{"id":456065,"date":"2026-07-17T04:33:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T11:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=456065"},"modified":"2026-07-17T04:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T11:33:54","slug":"false-optimism-broken-promises-of-wind-and-solar-advocates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=456065","title":{"rendered":"False Optimism, Broken Promises of Wind and Solar Advocates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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

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

\n

\u201c\u2026 I also know this credit won\u2019t go on forever. It was never meant to, and it shouldn\u2019t\u2026. I have expressed support in the past for a responsible, multi-year phase out of the wind tax credit. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), an original author of the 1992 Production Tax Credit (PTC)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Special government favor has propped up solar power since the 1970s<\/a> and wind power since the early 1990s<\/a>. One decade turning into the next, the (not-so) \u201cclean energy\u201d lobby has repeatedly made promises that their technologies are, or soon will be, competitive with electricity generated from natural gas, petroleum, or coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documentation of this failure is well reported here at MasterResource and by the Institute for Energy Research. This particular post reproduces in large part a 2015 piece by the American Energy Alliance (IER), \u201cWind Fail: 20 Quotes for 30 Years of False Hopes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grassley\u2019s Wind Politics: 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, one of the original authors of the wind PTC, made clear that despite his past statements, he wanted yet another extension of the PTC. He stated in a letter<\/a> to Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee (July 7, 2015):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

But, I also know this credit won\u2019t go on forever. It was never meant to, and it shouldn\u2019t. In 2012, the wind industry was the only industry to put forward a phase out plan. I have expressed support in the past for a responsible, multi-year phase out of the wind tax credit. But, I believe any phase out should be done in the context of comprehensive tax reform, where all energy tax provisions are on the table.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Grassley admitted the wind PTC should eventually expire and supported a phase out. It is clear that today Sen. Grassley does not want to see the wind PTC expire on his watch. Of course, this is significantly different than what he said 12 years ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I\u2019d say we\u2019re going to have to do it [keep the PTC] for at least another five years, maybe for 10 years. Sometime we\u2019re going to reach that point where it\u2019s competitive (with other forms of energy). I think the argument for any tax credit is to make the new source of energy economically competitive. (\u201cWind Energy Rides Roller Coaster Year.\u201d Electrical Wholesaling<\/em><\/a>, 4\/1\/03)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And here we are (2015). The American Wind Energy Association (now, American Clean Power Association) claims that wind is not only competitive, but cheaper than other sources. In fact, AWEA claims that \u201cthe current cost of wind energy of under $50\/MWh<\/a>.\u201d To put that in perspective, the Energy Information Administration explains that new combined cycle natural gas plants will produce electricity for $72\/MWh<\/a>. It appears that Sen. Grassley either does not believe the wind lobbyists now or he was not being truthful in 2003 when he spoke about the PTC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Litany of False Claims<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that wind promoters like Sen. Grassley and AWEA have long made claims that wind would soon be cost competitive and that the PTC would not be needed forever. Here are of some of their claims over the years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1983 \u2013 <\/strong>Booz, Allen & Hamilton did a study for the Solar Energy Industries Association, American Wind Energy Association, and Renewable Energy Institute<\/strong>. It stated: \u201cThe private sector can be expected to develop improved solar and wind technologies which will begin to become competitive and self-supporting on a national level by the end of the decade [i.e. by 1990] if assisted by tax credits and augmented by federally sponsored R&D.