDeoc342-9Q8uyxP5qDn5v503R7AkmqfDy6ZiA-jdHqt1eq5YKY65H5j7Y-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1F7Y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":386589,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=386589","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":0},"title":"The First Solar Power Plant: 1916","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/07\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWe have proved the commercial profit of sun power in the tropics and have more particularly proved that after our stores of oil and coal are exhausted the human race can receive unlimited power from the rays of the sun.\u201d \u2013 \u200aFrank Shuman, quoted in \u201cAmerican Inventor Uses Egypt\u2019s Sun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"discovery of cheap oil\"","block_context":{"text":"discovery of cheap oil","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=discovery-of-cheap-oil"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQNHKOeyeCJKBBhxtNp7ZYYXeAgTktpsPzIqsH4H-wcRBuEZ6oGGtpt9-5Ic1hhTeI8emmEgpeX1JHvzjf9Nn69otZlaqjTs_7OsFUrp0ohcA6U-EC9LiKcyJg5qLtMzOksv30wHPZwAYb11-QdSJTFshS7Oww-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQNHKOeyeCJKBBhxtNp7ZYYXeAgTktpsPzIqsH4H-wcRBuEZ6oGGtpt9-5Ic1hhTeI8emmEgpeX1JHvzjf9Nn69otZlaqjTs_7OsFUrp0ohcA6U-EC9LiKcyJg5qLtMzOksv30wHPZwAYb11-QdSJTFshS7Oww-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQNHKOeyeCJKBBhxtNp7ZYYXeAgTktpsPzIqsH4H-wcRBuEZ6oGGtpt9-5Ic1hhTeI8emmEgpeX1JHvzjf9Nn69otZlaqjTs_7OsFUrp0ohcA6U-EC9LiKcyJg5qLtMzOksv30wHPZwAYb11-QdSJTFshS7Oww-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQNHKOeyeCJKBBhxtNp7ZYYXeAgTktpsPzIqsH4H-wcRBuEZ6oGGtpt9-5Ic1hhTeI8emmEgpeX1JHvzjf9Nn69otZlaqjTs_7OsFUrp0ohcA6U-EC9LiKcyJg5qLtMzOksv30wHPZwAYb11-QdSJTFshS7Oww-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQNHKOeyeCJKBBhxtNp7ZYYXeAgTktpsPzIqsH4H-wcRBuEZ6oGGtpt9-5Ic1hhTeI8emmEgpeX1JHvzjf9Nn69otZlaqjTs_7OsFUrp0ohcA6U-EC9LiKcyJg5qLtMzOksv30wHPZwAYb11-QdSJTFshS7Oww-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":396714,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396714","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":1},"title":"Solar Bankruptcies: The New Normal","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/08\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNever again; let the free market choose winners and let government not pick losers.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009\"","block_context":{"text":"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act-of-2009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":331593,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=331593","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":2},"title":"Permanent Tax Subsidy? Solar\u2019s 15 extensions","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/06\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"From 1978 to the present (46 years), 15 extensions belie the industry\u2019s age-old claims of almost being competitive. Remember the New York Times\u2019 declaration in 1994 (per Enron) that solar was \u201ccompetitive\u201d with fossil fuels? Remember Solyndra? Joe Romm in 2011: \u201cIt is clear that solar and wind are competitive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Investment Tax Credit (ITC)\"","block_context":{"text":"Investment Tax Credit (ITC)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=investment-tax-credit-itc"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/020200721_155348_0000-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/020200721_155348_0000-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/020200721_155348_0000-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/020200721_155348_0000-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/020200721_155348_0000-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":253638,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=253638","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":3},"title":"Solar Optimism and Coal Alarmism a Century Ago","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"19\/04\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Energy history brings perspective and caution to the real-world prospects of dilute, intermittent energies becoming 21st century mainstays. The wisdom of history also checks the notion that solar (and wind) are infant industries in need of \u2018temporary\u2019 government subsidies.","rel":"","context":"In \"CO2\"","block_context":{"text":"CO2","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=co2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Solar-energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Solar-energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Solar-energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Solar-energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Solar-energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":407292,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=407292","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":4},"title":"Utility-scale Solar: The Grim News Begins (Blue Ridge \u201cwind-down\u2019)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/10\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cSolar construction firm Blue Ridge Power issues mass worker layoff in North Carolina,\u201d read the article in pv magazine. \u201cThe utility-scale solar engineering, procurement and construction firm filed a WARN act with the state, cutting over 500 jobs.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"Blue Ridge Power\"","block_context":{"text":"Blue Ridge Power","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=blue-ridge-power"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNNJbgkALrVzctMoejK3N-tVWQAhFZBjWVoZ9rxaH9XS70Z7h2z1RxAsoUTB51c_sQV8Sr_oWJ3A-r_60J-YqmXpySY-TNPzQpb2S0A6koYDW1ZM9dibYXp6tRX4YBGDNUivOeo-hXKAsLBTgsVFb4kz2crIQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNNJbgkALrVzctMoejK3N-tVWQAhFZBjWVoZ9rxaH9XS70Z7h2z1RxAsoUTB51c_sQV8Sr_oWJ3A-r_60J-YqmXpySY-TNPzQpb2S0A6koYDW1ZM9dibYXp6tRX4YBGDNUivOeo-hXKAsLBTgsVFb4kz2crIQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNNJbgkALrVzctMoejK3N-tVWQAhFZBjWVoZ9rxaH9XS70Z7h2z1RxAsoUTB51c_sQV8Sr_oWJ3A-r_60J-YqmXpySY-TNPzQpb2S0A6koYDW1ZM9dibYXp6tRX4YBGDNUivOeo-hXKAsLBTgsVFb4kz2crIQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNNJbgkALrVzctMoejK3N-tVWQAhFZBjWVoZ9rxaH9XS70Z7h2z1RxAsoUTB51c_sQV8Sr_oWJ3A-r_60J-YqmXpySY-TNPzQpb2S0A6koYDW1ZM9dibYXp6tRX4YBGDNUivOeo-hXKAsLBTgsVFb4kz2crIQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQNNJbgkALrVzctMoejK3N-tVWQAhFZBjWVoZ9rxaH9XS70Z7h2z1RxAsoUTB51c_sQV8Sr_oWJ3A-r_60J-YqmXpySY-TNPzQpb2S0A6koYDW1ZM9dibYXp6tRX4YBGDNUivOeo-hXKAsLBTgsVFb4kz2crIQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":385387,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=385387","url_meta":{"origin":396426,"position":5},"title":"Energy Investment Out of Balance\u2026 And It Could Cost Us All","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The International Energy Agency (IEA) just published its 2025 World Energy Investment (WEI) report. It marks the 10th anniversary of this major annual review. And after spending time reading the full 255-page document, it\u2019s clear to me that global energy investment trends are raising serious questions about future energy security,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"2025 World Energy Investment (WEI) report\"","block_context":{"text":"2025 World Energy Investment (WEI) report","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=2025-world-energy-investment-wei-report"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-2023-08-23T133243.948.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-2023-08-23T133243.948.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-2023-08-23T133243.948.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-2023-08-23T133243.948.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=396426"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":396432,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396426\/revisions\/396432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/396430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=396426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=396426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=396426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}