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0 pointsdownandout10y ago0 comments

>$83 is close enough to $75 that tweaks to tax policy can now be used to make renewable energy investment over fossil fuel virtually a no brainer decision

The tweaks to tax policy you're referring to have already happened, and they still haven't made wind and solar competitive. Taxes and incentives being included are the only reason that the numbers quoted in this extremely misleading report are even remotely close to each other (although an 11% difference in a multi-trillion dollar industry is hardly insignificant).

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crdoconnor10y ago

>The tweaks to tax policy you're referring to have already happened, and they still haven't made wind and solar competitive

They already did in the UK and Germany as the article points out.

The political weight of utilities and the oil/natgas industry is significantly higher in the US which is probably why the US hasn't followed in Germany/UK's footsteps. Too many Senate re-election campaign funds being paid for by Kochs, etc.

forgetsusername10y ago

>"too many Senate re-election campaign funds being paid for by Kochs, etc."

Or maybe, just maybe, decision makers realize that this stuff doesn't have to be, nor should be, implemented overnight?

Renewable energy innovation is occurring at an incredibly fast rate. The economy is a complex thing. Adoption will happen without distorting markets with overwrought subsisidies and burning money trying to accelerate it further.

crdoconnor10y ago

> Adoption will happen without distorting markets with overwrought subsisidies and burning money trying to accelerate it further.

So you think that instead of introducing counter distortions to protect the environment we should just keep the distortions that are damaging it that we already have?

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brrt10y ago

I admire your optimism :-) but I'm not 100% sure that is true. If there wasn't a political drive behind this, wouldn't it have been easier to burn coal for the next 100 years?

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0 pointsdownandout10y ago0 comments

>$83 is close enough to $75 that tweaks to tax policy can now be used to make renewable energy investment over fossil fuel virtually a no brainer decision

0 comments

crdoconnor10y ago

>The tweaks to tax policy you're referring to have already happened, and they still haven't made wind and solar competitive

They already did in the UK and Germany as the article points out.

forgetsusername10y ago

>"too many Senate re-election campaign funds being paid for by Kochs, etc."

Or maybe, just maybe, decision makers realize that this stuff doesn't have to be, nor should be, implemented overnight?

crdoconnor10y ago

> Adoption will happen without distorting markets with overwrought subsisidies and burning money trying to accelerate it further.

So you think that instead of introducing counter distortions to protect the environment we should just keep the distortions that are damaging it that we already have?

1 more reply

brrt10y ago

I admire your optimism :-) but I'm not 100% sure that is true. If there wasn't a political drive behind this, wouldn't it have been easier to burn coal for the next 100 years?

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse