The Texas Public Policy Foundation has an excellent article on “green” energy initiatives in Texas. Such initiatives have been pursued in Austin, Georgetown, and San Antonio, all of which have a municipal electricity provider. The article notes that these initiatives are a triple whammy to consumers.
First, consumers are forced to purchase their electricity from the quasi-government power company. Unlike cities served by private utility companies, those in cities with a municipal provider have no choice.
Second, “green” energy initiatives are subsidized by taxpayers. As an example, Austin spent $838 million on a biomass production plant. The plant was closed after operating for just a few months, yet taxpayers got stuck with the bill.
Third, “green” energy is unreliable. The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. Communities that rely on wind and solar are simply not going to have the electricity that businesses and homes need.
If consumers truly want to support “green” energy, they should be free to do so. But to force it upon them is immoral.
While touted as “progressive,” these initiatives are actually regressive. They are turning back the clock from the reliable and inexpensive power supplied by fossil fuels to the unreliable and expensive power used by our ancestors. And the reason is, the advocates of “green” energy are more interested in protecting nature than promoting human welfare.