\u201d(Renewable Energy Industry<\/em>, Joint Hearing before the Subcommittees of the Committee on Energy and Commerce et al., House of Representatives, 98th<\/sup> Cong., 1st<\/sup> sess. 1983)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1984 \u2013 Christopher Flavin of the Worldwatch Institute:<\/strong> \u201cTax credits have been essential to the economic viability of wind farms so far, but will not be needed within a few years.\u201d (Christopher Flavin, \u201cElectricity\u2019s Future: The Shift to Efficiency and Small-Scale Power,\u201d Worldwatch Paper 61<\/em>, Worldwatch Institute, 11\/84)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1985 \u2013 Christopher Flavin of the Worldwatch Institute<\/strong>: \u201cAlthough wind farms still depend on tax credits, they are likely to be economical without this support within a few years.\u201d (Christopher Flavin and Cynthia Pollock, \u201cHarnessing Renewable Energy,\u201d in Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 1985<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1985 \u2013 \u201cWind Energy Cannot Only Become Competitive, But Will In The 1990\u2019s Be One Of The Cheapest Sources Of New Power.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWhile wind power cannot yet deliver electricity at costs competitive with other energy sources \u2013 some experts estimate that it may cost anywhere from 9 to 12 cents a kilowatt-hour, as opposed to the 7-cents-a-kilowatt-hour cost of oil and gas -proponents point to a recent study by the Electric Power Research Institute of Palo Alto, Calif., a research group financed by electric utilities. That study indicated that wind energy cannot only become competitive, but will in the 1990\u2019s be one of the cheapest sources of new power.\u201d (Barry Fisher, \u201cThe Threat To Wind Energy,\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, 10\/26\/85)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1986 \u2013 Christopher Flavin of the Worldwatch Institute<\/strong>: \u201cEarly evidence indicates that wind power will soon take its place as a decentralized power source that is economical in many areas\u2026. Utility-sponsored studies show that the better wind farms can produce power at a cost of about 7\u00a2 per kilowatt-hour, which is competitive with conventional power sources in the United States.\u201d (Christopher Flavin, \u201cElectricity for a Developing World: New Directions,\u201dWorldwatch Paper 70, <\/em>Worldwatch Institute, 6\/86)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1986 \u2013 Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute<\/strong> lamented the untimely scale-back of tax breaks for renewable energy, since the competitive viability of wind and solar technologies was \u201cone to three years away.\u201d (Lovins, K. Wells, \u201cAs a National Goal, Renewable Energy Has An Uncertain Future.\u201d Wall Street Journal<\/em>, 2\/13\/86)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1986 \u2013 A representative of the American Wind Energy Association testified:<\/strong> \u201cThe U.S. wind industry has \u2026 demonstrated reliability and performance levels that make them very competitive. It has come to the point that the California Energy Commission has predicted windpower will be that State\u2019s lowest cost source of energy in the 1990s, beating out even large-scale hydro.\u201d(Statement of Michael L.S. Bergey, American Wind Energy Association in Renewable Energy Industries<\/em>, Hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, 99th<\/sup> Cong., 2nd<\/sup> sess. 1986)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1990 \u2013 In 1990, two energy analysts at the Worldwatch Institute predicted an almost complete displacement<\/em> of fossil fuels in the electric generation market within a couple decades [i.e. 2010]:<\/strong> \u201cWithin a few decades, a geographically diverse country such as the United States might get 30 percent of its electricity from sunshine, 20 percent from hydropower, 20 percent from wind power, 10 percent from biomass, 10 percent from geothermal energy, and 10 percent from natural-gas-fired cogeneration.\u201d (Christopher Flavin and Nicholas Lenssen, Beyond the Petroleum Age: Designing a Solar Economy<\/em>, Worldwatch Institute, 1990)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1991 \u2013 Dale Osborn, Former AWEA President: \u201cThe Wind Industry Could Produce, At Competitive Prices, Up To One-Third Of The Nation\u2019s Electricity Needs Within The Next 30 Years.\u201d <\/strong>\u201c\u2018Here we go again. Nuclear, coal and oil appear to be receiving all the benefits, while clean, proven energy technologies like wind are receiving little serious attention,\u2019 said Dale Osborn, president of the California-based company, U.S. Windpower, and president of the American Wind Energy Association. \u2018Given an equal opportunity to compete fairly, the wind industry could produce, at competitive prices, up to one-third of the nation\u2019s electricity needs within the next 30 years.