AMAC Exclusive – By Ben Solis
In what has become something of an annual tradition throughout the United States and the West, the cold winter months and increased energy demand once again have proven the unrealistic nature and potentially deadly consequences of the left’s prophesied “green energy revolution” and “net zero” agenda.
Following a blast of artic air which swept across the U.S. in early January, much of Europe also saw unusually cold temperatures a few weeks later. In Britain, some areas saw the thermometer dip as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit, well below seasonal averages.
During this cold snap, it was not wind or solar farms, but rather the U.K.’s last remaining coal-fired power plant which saved the day, increasing output to record levels. Still, British authorities were forced to plead with households to lower their thermostats and refrain from using washing machines, refrigerators, and other appliances to avoid the possibility of a blackout.
Nonetheless, the British government plans to close the plant this September – leaving the country with precious little wiggle room for the next deep freeze.
Across the English Channel, Germany has been forced to rely on coal for one-fourth of its electricity generation this winter – despite decades of relentless efforts to close down the country’s coal plants. In an embarrassing display of just how much Germany’s push for renewables has failed, the German cabinet was forced to re-open shuttered coal plants last September amid a drop in Russian oil and gas exports as a result of the Ukraine war.
According to a report for European lawmakers which I reviewed, Germany is expected to produce about 1.9 gigawatts of energy from coal this winter – enough to power nearly 1.5 million homes.
Despite these drastic measures, many Europeans are still living under the constant threat of blackouts – a prospect which could literally be life-threatening with at least one more month of cold winter temperatures still to go.
“Neither solar nor wind can even be ten percent as reliable as coal, oil, or gas,” Professor Adalbert von Appenwiler, a former physics lecturer at Swiss and German universities and energy policy advisor for Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s government in the early 1990s, told me. “If windmills are so brilliant, why would the fathers of our winning Western industry build refineries and mines?” he asked.
Professor von Appenwiller also added that if the Biden administration and congressional Democrats continued their failed policies, which are modeled after those in Europe, Americans would face the same crisis as Europeans now face. “It is only the beginning,” he warned.
Indeed, while the U.S. has avoided any major blackouts so far this winter, Biden’s obsession with renewables is inching the country dangerously close to catastrophe. On January 15, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) requested that households conserve power since wind power generation was low, a clear sign that blackouts are not too far away.
With the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NAERC) predicting that retail electricity sales in the United States may set a new record this year and the Biden administration continuing to push renewables at the expense of fossil fuels, Texas’s problem is already becoming a national one. A recent NAERC report further predicted that energy demand in the next ten years will rise faster than in the past five.
“We are facing an absolute step change in the risk environment surrounding reliability and energy assurance,” said John Moura, Director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis at NAERC. “The future projection does not offer a clear path to securing the reliable electricity supply that is essential for the health, safety and prosperity of our communities.”
Households in both the United States and Europe are also experiencing soaring energy costs as a result of ill-advised green energy policies – a problem only made worse by exorbitant government subsidies.
Dr. Vittorio Di Stefano, a retired engineer, former special advisor to Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, and observer of U.S. energy policies, told me that Biden’s so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” – which was in actuality an enormous subsidy package for the renewable energy industry – “exacerbates the problem” of high prices because “it covers the failures of this expensive and inefficient technology.”
“By subsidizing it, the Biden administration is allowing companies to free-ride and avoid market forces that could improve efficiency,” he said.
Dr. Di Stefano also pointed to the recent example of prominent British energy executives asking for more taxpayer money in the form of energy price increases as evidence that even large subsidies will not suffice. “Lowering costs for consumers is not important to [renewable energy companies], only their ambitions to lower global temperatures,” he said. “It is an impossible goal that, if not stopped, will ruin our economies.”
Seeming to confirm Dr. Di Stefano’s assertion, Joe Kaeser, the chairman of Siemens Energy, the biggest producer of wind turbines in the U.K., recently said outright, “I believe that customers need to accept higher pricing for a while.” He did not specify how long “for a while” meant, similar to how the owner of Britain’s largest refinery did not specify how much “a few pence” would be that the British people will have to pay extra in fuel costs to reach net zero emissions.
Professor von Appenwiler warned me that the left’s green energy ambitions are headed for a “big fiasco.” If that is indeed the case, it will be everyday people, not politicians and energy companies getting rich off taxpayer-funded subsidies, paying the price.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
“Climate change” is not about the earth’s weather as much as it is about money and control. One only need to look at who is pushing this agenda and at the same time censoring opposing opinions.
Excellent article. 90% of NOAA’s temperature monitoring stations are heat biased. Even their computer models are faulty. Their observation stations are to be 100 feet away from concrete, asphalt, and buildings.
Instead they are located by airport runways next to exhaust fans or air conditioning units, surrounded by asphalt parking lots and roads, on Hot rooftops, sidewalks, and buildings that absorb and radiate Heat.
There are 68 NOAA stations at wastewater treatment plants where the temperatures are Higher than surrounding areas. Global temperature Databases are compromised and unreliable. Even NOAA admits the data is biased including 96% of NOAA’s temperature stations FAIL to meet their own standards.
Transient temperature readings, short-term temperature changes give false readings.
To top it off, NOAA is adjusting Historical Temperature Data to match Global Warming LIE narrative by trying to say it was colder in the past by making today’s temperatures look hotter. The 1930’s still hold the record for hottest temperatures despite the lies you are being told today by Dictator Beijing biden, FAKE news, and NOAA.
Remember the lies from FAKE news, the CDC, and Dictator Beijing biden on the China Virus.
Do your homework if you don’t believe me.
Some areas 14 degree F, what we had -41 below zero more fake news. The idea of solar wind and EV cars is a illusion of ignorance, I lived 100% off grid just wind and solar the wind proved useless. solar however one completely needs to change ones life style, no clothes dryer, no garbage disposal, no dishwasher limited if any AC, and yes one needs to add solar panels or at replace them periodically because after 10 years they would lose 30% of their output, Cost verses return is absurd, roof installations are another STUPID idea, if your roof requires replacement everything has to be removed and reinstalled, maintenance is highly more expensive. Then you are buying from the enemy China, Solar and wind and EV cars have a greater negative impact on the environment than fossil fuel. Grid tie in have you even considered the cost has anyone discussed the homeowner liability if something goes wrong with the connection the homeowner is then responsible for any and all damage to the Utility company equipment and initially is required to have in place a 1M dollar liability insurance coverage. The regulations are enormous for installation of both, worse than building codes I will bet all this is never informed to a idiot thinking of solar and wind and EV cars. EV cars the standard electric grid cannot support the amount of EV cars suggested .Oh, do not forget a 110ac outlet is useless to charge a EV so at least a 240 60 amp circuit is required for reasonable use for charging, have you considered that your lectric service panels needs a upgrade for an additional $15,000 plus
If Kaeser won’t specify what he means by a while when talking about higher prices, allow me. When it comes to higher prices in general and energy prices in particular, a while means FOREVER! Also, thanks to the green energy crowd we’ll be facing brownouts and blackouts because wind and solar are unreliable forms of energy. The wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine. So, the problems Europe is experiencing will happen in the US if the green energy crowd gets its way. It’s only a question of when and for how long.
Yep, the people who will suffer the most are NOT the elites NOR the very poor, but those inbetween (you and I) who are the wage earners and retirees on a fixed income. Biden, his ilk and the proporters of this insaneness don’t care though, because it is not about making life better for people, it is about controling them(us). We better wake up and smell the coffee SOON or end up losing family and friends to these rediculous policies. Control of the masses(Germany here we come come) Marxism is here. How long are we going to let it go, how bad are we going to let it get before we stand up and say “QUIT IT, THAT IS ENOUGH!”
So, as the Greenie NAZIs gain political power, look for the peasants’ casualty rate to increase: deaths from hypothermia every winter (watch for thawing corpses in the spring) and heatstroke (sorry, you can’t have air conditioning) every summer.
The next to the last paragraph says it all, “for a while and for a few pence”. Simple words with no further explanation used to make you feel comfortable but could actually turn out to be many years and many dollars (our dollars)later. No factual information given but strictly speculation.
Either Democrats are stupid and truly believe the climate change propaganda or they want the United States to sink to the economic level of the worst third world country. The goal is tyranny with them in charge. Clinton, Obama , Biden have shown contempt for our constitution by giving taxpayer money to organizations of their choice and at the same time have enacted unconstitutional mandates and regulation. Why do they think that making America Great is such a bad idea?
Only a power hungry Marxist would advise using more of a resource that is in deficit while confiscating plentiful resources and conveniences and opening the boarder to futher deplete that that’s left. To drive the country to economic suicide so a world government can take over. All while occupying an office that was confiscated by enemy forces.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. The Dumocrats will never change. They still don’t understand that plants breathe CO2. They fail, or don’t care, that most food comes from farms and ranches. And finally, they clearly hate and want dead people who won’t be slaves.
This is what happens when a government mandates a pipe dream of a Green Energy agenda. The use of solar and wind to replace coal, natural gas and nuclear is never going to happen. What we see now are the effects of the Law of Unintended Consequences. The Climate Change agenda is flawed on so many levels. Real meteorologists and scientist all disagree with the Climate Change crowd. Obama tried to get a “carbon tax” on “fossil fuels”. When did CO2 become a pollutant? Plants and trees rely on CO2 as plant food to produce oxygen, something we all need to exist. Luckily that failed but the Democrats can never let a tax opportunity to get away so here it is again with their unrealistic and unachievable goals of eliminating gas powered vehicles for EVs. How is that working out? GM, Ford and other manufacturers have lost billions of dollars on EVs and dealers are refusing to accept them anymore because they can’t sell them. And now EV owners can’t recharge them properly in the winter months and face greatly reduce miles per charge. I can’t wait for Trump to become President again and shut down this Climate Change religion forever.
Three words about this entire green cannard. FOLLOW THE MONEY.
The Globe needs more Nuclear Power plants. Wind and Solar are not providing the promised returns on investment.
Only ‘green’ in “green energy revolutionists” is the mold around their brain…
There is no MAN made climate change!
What people either don’t believe or have never heard of is that we have been under climate change since the beginning of time. Man thinks he can control or change the climate. Climate is controlled only by the Great I AM, who has been, is and will always be! Almighty Sovereign God has ALL of this in His control, including the left and their ridiculous ideas. And someday when He comes back to earth HE will judge and correct all of this.
Until then it might behoove us to deport the left and their leader to a country who is already following their beliefs. Think what their jobs would be like; less time trying to convince them to follow their ideas. They would have more time to play and think of new ideas to force people to accept. If they don’t like our country…they just need to leave, go where their ideas are already in place and maybe people who would care to live that way.
I am sick and tired of the Left TRYING to force their ideas down my throat and changing this country that my Dad and husband fought for the liberties and freedoms we have so graciously lived under. God bless us as we hold on until He comes.
“Nonetheless, the British government plans to close the plant this September – leaving the country with precious little wiggle room for the next deep freeze.” – UK government sounds like Mr. Bean ‘sawing the branch he`s sitting on’.
Renewable sources should be the backup system to supplement high demand, but is not reliable enough for continuous use. I don’t keep the small wrenches and screwdrivers from furniture kits to have for big jobs, now should we keep renewable energy as the main source of energy.
All the temperature measurements are bogus. Read the article on Epoch times. They are basing a radical change in the lives of Americans on bogus temperature measurements. It’s pure nonsense they will never back away from it too much money involved in it. They sincerely believe that bigger government taxes and more regulation can change the climate of the planet. Ask them all that cold was caused by warming. These people are Beyond butt stupid, but then so are all Democrats
Gas to heat the main house, electric heats my RV oasis. FJB and his green kickbacks.
Reading this article with its forecast of economic crises reminded me of an past article in which was stated the following excerpt. Climate change has never been about saving the planet and humankind but rather about restructuring economies and creating a One World Order.
“A shocking statement was made by a United Nations official Christiana Figueres at a news conference in Brussels. Figueres admitted that the Global Warming conspiracy set by the U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, of which she is the executive secretary, has a goal not of environmental activists to save the world from ecological calamity, but to destroy capitalism. She said very casually:
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution.”
EVs cant work in the cold temp wise
No energy.
No Nuclear
No Liq gas for Heat
How many people have to die from lack of heat ( and we know cold kills more people than heat) before the greenies change their tunes? Or maybe that’s their plan to reduce population.
The whole climate change, global warming or whatever you want to call it. Is nothing more than subsidizing the solar panel and windmill industry. They took it away from the fossil fuel industry because the alternative industry is supporting the dems with campaign money and votes. Everything turns on money. And ole Joe is beholden to so many. No way would Americans vote for a man with dementia and in great decline every day, and accept his green deal. If we are to accept the global warming zealots we have at least some more warmth to weather black outs. You think that is going to help at – 20 degrees to keep us warm? Of course they are working on Texas to have many blackouts. They want Texas to become a blue state. That way the border can stay open and make Texas a Mexican state. Stranger or weirder things have happened under ole Joe. The cost of heating their homes in many European countries has tripled. Especially for those living in century old homes without insulation. Solar panels are almost on every roof which causes spikes in electricity and damages all electronic and electric appliances. They cannot prevent it. And the electric companies will not pay for the damages. The people obey the mandates coming down from the government. Everything electric, solar panels and a heat pump in your house and insulate your home you will be energy cost free. Only to have your appliances damaged which cost upward of 10k to replace. And no guarantee that it won’t happen again. They have no plan how to handle it without gas oil and coal. It is a good plan to take the savings away from the middle class. They are standing in their way of absolute obedience to ole Joe.
