As I have mentioned many times, offshore wind is far more costly than conventional sources of electricity (such as coal, nuclear, and natural gas).
In Rhode Island, National Grid, which is the state’s largest electric utility, has rejected a proposal from a wind developer to purchase offshore wind power.
Why?
According to this article:
“National Grid says the price to purchase renewable energy from New Jersey-based Deepwater Wind is too high, reports the Providence Journal. Deepwater is seeking to sell electricity to National Grid for 25.3 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the 9.2 cents National Grid currently pays for buying power on the open market. Deepwater?s price would increase by 3.5 percent annually.”
This estimate of 25.3 cents per KWh doesn’t even include the costs of underwater transmission lines.
Conventional sources cost close to three times less than the electricity from this proposed offshore wind farm. The costs, of course, are passed on to electricity customers.
Anybody with any common sense would say rejecting offshore wind, especially given the costs, is a no-brainer, right? Well, maybe, but the Rhode Island Governor and state officials are pressuring National Grid to pay for the offshore wind power.
That’s real leadership! Force the citizens of Rhode Island to pay triple for electricity. And, better yet, the electricity is completely unreliable.
When politicians are so influenced by political correctness and environmental extremism that they would force citizens to pay so much more for energy, we are in serious trouble.
How the Governor or any of these state officials can say with a straight face that they care about the economy, jobs, and the poor, is beyond me.
