As Concise As One Can Say It -- Renewable Energy In The US -- February 3, 2021

From a reader who in the "energy" business. This is about as concise as one can say it:

US production of windmills is 3000 /yr. 

The US needs  the energy equivalent of 8 trillion KW/day if electric is to replace fossil fuel. 

(Diesel is 38KW/gallon.)  

At 2.2mw per windmill we need over 3.5 million or 1 per sq. mile. They last 20 years. 

At the rate of 3000/yr it’s not going to happen. 

The distribution of that amount of energy has not been addressed as far as cost or actual construction. 

Renewable is a dream. Electric replacement of the internal combustion engine is also a fallacy.  I am amazed by the auto industry investing in the electric car as a total replacement. I have no idea why they would all want to try to convert to electric.  It is a small part of transportation at best. 

My not-ready-for-prime-time reply (I would write more but I'm backing banana bread with Sophia and helping her with her remote learning on Webex / Seesaw):

Thank you, very much. I agree completely. I think the "stuff" will hit the fan in about five years when "they" realize this was a huge mistake. The folks that stay the course (China, coal, natural gas, nuclear?) and the Mideast (oil and natural gas) could come out looking very, very well.

When I first started the blog over a decade ago, XOM provided an incredibly good paper that said there was simply not enough land or water for all the wind/solar farms that would be needed.

I agree with you: I have no idea what the automobile companies are thinking. I will continue to track all this stuff; it may seem I'm bullish on this whole thing; I'm not. I just think it's fascinating to watch.