\u2019\u201d (\u201cBush Administration\u2019s Energy Plan Represents Another Missed Opportunity For America, Says U.S. Windpower,\u201d PR Newswire<\/em><\/a>, 2\/20\/91)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1991 \u2013 \u201cWind Power Will Be Cheaper Than Conventional Power By 2000<\/strong>.\u201d \u201c\u2019Wind power will be cheaper than conventional power by 2000 when strides in engineering will have made windmills even more economically competitive,\u2019 said Paulus Soullie, a windmills engineer at Holland\u2019s Energy Research Centre in Petten. A windmill with a record 1.3Mw output will be built later this year in Holland.\u201d (Peter Spinks, \u201cCharm Of The Farm Goes With The Wind,\u201d The Observer<\/em><\/a>, 1\/13\/91)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1996 \u2013 Christopher Flavin, President of WorldWatch Institute.<\/strong> \u201cFollowing the laws of technological progress and large-scale manufacturing, the cost of wind-generated electricity has fallen by more than two-thirds over the past decade, to the point where it is lower than that of new coal plants in many regions. Within the next decade, it is projected to fall to 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, making wind the least expensive power source that can be developed on a large scale worldwide.\u201d (\u201cPower Shock: The Next Energy Revolution.\u201d WorldWatch<\/em>, January\/February 1996)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1998 \u2013 Ken Lay, former CEO of Enron, to Gov. Bush in 1998.<\/strong> \u201cThe bill, H.R. 1401 (Thomas R-CA), extends for five years the existing wind production tax credit (PTC), which was passed by the Bush Administration in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Wind is the fastest growing new electrical generation technology in the world today and has rapidly decreased its production costs until it is close to being competitive with conventional generation technologies.\u201d (\u201cEnron\u2019s Ken Lay asks for Texas Gov. Bush\u2019s help in securing tax credits for wind.\u201d National Wind Watch<\/a>, 9\/10\/2008)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1999 \u2013<\/strong> A DOE Assistant Secretary Said Wind Power Is Getting Close To Being Competitive With Wholesale Power. <\/strong>\u2018\u201dAlthough wind power is not yet competitive with wholesale power, it\u2019s getting close\u2026 \u2018Of all the renewable technologies, wind power is the closest to market competitiveness today. When you consider the improved technology the opportunity for consumers to choose green power, and the concerns over climate change, it all adds up to a strong potential for wind to really take off over the next 20 years.\u2019\u201d (Taylor Moore, \u201cWind Power: Gaining Momentum,\u201d EPRI Journal<\/em><\/a>, 12\/22\/99)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2001 \u2013 Robert Boyd, Enron Wind Corp. VP: \u201cWith Additional R & D Funding And The Continuation Of The Production Tax Credit For The Next Five Years Wind Should Become Price Competitive With Conventional Generation Technologies.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWind energy is close to becoming competitive with conventional fuels. With additional R & D funding and the continuation of the Production Tax Credit for the next five years wind should become price competitive with conventional generation technologies.\u201d (Robert T. Boyd, Committee On Finance, U.S. Senate<\/a>, Testimony, 7\/19\/01)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2003 \u2013 Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on the PTC. <\/strong>\u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re going to have to do it for at least another five years, maybe for 10 years. Sometime we\u2019re going to reach that point where it\u2019s competitive (with other forms of energy). I think the argument for any tax credit is to make the new source of energy economically competitive.\u201d (\u201cWind Energy Rides Roller Coaster Year.\u201d Electrical Wholesaling<\/em><\/a>, 4\/1\/03)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2004 \u2013 Experts Said in 2004 Wind Was \u201cGetting Close\u201d To Viability And \u201cVery Nearly Competitive.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cNot long ago wind power was the domain of fringe scientists and environmentalists\u2026. But the industry is maturing and growing quickly\u2013and is beginning to find its place as one viable element in the energy puzzle. \u2026 Still, says Bob Thresher of the Department of Energy\u2019s National Renewable Energy Lab, \u2018wind is the first renewable technology that is very nearly competitive in the market for bulk power generation.\u2019 \u2026 [Wind pioneer Jim] Dehlsen says the cost of wind needs to fall below three cents per kilowatt hour\u2013without tax credits\u2013to truly break society\u2019s addiction to fossil fuels. \u201cIt\u2019s still not there, but we\u2019re getting close,\u201d he says.