Greening of Energy

For John, BLUF:  Every solution has the seeds of a new problem.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From National Review we have an article by Mr Bob Zubrin: "Germany’s Green-Power Program Crushes the Poor".  Here is the money quote that The InstaPundit picked:

According to EU data, Germany’s average residential electricity rate is 29.8 cents per kilowatt hour.  This is approximately double the 14.2 cents and 15.9 cents per kWh paid by residents of Germany’s neighbors Poland and France, respectively, and almost two and a half times the U.S. average of 12 cents per kWh.  Germany’s industrial electricity rate of 16 cents per kWh is also much higher than France’s 9.6 cents or Poland’s 8.3 cents.  The average German per capita electricity consumption is 0.8 kilowatts.  At a composite rate of 24 cents per kWh, this works out to a yearly bill of $1,700 per person, experienced either directly in utility bills or indirectly through increased costs of goods and services.  The median household income in Germany is $33,000, so if we assume an average of two people per household, the electricity cost would amount to more than 10 percent of available income. And that is for the median-income household.  The amount of electricity that people need does not scale in proportion to their paychecks.  For the rich, $1,700 per year in electric bills might be a pittance, or at most a nuisance.  But for the poor who are just scraping by, such a burden is simply brutal.

Or, as InstaPundit says:

"Green” programs are merely another way for the rich and near-rich to wage war on the poor and the middle class.

That may be a bit of an overstatement.  On the other hand, it would be interesting to see a social audit of efforts toward "green" energy.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff