I just received an email from the CO2 Coalition with a very revealing plot of the cost of electricity in many European countries versus the wind and solar capacity per capita for that country. This plot is courtesy of Ken Gregory, the director of Friends of Science and a member of the CO2 Coalition. I have had endless debates in the past trying to explain to intelligent people why the spot market cost for electricity generated by wind and solar is vastly lower than the real cost of electricity when these means of generation are added to the electric grid. The costs of back-up dependable electricity generators, the additional transmission line costs, and the cost of additional control devices on the grid are simply beyond the comprehension of many "green" energy advocates. The plot below makes it very clear that there are such effects that very much raise the cost of wind and solar electricity generation above the claim that it is nearly free!
This plot shows a very strong correlation of electricity cost to the extent of solar and wind generation on the electric grids of the countries of Europe. This high degree of correlation certainly requires an effort to find an explanation that is not based on the reasons I offered above, if you are an advocate of "green" energy. Understanding the basis for our energy costs is fundamental to a rational establishment of national energy policy. That policy has a strong effect on the cost of living, the health of an economy, and the personal pursuit of happiness.
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