Clean energy needs to prove itself before becoming fully embraced
Editor:
The Clean Energy Revolution that is being heavily promoted is neither clean nor is it cheap as those who promote it want us to believe.
Many important issues are being ignored as the push to electrify accelerates. An evolutionary approach is in order. This will allow time to work through some of the serious issues that have developed.
For example, recently in the village of Chaumont, Jefferson County New York, four tractor-trailer size lithium-ion batteries used to store renewable energy caught fire and burned for four days. Residents were advised to shelter in place as toxic gases were being emitted. Letting it burn out was the default firefighting method. This is not acceptable!
Governor Kathy Hochul was wise in quickly appointing a Fire Safety Working Group to investigate this and other fires of a similar nature occurring around the state. All lithium-ion battery installations must be suspended until the Fire Safety Working Group completes its work and declares that lithium-ion batteries are safe, and acceptable methods to extinguish such fires are available.
Lithium-ion batteries are in wide use and have a long history of unexplained fires that are difficult to extinguish. Typical lithium-ion battery applications include standalone installations for grid stabilization, storage to support wind and solar complexes, and powering of e-cars, bikes, scoters and skateboards.
The mining of the critical materials lithium, nickel and cobalt and the associated activity raise serious pollution issues. Further the disposal of tens of thousands of discarded turbine blades, worn-out solar panels and e-car batteries present a huge disposal issue. There are no acceptable recycling methods available for these items, consequently they will continue to litter our landscape.
Conservation, repair, reuse and recycle appear not to be in the Clean Energy Revolution game plan. Perhaps clean energy activities should be suspended until acceptable recycling methods are developed. Let us try to leave a cleaner planet to our children and grandchildren.
With regard to costs, heavy government subsidies – national, state and local – are an integral part of the Clean Energy Revolution. Low interest rates, production tax credits, energy credits, PILOTS and the like, mask its true cost. Without subsidies there would be no wind turbines, no solar installations, no e- cars.
Our children and grandchildren are being left with untold trillions of dollars in debt. These costs are only the “tip of the iceberg” as the government continues to assault the fossil fuel and automobile industries with legislation and directives that eliminate jobs and raise costs. It is an undisputed fact that e-cars are more expensive and dirtier to produce and require less labor than their fossil fueled counterparts.
It is an undisputed fact that despite all the government subsidies the automobile industry is laying off workers and losing billions of dollars in the manufacture and sale of e-cars. The deficit is being made up by fossil fueled car purchases. Consequently, those who purchase fossil-fueled cars are subsidizing the purchase of e-cars.
In summary, let us turn the Clean Energy Revolution into a Clean Energy EVOLUTION. Let us stop operating in a crisis mode, stop deliberately confusing weather and Climate Change. One bad storm indicates nothing about Climate Change.
Let us stop doubling down on bad policy and legislation and stop throwing money around with no accountability. Climate science is not settled and likely may never be. Let us stop pretending that it is.
Climate prediction models do not adequately predict the future. The effect of a major greenhouse gas, water vapor, is not adequately accounted for or well understood. Responsible research shows hurricanes are not increasing in frequency or intensity. Responsible research shows the burned area of Planet Earth have decreased over the past two decades. Let us pause to pay attention to the consequences of previous policy actions.
An excellent place to begin the evolution is to hold the Governor-appointed Fire Safety Working Group accountable to ensure that lithium-ion battery installations are safe and pose no threat to the public. Perhaps lithium-ion battery technology is not ready for prime time!
James C. Hoffman
Town of Somerset
