a:3:{s:16:"field_story_body";a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:5:"value";s:2155:"The Following are excepts from an article from the CATO INSTITUTE that originally appeared at forbes.com, by by Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren, on March 29, 2011. For the full article click on the following story link:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12922"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><em><strong>The Green Energy Economy Reconsidered</strong></em></span></span></a><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: small;"> &nbsp;&quot;Green&quot; energy such as wind, solar and biomass presently constitute only 3.6% of fuel used to generate electricity in the U.S. <br />
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<i>The cost of converting to the new green energy is estimated to be in the trillions.<br />
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<i>Let's assume, however, that we could afford that. <br />
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<i>First, green energy is diffuse, and it takes a tremendous amount of land and material to harness even a little bit of energy.<br />
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<i>Second, it is extremely costly. Onshore wind (the least expensive of these green energies) will be 80% more expensive than combined cycle, gas-fired electricity. <br />
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<i>Third, it is unreliable. The wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine when the energy is needed. <br />
Fourth, it is scarce. While wind and sunlight are obviously not scarce, the real estate where those energies are reliably continuous and in economic proximity to ratepayers is scarce.<br />
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<i>Finally, once the electricity is produced by the sun or wind, it cannot be stored because battery technology is not currently up to the task. Hence, we must immediately &quot;use it or lose it.&quot;<br />
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<i>If green energy is so inevitable and such a great investment, why do we need to subsidize it? If and when renewable energy makes economic sense, profit-hungry investors will build all that we need for us without government needing to lift a finger. But if it doesn't make economic sense, all of the subsidies in the world won't change that fact.&quot;<br />
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