New Energy’s Pandemic Benefit
Coronavirus accelerates global shift to cheaper, more sustainable renewable energy
Dennis Wamsted, July 2, 2020 (The Hill)
“…Coal suffered a historic drop in usage last year. Buyers paid producers as much as $37 per barrel of crude oil in April…The fossil fuel economy, which motored happily through one century, is quickly running out of steam. Gas, once considered a viable option to bridge the transition from “dirty” fossil fuels — such as coal and oil — to renewable energy, is now more likely to serve as the end of the fossil fuel era…[L]iquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have hit a 10-year low…
[T]he coronavirus pandemic, which is expected to shave roughly $8 trillion from the U.S. economy over the next decade, has thrown the troubles of the energy industry into high relief…[With record low prices still falling, through] the middle of June, U.S. wind turbines, solar panels and dams had produced more electricity than coal on 90 separate days, demolishing the previous year’s record…Arizona, Colorado and Florida announced plans to close coal-fired plants and replace them with renewable sources, without using any gas-fired plants as a “bridge” fuel…
…[I]t is unlikely that energy demand will return to pre-pandemic levels for years. Slumping demand means low prices for fossil fuels…Even without federal assistance, investors are likely to continue pouring money into renewable projects around the globe, which are now widely seen as low-risk investments promising stable returns — in sharp contrast to the volatility and uncertainty that plagues the oil and gas sector. Additionally, many investors, increasingly worried about the risk of climate change, are looking to shift their funds into sustainable projects and industries…[The bottom line is that a transition to a renewable-powered world is likely to be accelerated by the bottom line…” click here for more
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