The EU is already under pretty intense economic pressure. Portugal, Greece and Spain are putting stress on the monetary union and it’s largely due to France and Germany’s anchor status that the construct continues. But green energy is expensive, and is meant to be, as Germans are discovering much to their chagrin with a reported 600,000 households shut off per year due to delinquent payments on skyrocketing bills.
Over 10 years ago Germany enacted the Renewable Energy Feed-In Act (EEG) which requires power companies to pay small producers of renewable energy exorbitant rates for their green power. The power companies in turn simply pass the higher prices on to their customers. Electricity prices rose 10% in 2011 alone!
So far Germany has committed over 100 billion euros to renewable energy, all to be paid for by the consumer. Little wonder that today almost a seventh of Germany’s population is now living in “energy poverty”.
The high costs are hitting the poor and retirees especially hard.
I have always been skeptical of the root motivations of climate change alarmists and this forced and unnatural push for “renewable energy” while vilifying carbon dioxide. Environmental laws were good and required. There were people and corporations truly screwing up the air, water and ground. But today’s laws are a self-destructive perversion, having nothing to do with protecting the environment or our planet and having everything to do with controlling the behavior of those who refuse to conform to green orthodoxy.
Want to buy that RV you’ve always wanted and finally take those cross country trips at your own pace and really see the Country? Sorry about the added axle and curb weight taxes, commercial-class registration fees, storage requirements and fuel costs leading you to realize it is going to be too much out of your savings.
Want to build a beautiful dream home on that hillside with the view of the valley? Sorry about the tripled permit costs due to unverified rumor of spotted lizard habitat leading to the eventual denial of the permit (but thanks for those fees).
Want to buy, refurbish and re-open that old deli on the corner in the neighborhood? Sorry about those food service regulations, the maze of permits, requirements for commercial grade everything, along with multiple levels of inspections, certifications and required trainings at the city, county and state levels, all incurring associated fees and costs, annually, leading you realize you won’t break even for years.
Now imagine something simpler: Want to power your home? Sorry about that…
It’s one way of reducing carbon emissions – just catapult your population back to the Stone Age.