Environmentalists, the Biden administration, and some states have been pushing for a drastic energy transition to renewable energies such as wind and solar, saying it’s cheaper and could help address climate change. However, a recent study found that, if all costs are considered, wind and solar are actually more expensive to produce electricity and such a transition would be environmentally nonviable.
The peer-reviewed study (pdf) is published in the June issue of the Journal of Management and Sustainability, by the Canadian Center of Science and Education.
“We introduce and describe the methodology for determining the full cost of electricity (FCOE) or the full cost to society. FCOE explains why wind and solar are not cheaper than conventional fuels and in fact become more expensive the higher their penetration in the energy system,” said the study, which focuses on electricity because energy electrification has been at the center of current energy policy….