\u201d (Brad Stone, \u201cThe Master of Wind,\u201d Newsweek<\/em><\/a>, 9\/20\/2004)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2004 \u2013 Edward Berkel, Senior VP Shell WindEnergy<\/strong>: \u201cCost Reductions Will Eventually Make Wind Fully Competitive With CCTG Power.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cCost reductions will eventually make wind fully competitive with CCTG power. If PTCs are not replaced other mechanism might be used, i.e. green certificates. Driven by customer needs, overall world pressure to reduce GGEs.\u201d (\u201cWhere\u2019s The Bill?\u201d Project Finance<\/em><\/a>, 3\/2004)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2006 \u2013 A Former FERC Chairman Said The Wind Industry Will Be Eventually Be Able To Survive Without Subsidies.<\/strong> \u201c[Pat Wood, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)] said that the high price of fossil fuels make it a \u2018pretty safe bet\u2019 that the wind energy industry will eventually be able to survive without government subsidies in the form of the wind production tax credit.\u201d (Suzanna Strangmeier, \u201cFormer FERC Chairman Pat Wood Sees Bright Future for Wind Power,\u201d Oil Daily<\/em><\/a>, 5\/2\/06)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2012 \u2013 Denise Bode, Former AWEA CEO on PTC Phase-out. <\/strong>\u201cIn coordination with any phase down of the credit, we would urge Congress to consider additional policy mechanisms to encourage a diverse portfolio that includes renewable energy. With the policy certainty that accompanies a stable extension, the industry believes it can achieve the greater economies of scale and technology improvements that it needs to become cost competitive without the PTC.\u201d (AWEA letter to Congress<\/a>. 12\/12\/12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2012 \u2013 <\/strong>Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: \u201c<\/strong>I think it\u2019s something the wind industry sees: \u201cAs the technology gets better, there\u2019s no need to be subsidizing a competitive industry once it\u2019s competitive.\u201d <\/strong>\u201cSo over a period of time, especially as \u2014 and no dates were discussed \u2014 but over a period of time, a road map of phasing out, you see where the prices are going and you can see\u201d how to eliminate the credit\u2026. Just as eventually VEETC and other things were eventually phased out, I think it\u2019s something the wind industry sees: As the technology gets better, there\u2019s no need to be subsidizing a competitive industry once it\u2019s competitive,\u201d (\u201c<\/strong>Chu opens the door to phaseout of wind incentive.\u201d Governors\u2019 Wind Energy Coalition<\/a>, 3\/15\/12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2014 \u2013 Warren Buffett on how wind isn\u2019t profitable without subsidies.<\/strong> \u201cI will do anything that is basically covered by the law to reduce Berkshire\u2019s tax rate,\u201d Buffet told an audience in Omaha, Nebraska recently. \u201cFor example, on wind energy, we get a tax credit if we build a lot of wind farms. That\u2019s the only reason to build them. They don\u2019t make sense without the tax credit.\u201d (U.S. News & World Report, 5\/12\/14<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015 \u2013 Senator Chuck Grassley on (yet another) PTC extension<\/strong>. \u201cBut, I also know this credit won\u2019t go on forever. It was never meant to, and it shouldn\u2019t. In 2012, the wind industry was the only industry to put forward a phase out plan. I have expressed support in the past for a responsible, multi-year phase out of the wind tax credit. But, I believe any phase out should be done in the context of comprehensive tax reform, where all energy tax provisions are on the table.\u201d (Senator Grassley letter<\/a> to Chairman Hatch, 7\/7\/15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Wind Energy Association surely knew in 2015 that their claims about wind being cost competitive were untrue. Without the PTC, no one would build wind turbines. As Warren Buffet said, \u201cOn wind energy, we get a tax credit if we build a lot of wind farms. That\u2019s the only reason to build them. They don\u2019t make sense without the tax credit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c\u2026 I also know this credit won\u2019t go on forever. It was never meant to, and it shouldn\u2019t\u2026. I have expressed support in the past for a responsible, multi-year phase out of the wind tax credit. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), an original author of the 1992 Production Tax Credit (PTC)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":456067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"\u201c\u2026 I also know this credit won\u2019t go on forever. It was never meant to, and it shouldn\u2019t\u2026. I have expressed support in the past for a responsible, multi-year phase out of the wind tax credit. But\u2026\u201d\n\n\u2013 Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), an original author of the 1992 Production Tax Credit (PTC)","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"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":[691825911,691844115,691844114,691828423,691818728],"class_list":["post-456065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-false-claims","tag-not-cheaper","tag-not-competitive","tag-tax-credit","tag-wind-and-solar","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1UDT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":454938,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=454938","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":0},"title":"Solar Tax Credits: 1978\u20132026 (never enough)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/10\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.\u201d \u2013 Milton and Rose Friedman, Tyranny of the Status Quo (1983), 115.","rel":"","context":"In \"Inflation Reduction Act\"","block_context":{"text":"Inflation Reduction Act","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=inflation-reduction-act"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AQMVrl2UmUKTTe0usD7aCIIbnG15aSzAbLdYkl7W6KG-9VQjBLO8wHwTcNzeSYMrYJiZ5g7k8dVMaoBCCST6AyIT00b_fmcRnRsNBbH7C3YWwMzgQKGOMVI3C_ZTfdtu.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AQMVrl2UmUKTTe0usD7aCIIbnG15aSzAbLdYkl7W6KG-9VQjBLO8wHwTcNzeSYMrYJiZ5g7k8dVMaoBCCST6AyIT00b_fmcRnRsNBbH7C3YWwMzgQKGOMVI3C_ZTfdtu.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AQMVrl2UmUKTTe0usD7aCIIbnG15aSzAbLdYkl7W6KG-9VQjBLO8wHwTcNzeSYMrYJiZ5g7k8dVMaoBCCST6AyIT00b_fmcRnRsNBbH7C3YWwMzgQKGOMVI3C_ZTfdtu.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AQMVrl2UmUKTTe0usD7aCIIbnG15aSzAbLdYkl7W6KG-9VQjBLO8wHwTcNzeSYMrYJiZ5g7k8dVMaoBCCST6AyIT00b_fmcRnRsNBbH7C3YWwMzgQKGOMVI3C_ZTfdtu.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AQMVrl2UmUKTTe0usD7aCIIbnG15aSzAbLdYkl7W6KG-9VQjBLO8wHwTcNzeSYMrYJiZ5g7k8dVMaoBCCST6AyIT00b_fmcRnRsNBbH7C3YWwMzgQKGOMVI3C_ZTfdtu.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":323654,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=323654","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":1},"title":"US Taxpayers Hit With $425 Billion For Wind & Solar Subsidies Over Next\u00a0Decade","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/26\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The only thing scalable about wind and solar is the subsidies gouged from power consumers and\/or taxpayers. 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Accordingly, sunset and\/or calm weather makes the whole thing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"$425 Billion\"","block_context":{"text":"$425 Billion","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=425-billion"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/OIG-82.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/OIG-82.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/OIG-82.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/OIG-82.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":290878,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=290878","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":2},"title":"U.S. power grid at risk for outages this winter, says NERC","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Radical changes are needed throughout the federal government to get U.S. energy policies back to reality.","rel":"","context":"In \"Biden Administration\"","block_context":{"text":"Biden Administration","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=biden-administration"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0AP18067644492119-2.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0AP18067644492119-2.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0AP18067644492119-2.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0AP18067644492119-2.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0AP18067644492119-2.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":458745,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=458745","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":3},"title":"Cheap Renewables? Reuters Recycles the Myth","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/29\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWind and solar developers naturally want the public to equate nameplate megawatts with reliable supply, subsidized bids with total costs, and rapid deployment with technical necessity. They are selling projects. Reuters should be doing something different. The press should test industry claims, not launder them into economic commonsense.