Full reason for rating.Avalability
Solar energy is only available when the sun is shining. Wind power is only available when there is sufficient wind. This means in both cases an additional energy source is required that is always available.
Resistance to reliable, always available energy
The only generally available alternate energy sources are fossil fuel and nuclear energy. Fossil fuel is being phased out because `elite scientists` proclaim that the use of them causes climate change. Nuclear power is being phased out because it is considered dangerous and there is no clean disposal of the spent fuel. Germany is, right now (December 2021) shutting down 3 of their nuclear power plants. Belgium is shutting down 2 plants. This happening in the middle of an energy price crisis. The general population and business will have to bear the cost of these shutdowns. The Nordstream 2 gas pipeline is charged and ready to deliver gas to Western Europe, but this being blocked because of political ideologies. This pipeline would provide additional gas, lowering prices and also provide an alternate route ensuring that damage to the either of the pipelines will not totally shut down supply from Russia to Western Europe.
Infrastructure
Moving to electricity as the only energy source has VERY serious implications. In many areas in 2021 we saw huge areas without electricity for extended periods. The main cause of these outages were that transmission lines are above ground and the lines and pylons were brought down by wind and snow. Repairs take a long time and meanwhile populations and businesses that rely on the power suffer. Gas infrastructure to homes and businesses do not suffer from this problem as the pipes are typically underground. As far as transport is concerned, electric vehicles are stranded during a power outage. Cars powered with fossil fuels can find a petrol station to fill up and continue to be mobile.
Existing infrastructure upgrades
Existing infrastructure will not cope with the demands of life without fossil fuels. Charging points will have to be installed in all homes to allow cars to be charged overnight. The existing cabling will not cope with the increased current demands and will have to be upgraded. Electricity generation, at the moment(2021) can hardly keep up with demand, so as well as building infrastructure to replace fossil fuels, additional generation will be required to satisfy this additional demand.
Low income coutries
Most countries in Africa, and many places around the world, cannot provide electricity to all homes and villages. The problem is two pronged:
1. Lack of genration capacity
and
2. Lack of transmission lines.
These countries do not have the money to supply current demands using gas and coal fired power stations, so have no chance of moving to renewables.
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