T. Boone is Getting on the Gravy Train

Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter

As with many other states Texas also has Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) as well as Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). These require electric utilities to have a fraction of its electricity (often 20%) be produced from “renewable” sources. This virtually assures under penalty of state law that T. Boone will have customers to buy substantial fractions of the energy he produces. Wouldn’t it be nice if all small businessmen had customers who, under the full force of state law, were required by law to purchase your goods and services. And they call it “free markets”. Windmill owners have such forced customers locked in by state law.

Another subsidy involves the remoteness of many wind farms and the subsequent need for additional transmission lines. Texas political leaders have mandated that additional transmission capacity will be built and that the costs be borne by electric customers in their monthly bills. This requirement amounts to another huge subsidy for the wind farm owners.

Texas has a wind mill arrangement similar to many other states that makes it hugely profitable for the owners, plus very costly to the customers, for an energy system which is notoriously and inherently unreliable. Because wind turbines are so unreliable, they cannot substitute for the reliable generating capacity required to meet growing electrical demand or to replace old generating units.

A nation which has an economy dependent upon the whims of low grade energy has an economy headed for collapse. Why would anyone want that?

Schleede properly concludes that the long list of huge subsidies of huge sums going to the wind mill owners who are only producing small amounts of unreliable energy, are very good reasons for eliminating the subsidies.