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Do you really think your obvious left wing spam is going to change minds. We do not take advice from mindless robots.
Being assertive, standing up for our constitutional rights and attacking the deep state is not being a bully.
I hope the wusses in western Europe appreciate how America stood by their side and completely destroyed their future. Only America could blow up the major source of energy to a continent and still be strong enough to force the morons living in western Europe to bow and scrape and proclaim their gratitude for making them all eternal slaves of America and forever poor.
God bless America
$5.00 for a box of Ritz Crackers and $10.98 for a 24-pack Coke is Bidens. Vote Trump.
Guessing that someone in the past might have had an idea is left wing nonsense.
So there is 0.04% Carbon in the atmosphere at present. They want to capture carbon and tax us on our carbon footprint .I don’t know how much they want to capture but at 0.02% plants die off and no plants no oxygen. Remember to follow the SCIENCE.
It’s not about carbon and climate it’s about $ and control.
Just more lies from the marxist democrat party!
More rip offs of American taxpayers and destruction of OUR COUNTRY!
THROW THE USELESS TRAITORS OUT
The radicals of the left, regardless of the country, need to stop pushing green energy until it is ready for prime time!! Don’t shut down all of our current options until the alternative IS ready!!! The US has already done so much to tone down the things that seemingly affect the climate (and I am skeptical about all of this being our fault in the first place) but until the rest of the world gets on board, what we are doing is helping, yes, but we can’t solve the problem (if there is a problem) if the rest of the world is going to continue their polluting ways!!! Stop taking things away from us!!!
With climate change being such a catastrophic issue, we shouldn’t wait even one more day to implement wind and solar power, we need to do it immediately; beginning tomorrow. And to show their total commitment to such an important issue, it must be mandated that the White House, the Senate, the House, all offices and homes of Government officials,both elected and appointed, must begin their transition tomorrow with an immediate completion date or hefty fines.
Know the definition of insanity, minion? “Saying/doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result.” By your repetitive comments, you are proving your insanity. ????????
You weren’t even born when Clinton was “not” having sex with “that woman” and all the Me Too A-holes attacked his victims just like they did Bidens victim, Tara Reid,
Just follow the Lemming ahead of you!
Don’t ask questions about the cliff.
The folly of this and the stupidity of pushing this agenda will ultimately cost the lives of many people in this country and around the world. Safe and reliable power to provide benefits for all segments of society can be provided and yet protect the environment from pollution. Consider the true environmental costs of wind, solar, and EV, and work toward the continued improvements in use of fossil fuels. How about an honest debate with true experts on these issues for the public to hear and be informed.
Good article. Speaks the truth. But left nout part of it. The part where commen people particapate in Revolution. Face it. A man is just not gonna stand by ,and watch his family freeze. Kyle L.
But Taylor Swift flies on a private jet from Japan to the US for the super bowl and the media gleefully reports that with no condemnation of the impact on climate change. So I supposed we are to believe if you’re rich and famous your impact on climate is negligible? Yeah right.
The arrogance of Biden and the Democrats—don’t wnat to listen to anyone, especially those who have and are experiencing the down-side of renewable energy sources. Let the people suffer (economically and physically) for biden’s stubborness and lack of insight into what is happening.
It defies logic that the media, the “activists” and the politicians try and bring credibility to the harebrained concepts of ‘Green” technology. It is a silly attempt to exert control over the populous–nothing less. A logical approach would have incrementally adjusted the various energy sources to optimize each and to support only those that are obviously sustainable. I know I am wasting my breathe–forgive me please.
Great to see HONEST news about this Marxist Green Agenda. Trump will end this bullsh*t
Jan. 2025! Great comments David Milliken, you are an American Patriot like me calling out the LEFTS fraud and deceit on energy. DRILL BABY DRILL
What’s worse is a “snow day” at middle school which means you have time to troll.
Democrats teach their kids how to “transition”. When’s your out date?
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Rebecca, You have got to find a way shorten these valuable articles. Respectfully, They are simply too long to read unless we have nothing else to do.