News/Commentary

Experts point to Green Deal policies amid major energy crisis as Europeans feel the PAIN

September 1, 2022 | | Print Article

Europe has descended into an energy apocalypse, with electricity prices climbing so high that they’re causing businesses to shutter left and right.

“The European benchmark index measuring future electricity prices increased to a record $993 per megawatt hour (MWh) on Monday, days after prices in France and Germany surged 25%. … By comparison, the average price of electricity in the U.S. hit $129 per MWh in June, federal data showed,” according to Fox Business Network.

But why the vast difference in energy prices? Critics say it’s because of Europe’s decision to trust the intuition of teeny-bopper climate change zealot Greta Thunberg and those like her who for years have been demonizing traditional energy and recommending societies switch to 100 percent “green” energy.

“Over the last several years, EU policymakers have aggressively pushed for the retirement of traditional fossil fuel power plants and a large expansion of green energy alternatives including wind and solar,” Fox Business Network notes.

“The EU announced its so-called European Green Deal last year outlining plans for the continent to massively reduce carbon emissions by investing more in renewables and limiting gas-powered vehicle purchases.”

And now businesses all across Europe are paying a steep price because of their leaders’ decision to follow the recommendations of an arguably spoiled little girl:

The examples go on for days.

Yet despite all this pain being suffered by everyday European citizens, climate change zealots like Thunberg keeping pushing for more investments in renewable energy and fewer likewise in traditional, reliable forms of energy.

Energy expert Michael Shellenberger finds this thinking difficult to understand.

“You have people that are openly demanding to do more of the same things that actually made the crisis possible. That’s what you’re seeing. They’re saying, ‘let’s go do more unreliable energy.’ It’s a sign of a disturbed person that keeps engaging in irrational activities that are obviously self-destructive, and that we’re seeing that behavior at a mass level,” he said to Fox Business Network.

Over in Germany meanwhile, the country has become so reliant on renewable energy that wind energy reportedly accounted for the largest share of produced energy between 2019 and 2021.

“There’s been under-investment in fossil fuels in Europe. There has been all these closures of coal power plants. If you have a system with a lot of solar and wind, you need some backup in the system. Until we find a better technical solution than natural gas, you need something to back it up and that is the role of coal and gas and also nuclear in Europe at the moment,” Fabian Rønningen of the Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy noted to FBN.

Thunberg and those like her are also vehemently against nuclear energy:

Note that all this is transpiring during Ukraine’s war with Russia — a war that the entire West, including most of Europe, has decided to join by proxy.

But in joining Ukraine’s efforts against Russia, which invaded the European nation in February, the West has made an enemy out of one of the world’s top suppliers of traditional energy.

This fact has only added to Europe’s energy woes.

Combined with the results of Europe’s “green” obsession, these factors are slated to produce one of the most expensive winters energy-wise in European history.

“In addition to uncertainty over gas supply from Russia, power market tightness — due to low nuclear, hydro and wind output — and the risk of electricity disruption are putting additional stress to gas prices futures this winter,” Penny Leake, a European gas analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said to Fox Business Network.

And it’s people like this who’ll have to ultimately pay the price:

Concluding his remarks to Fox News, Shellenberger said that America should take heed, because what’s happening in Europe right now is “a warning to the U.S. that we should not go down their path.”

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles