A Green Power Grid is Unrealistic

October 20, 2023

This week, the International Energy Agency reported it would take millions of miles of transmission lines to achieve the eco-lefts net zero emissions goal. It would take 49.7 million miles of transmission lines, which is enough to wrap around Earth 2,000 times. It also would be costly, costing over $600 billion. 

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes,  

“Grid investment, the IEA report argues, is needed to carry additional renewable energy ‘“as the world deploys more electric vehicles, installs more electric heating and cooling systems, and scales up hydrogen production using electrolysis.”’ By its estimate, the world needs to spend $600 billion annually on grid upgrades by 2030.”

It is important to note that the material needed to create this unrealistic infrastructure would likely come from China.

“Where are the materials going to come from? The report doesn’t say, but the most likely answer is China, which dominates global copper, steel and aluminum production, owing to its lax environmental regulation and low labor costs. Over the past 20 years, primary aluminum production has increased ninefold in China while declining 68% in the U.S. Metals manufacturing takes massive amounts of power, and coal accounts for 60% of China’s electric generation. In other words, the IEA’s path to a net-zero grid would involve emitting a lot more CO2, even assuming it wasn’t a political nonstarter, which it is.”

This report shows yet again how unrealistic the eco-left’s climate goals are. Not only is renewable energy unreliable, but it puts our national security at risk of having to rely on China to provide the metals and materials needed. We explored how the environmental agenda enriches China in our report Where Green Meets Red: How the Environmental Agenda is Making America Dependent on China.