A ridiculous letter to the editor from local curmudgeon George Sharpley prompted me to pen this response:
George Sharpley thinks that investments in renewable energy have not shown “exceptional gains.” On the contrary, solar PV prices have dropped 97.2% since 1975 and ten states have now reached “grid parity” where renewable energy costs equal that of coal. But why stop there? The same market forces that make our smartphones ubiquitous and affordable are destined to make renewable energy cheaper than other energy sources.
No wonder the Koch brothers are worried. If I were in the dirty energy business I’d be worried, too.
I submitted it to the N&O today. Hope they run it.
Oh, and Sharpley mentions that China’s renewable energy production has dropped to %0.23 from a high of 40% in 1971? While that may or may not be true, China’s entire energy production in 1971 was only 3% of what it is today. It wasn’t until Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit that China’s growth began in earnest.
In case Mr. Sharpley doesn’t remember who Richard Nixon is, I’ll give him a hint: he’s the president who created the Environmental Protection Agency.