One of the most laughable assertions of today’s debased era is the claim that wind and solar energy are “cheap.” Hey, wind and sunshine are free, right? So, sure, if you don’t count any of the costs, wind and solar are really cheap. So why are electricity costs rising rapidly?

Actually, it could be worse. If solar and wind were not heavily subsidized, and the full cost of those mostly-futile energy sources were being charged to the ratepayer, electricity prices would be through the roof. This chart by Willis Eschenbach at Watts Up With That?, from the Energy Information Administration, makes the point graphically:

Eschenbach adds this:

Note that the subsidy for solar is about 50% higher than the electricity purchase price paid by most US utilities … so the solar scammers make money no matter what.

Remember when the federal government used to pay farmers not to farm? It occurs to me that we would be better off if the government paid solar and wind energy companies, as well as utilities, not to build or install wind turbines or solar panels. Just give them the subsidies and let them walk away. It would save us a lot of money in the end.