Wednesday, March 18, 2009

More Wind = More Gas and More CO2

I have been saying for months that despite what T. Boone Pickens and Greenpeace would like us to believe, increasing wind generation will INCREASE burning of fossil fuels and raise CO2 emissions. Apparently major European electricity producers agree with me.

"The deployment of high levels of intermittent renewables for electricity generation will require the construction of additional carbon-emitting plant as back-up for when renewables are not available to meet demand," EDF argued. "This is likely to be predominantly gas-fired and will therefore undermine efforts to reduce dependence on non-domestic fuel sources."


Anti-nuclear activists are fighting back, claiming the nuclear industry is trying to “steal” the renewable energy market and undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We should be maximising renewables and harnessing as much of that clean, safe energy as we possibly can – not propping up the French nuclear industry."


Funny…last time I looked EDF was awash with cash from selling their clean, cheap nuclear-generated electricity to the rest of Europe where expensive gas and wind are draining national bank accounts.