Somebody Please Tell Kathy Hochul That The Climate Jig Is Up

Somebody Please Tell Kathy Hochul That The Climate Jig Is Up
  • It’s Climate Week here in New York, and you can feel the excitement.

  • The UN General Assembly is in town, and simultaneously something called the “Climate Group” (“Our mission is to drive climate action. Fast.”) is holding some 600 (!) events to promote policies that they somehow believe will “save the planet.”

  • At one of these events yesterday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul showed up to deliver what she probably thought was a significant policy speech. The Governor’s web page describes the speech this way:

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In Germany, The Energy Transition Situation Only Gets Worse

In Germany, The Energy Transition Situation Only Gets Worse
  • Plenty of virtuous places (New York, California, UK, Australia) want to compete for the mantle of “climate leader.” But let’s face it, at least among places with significant population, nobody can top Germany.

  • In Germany, they got started on a massive build-out of wind and solar electricity generation way back in the early 1990s. By year-end 2023, they had total wind and solar nameplate electricity generation capacity of 148 GW, which is about 2.5 times average demand (of about 60 GW) and about 1.5 times peak demand (of about 100 GW). So surely, the days of fossil fuels in Germany must be numbered.

  • Time for another update on Germany’s progress toward energy nirvana.

  • The bottom line is that, like the Red Queen, Germany is running faster and faster to stay in place. In the meantime, it is destroying its economy.

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Debate: Is A Demonstration Project Really Necessary?

Debate:  Is A Demonstration Project Really Necessary?
  • My repeated calls for a Demonstration Project of a zero-emissions electrical grid have led to a spirited debate among knowledgeable commenters.

  • While most back my position, some say that a Demonstration Project is really not necessary and would be a waste of effort.

  • The gist of the argument of those disputing the necessity of a Demonstration Project is that it is so obvious that a zero-emissions grid powered predominantly by wind and solar generation cannot be achieved that the expense and effort of building an actual physical facility cannot be justified.

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The Energy Transition Ain't Happening: "Green" Economy In Retreat

  • As mentioned in my recent post from July 20, there are many data points gradually accumulating as to the lack of progress toward the so-called “green” economy.

  • It has long been clear to people who think about it that the energy transition to “net zero” is a fantasy that will not occur.

  • But the question remains of exactly how the mania will come to an end. Will the net zero fantasies of the climate cultists proceed at full speed until they crash into a wall of physical reality (e.g., blackouts)? Or instead will these fantasies gradually retreat as governments respond to voter pressure over costs and convenience, and as investors pull back as it becomes clear that projects cannot succeed financially?

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Catching Up To Germany, The "Climate Leader"

  • Here in New York, our leaders fancy us to be the “climate leader.” After all, our legislature has enacted the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” of 2019, setting out the most aggressive mandatory emissions-reduction targets of all the U.S. states. Allegedly, 70% of our electricity will come from “renewables” by 2030. Nobody can top us!

  • But can we really catch up to Germany?

  • Germany was in the “climate leadership” game before almost anybody else had even heard of it. It was all the way back in 1990 that Germany adopted its first emissions-reduction target — 25 to 30 percent fewer CO₂ emissions by 2005, compared to 1987 levels. In 2000, while New York was still in its climate diapers, Germany passed its Renewable Energy Act, granting large subsidies for the development of wind farms. In 2010 Germany adopted its “Energiewende” legislation with mandatory emissions-reductions targets of 80-95% by 2050. All along, the country has been on a crash program to build wind turbines and solar panels for well over 30 years.

  • So sorry, New York. Germany is the true “climate leader.”

  • Perhaps we should check in on how it is going over there.

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Getting Ready For The European Elections

Getting Ready For The European Elections
  • The Global Warming Policy Foundation 2024 American speaking tour is now set for next week.

  • Dr. Benny Peiser, Director of the GWPF, and I will be speaking at three events on June 11, 12 and 13 on the topic of “Europe’s Net Zero Rebellion, European elections, and the coming U.S. reckoning.” My piece is the “U.S. reckoning,” while Benny will cover the backlash against Net Zero currently beginning to boil up in Europe.

  • Meanwhile, take note: there is clearly a political earthquake gathering force in Europe against the green energy takeover. Exactly how much force it has gathered so far is something we will learn much more about after June 9.

  • But whether the shift in this election is small or large, either way it will be significant.

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