|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Donald Trump spent much of his first term as president supporting America’s coal industry and fighting against the growth of renewable energy options. In his current campaign to retake the White House, Trump has vowed to end offshore wind power generation “on day one” of his term if he is elected.
In contrast, Joe Biden is made the promotion of “green” energy and the elimination of fossil fuels a hallmark of his administration, to the extent of issuing mandates that offer tax credits and other incentives for the use of fossil fuel alternatives and mandates that more than half of all cars sold in this country be electric by 2032.
Both of them need to knock it off.
This energy spitting match only gets in the way of the natural growth of alternative energy use and imposes unnecessary costs on both energy producers and consumers.
That growth is happening naturally, and will continue no matter what either president tries to force upon the American people.
Texas is a prime example. Wind energy has been growing rapidly; in fact its growth actually has been impeded by the state power grid’s inability to build enough transmission lines to handle all the power that can be generated from all sources.
Natural gas remains the primary source of energy generation at 42% of the total, but wind power is expanding rapidly; it currently provides 24% of the state’s energy, and 21% of the national wind power generation. Texas is the nation’s top generator, and user, of wind power, far outpacing “green” states that also are trying to force the issue.
Why? Our state officials generally stay out of the way and let the free market drive the change.
This enables energy generators to invest in the generating plants they deem most appropriate, and consumers, who largely are free to choose their electric companies, don’t bear unnecessary costs of forced compliance such as higher prices for premature development or fees imposed to discourage continued use of fossil fuels.
Our state’s shift to wind energy could helped even further by the development of offshore wind farms — unless Trump gets in the way.
“We are going to make sure that that ends on day one,” he announced last month. “I’m going to write it in an executive order.”
Trump alleged the turbines “kill the whales,” although he couldn’t explain how. “Nobody even knows what it is,” he said of his theory.
To be sure, construction of the towers will upset the sea floor temporarily. Once built, however, such structures often serve as reefs, creating new habitat for sea life.
Our need for fossil fuels won’t be eliminated completely anytime soon — no matter how hard Biden tries. However, the economy and efficiency of fuel-free power generation such as wind turbines makes it an attractive option.
Most Americans probably care most about the lights coming on when they flip the switch. That is best ensured by a diverse mix of energy sources.
That is best achieved by leaving the decisions to those who know what they’re doing. Trump and Biden should led that happen, and devote their energies to addressing our nation’s more pressing problems.
