Mandating markets for wind power
“Mandating Markets for Wind Power
– a Stealth Tax on Electricity Consumers.”
A statement by Viv Forbes, Chairman of the Carbon Sense Coalition.
25 February 2009
The Carbon Sense Coalition today accused the Federal and some state
governments of imposing Stealth Taxes on electricity consumers by forcing power
retailers to buy expensive power from inefficient and costly renewable energy
sources.
The Chairman of the Carbon Sense Coalition, Mr Viv Forbes, said that there were no
climate benefits whatsoever in forcing consumers to buy an increasing proportion of
their electricity from expensive and unreliable suppliers like wind farms.
“This whole pork barrel exercise must be designed to buy green votes because it will
have negligible effect on carbon dioxide emissions, and no one could measure or feel
any effect on world temperature.
“The policy is obviously an insincere fraud. If politicians were sincere in their belief
that there is a critical need to cut CO2 emissions, they would be investigating what
France has done to generate 75% of their power from low cost reliable nuclear
power, or what Norway has done to get 97% of their power from reliable low cost
hydro power. Unlike wind power, these options can generate electricity cheaply with
zero CO2 emissions and without needing wasteful backup from carbon emitting coal
or gas plants.
“But we hear of no proposals to build a nuclear power station in the Latrobe or the
Hunter valley or new hydro schemes in the Snowy, Tasmania or North Queensland.
“Obviously there are no green votes in these efficient zero-emission power options so
we see politicians wasting a never-ending stream of funds from taxpayers and
consumers on expensive unreliable playthings like wind farms and home-hobby solar
panels.
“Are these people for real? Australia currently gets about 94% of its electric power
from carbon fuels, mainly black and brown coal. Billions of dollars in community
savings are tied up in these stations and their associated transmission lines, coal
mines and engineering skills.
“The ALP thinks we can cut carbon emissions by 20% and at the same time cater for
a growing population, all within the next 12 years. Not to be outdone, the liberals
seem to be advocating tougher targets, and Al Gore and his local green disciples
think we can do without coal power altogether.
“When they start fiddling with a basic industry like power generation, misleading
people on the cost, capacity and reliability of wind and solar power, and threatening
the sudden closure of old but reliable coal fired stations, they will suddenly find they
cannot get the blackout genie back in the bottle.
“Wind farms have proved useless in providing sufficient reliable power in critical
times. During the recent long frigid spell in UK, their wind turbines were becalmed
like flotilla of sailing clippers on a glassy ocean – they produced 0.4% (yes, less than
one percent) of total UK power requirements – reliable old coal stations were cranked
up, and heat and light for shivering Britons came from: coal (50%), gas (31%) and
nuclear 16%.
“Again during the heat waves in South Australia and Victoria, the contribution from
wind generators was small and generally in periods of low demand. Things were
even worse in West Texas, where a sudden drop in the winds on the Texas Plains
caused such instability in the power grid that the whole grid was shut down.
“Denmark is finding its wind turbines a liability – they cannot use the unreliable power
and have to sell it at a loss into the European power grid.
“The A$88 million half year loss reported yesterday by BB Wind Power in Australia is
a sign of the future for all shareholders who subscribe funds to these financial black
holes. When subsidies and mandated market shares are removed, as they will be,
wind power will be revealed as a sub-prime investment.
(The Chairman of BBW admitted that BBW relies on political supports for future
profits when he said: “The Australian government's renewable energy targets and
encouragement of renewable energy investment in the US would drive the
company's profits in the short-term”. )
“Already wind towers are being scrapped in Europe but still Australia is forcing
consumers and taxpayers to subsidise these expensive playthings.
“The Carbon Sense Coalition has made a submission to one of the many enquiries
running in Canberra Wonderland. This submission opposes any extensions of the
renewable energy target schemes and recommends that current schemes be
scrapped before they do irreparable harm.
The full submission can be viewed at:
http://www.carbon-sense.com/2009/02/22/stealth-tax/
Take a look, be afraid and buy a diesel generator.
Viv Forbes
Chairman, The Carbon Sense Coalition
info@carbon-sense.com
Viv Forbes is a geologist and mineral economist who has experience in the coal, energy and investment industries.
The Carbon Sense Coalition opposes the dangerous infatuation of politicians with wind power schemes that have not
proven useful, efficient or reliable anywhere in the world. Wind power will provide work for GE and the Danes,
who manufacture wind turbines, and for gas producers who will supply the gas to back up these whirling
monstrosities, but no net benefits for shareholders, consumers or taxpayers. And there are no climate or health
benefits.
This piece is reproduced by permission.
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