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"renewable \u201cgreen\u201d energy\"","block_context":{"text":"renewable \u201cgreen\u201d energy","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=renewable-green-energy"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Cheap-Renewables-Reuters-Recycles-the-Myth.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Cheap-Renewables-Reuters-Recycles-the-Myth.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Cheap-Renewables-Reuters-Recycles-the-Myth.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Cheap-Renewables-Reuters-Recycles-the-Myth.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Cheap-Renewables-Reuters-Recycles-the-Myth.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":426984,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=426984","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":4},"title":"Texas Windpower: Will Negative Pricing Blow Out the Lights? (PTC vs. reliable new capacity)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/19\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), which currently provides a $0.022\/kWh subsidy to qualifying renewables, is set to expire at year-end. Just the prospect of expiration has dramatically slowed new construction of industrial wind capacity, despite a raft of\u00a0other subsidies\u00a0to politically correct energy.","rel":"","context":"In \"electrical market\"","block_context":{"text":"electrical market","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electrical-market"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNe5xoru5ELbcArNVvKGUTyy-xu762Va-OkcxFpq37F4OwQ8Amaq4lT6llBi22iYBn4Uxu487Z4LJGVc0F4dlXCnyhdTUNgTySV-b6gxF4S1fSS665fMOcV054_XDKqLqArT-siPQLYWENmOPkp6WgSHcXvg-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNe5xoru5ELbcArNVvKGUTyy-xu762Va-OkcxFpq37F4OwQ8Amaq4lT6llBi22iYBn4Uxu487Z4LJGVc0F4dlXCnyhdTUNgTySV-b6gxF4S1fSS665fMOcV054_XDKqLqArT-siPQLYWENmOPkp6WgSHcXvg-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNe5xoru5ELbcArNVvKGUTyy-xu762Va-OkcxFpq37F4OwQ8Amaq4lT6llBi22iYBn4Uxu487Z4LJGVc0F4dlXCnyhdTUNgTySV-b6gxF4S1fSS665fMOcV054_XDKqLqArT-siPQLYWENmOPkp6WgSHcXvg-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNe5xoru5ELbcArNVvKGUTyy-xu762Va-OkcxFpq37F4OwQ8Amaq4lT6llBi22iYBn4Uxu487Z4LJGVc0F4dlXCnyhdTUNgTySV-b6gxF4S1fSS665fMOcV054_XDKqLqArT-siPQLYWENmOPkp6WgSHcXvg-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNe5xoru5ELbcArNVvKGUTyy-xu762Va-OkcxFpq37F4OwQ8Amaq4lT6llBi22iYBn4Uxu487Z4LJGVc0F4dlXCnyhdTUNgTySV-b6gxF4S1fSS665fMOcV054_XDKqLqArT-siPQLYWENmOPkp6WgSHcXvg-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":462992,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=462992","url_meta":{"origin":456065,"position":5},"title":"\u201cCheap\u201d Solar Does Not Need Subsidies, Right? (wrong)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/14\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The wind\/solar narrative shifts as the polls do. The latest message is that wind and solar are cost-effective and the natural choice for energy affordability. As the free world turns toward natural gas in the new era, consider the following narrative quotations, aspirational and wrong.","rel":"","context":"In \"electricity costs\"","block_context":{"text":"electricity costs","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electricity-costs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AQNLAbQud8A5X-0JTHaWjkuJjxfV1nSxdAr0ahKCR4MvovX1UhHCexMPT_dg5-y7riImSQU4zf98v9vT0V8bdWFj8KMKttnLI-hnHVU8qsO_6HJy-6nfAf8zppD9ZydL.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AQNLAbQud8A5X-0JTHaWjkuJjxfV1nSxdAr0ahKCR4MvovX1UhHCexMPT_dg5-y7riImSQU4zf98v9vT0V8bdWFj8KMKttnLI-hnHVU8qsO_6HJy-6nfAf8zppD9ZydL.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AQNLAbQud8A5X-0JTHaWjkuJjxfV1nSxdAr0ahKCR4MvovX1UhHCexMPT_dg5-y7riImSQU4zf98v9vT0V8bdWFj8KMKttnLI-hnHVU8qsO_6HJy-6nfAf8zppD9ZydL.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AQNLAbQud8A5X-0JTHaWjkuJjxfV1nSxdAr0ahKCR4MvovX1UhHCexMPT_dg5-y7riImSQU4zf98v9vT0V8bdWFj8KMKttnLI-hnHVU8qsO_6HJy-6nfAf8zppD9ZydL.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AQNLAbQud8A5X-0JTHaWjkuJjxfV1nSxdAr0ahKCR4MvovX1UhHCexMPT_dg5-y7riImSQU4zf98v9vT0V8bdWFj8KMKttnLI-hnHVU8qsO_6HJy-6nfAf8zppD9ZydL.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-False-Optimism-Broken-Promises-of-Wind-and-Solar-Advocates.png?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456065","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=456065"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":456073,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456065\/revisions\/456073"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/456067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=456065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=456065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=456065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}