Great Myth Number One of Energy Independence - Renewables Will Wean Us Off Foreign Oil

Renewable energy advocates say that greater use of wind and solar energy would reduce U. S. dependence on foreign oil, including oil imports from Venezuela, the Middle East and other unfriendly nations. Echoed by political leaders – including President Obama, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Governor Bill Ritter, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory – it is no surprise that this myth is gaining greater public acceptance.
I knew that the myth had come home to rest in Colorado when the Craig Daily Press – in the heart of coal country – published a recent article “Renewable Energy Education Comes to Colorado” – making the same claim.

There’s only one problem – it’s not true! Wind and solar have limited potential for the generation of electricity (at much higher cost, of course, to electricity consumers), but they won’t do a thing to wean us off foreign oil. Why? Because the United States only uses oil to meet a tiny fraction – about 2.5 per cent - of the nation’s electricity needs. In fact, aside from New York (where electricity costs exceed 10 cents per kilowatt hour) Hawaii, and a handful of other states, oil accounted for less than 1% of electricity generation in 31 states; and twenty-six of those were under one-half of one percent! See, Glenn Schleede, Wind Energy Will Not Reduce U. S. Oil Dependence (2004).

Face it folks, oil is used primarily as a transportation fuel, in fact, motor vehicles account for about two-thirds of oil consumption. While it may be possible to use renewable energy to meet a small portion of the electricity used in hybrid vehicles, that will not occur for years to come, and only at substantial cost to taxpayers and electricity consumers. And this doesn’t even begin to contemplate the infrastructure changes that will be required – i.e., converting the fleet to hybrid vehicles and constructing charging stations.

Even with mandates for renewable energy, we will be using oil for years to come.

We have much lower cost and abundant sources of electricity – like coal and uranium – capable of meeting our transportation needs, if the government would ever get off the dime and support them. The point is – politicians claim to be displacing the ancient evil – foreign oil – when their real intent is to end coal use. Ending coal use, however, would cause severe economic dislocation and undermine our nation’s energy security for the long run.

And by the way, where are you going to get the minerals – the limestone in the pads, the metals in the wind turbines and towers, the silver in concentrated solar power – unless they are mined here in the United States? The fact is that the U. S. is increasingly reliant on minerals imported from foreign nations, like silver. Thus, wind and solar could create a new import dependency – on the very minerals used to construct them.

Energy policy is too important to be played as a zero sum game; it’s time to tell our elected leaders that we need all sources of electricity; quit favoring one over the other.