, Columnist
Be Honest About the Cost of Renewable-Fuel Standards
In setting green-energy targets, watch out for the good guy/bad guy trap.
Power at a price.
Photographer: David McNew/Getty Images
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If you are concerned about climate change, you are likely enthusiastic about renewable fuels, such as solar and wind, and about laws that require their use. For example, the Green New Deal calls for “meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources.”
Unfortunately, new research shows that renewable-fuel mandates are an unusually expensive way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The expense comes in the form of increased electricity prices, which are a particular problem for low-income consumers.