AS AN economic geologist, I support solar and
wind power and believe they are in the overwhelming public interest. That might seem surprising coming from a guy who also strongly supports coal and the oil and gas industry, but it should not be.
Thanks to technological advances, the cost of solar and wind for electricity production has dropped dramatically, and it is continuing to fall. This zero-carbon power offers the potential to supply enormous amounts of clean energy from a diverse portfolio of generators.
But as we attempt to ramp up renewable power, the warning signs of crippling reliability problems are everywhere. A sustained effort to greatly expand the nationâs wind and solar generation to meet ambitious clean energy goals could leave the nation woefully short of generating capacity, especially during periods of extreme weather like those being experienced in large parts of the West.
25 May 2021
President Joe Biden is seemingly ditching his “Buy American” promise less than five months into his administration with a plan to import materials for electric vehicles as part of a “strategy designed to placate environmentalists,” according to a report.
According to administration officials who spoke to Reuters, Biden is set to deal a blow to American miners by outsourcing where the United States will source metals needed for electric vehicle production.
Rather than relying on U.S. mines, Biden will reportedly import the needed metals from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and other foreign countries. The move is a win for environmentalists and Democrats who have fought to shut down U.S. mining projects that would provide high-paying union jobs to America’s working and middle class.