Climate of Our Future

Climate Crisis Coalition 

By Charles Komanoff, Carbon Tax Center, November 29, 2007. “Google Inc. has a new project, Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal (Press Release, 11/27/07). Google is preparing to bet megabucks, mega-engineers and its cutting-edge reputation on its ability to propel solar thermal power, wind turbines and other renewable electricity up the innovation curve and under the cost of coal-fired power… To which we at the Carbon Tax Center say: Good luck, and don’t forget to hire the lobbyists. You’re going to need them to help win a carbon tax, ’cause without the tax, your goal of renewable energy cheaper than coal is likely to remain out of reach… Coal-fired power isn’t about to get much more expensive by itself. Are renewables going to get much cheaper? Arguably not — at least not enough to win Google’s bet… Wind power has gotten fabulously cheaper over the past two dozen years… But the rate of decline has slowed. Past advances — taller towers to capture higher wind speeds, larger blades to sweep larger areas, gearing to grab every available erg — appear pretty much tapped out. Further declines in wind costs will be incremental, not quantum. And to compete toe-to-toe with coal as baseload power, wind will need a support system of storage and transmission that will only add to its per-kWh cost. Photovoltaics have more cost-cutting ahead but are starting from a much higher cost plane… The bottom line, then, as I see it, is that coal will continue to undercut renewables in cost for the foreseeable future. Unless a price is put on coal’s head.” Keep reading