Solar, wind have big drawbacks

It is time for the solar and wind power industry and its supporters to start accepting the cold, hard facts of the downsides of their products.

Solar and wind supply electricity generation when the resource (e.g. sun or wind) is available, but they do not supply capacity that can be relied on to provide electricity. Even when solar/wind produce power, it must be used as it is produced, since you cannot store more than very small amounts of electricity in any current battery technology.

The more that solar and wind are used, the more the electrical system requires investments in fossil fuels/nuclear power generation to back up its increased use. Government policies that promote the use of solar/wind are equivalent to requiring consumers to buy and care for two vehicles: one that works when you need it and another that works when it feels like it. The hidden costs of solar and wind double their cost which themselves cost double to three times the cost of fossil fuel/nuclear power in the first place.

Solar and wind technology has a long way to go to become dependable and affordable power sources for us all.

Kenneth W. Weigel

Edmonds