U.S. House of Representatives hearing on tax policy impacts on the commercial application of renewable energy technology

These realities suggest that the purported social benefits of policy support for renewables are illusory. Moreover, ongoing supply and price developments in the market  for natural gas are likely to weaken further the competitive position of renewable power generation.

Join us as AEI visiting scholar Benjamin Zycher and University of Wyoming professor Timothy Considine discuss the results of their recent research into renewable energy, with counterpoints from Kate Gordon of the Center for American Progress and Jimmy Glotfelty,  co-founder and executive vice president of external affairs at Clean Line Energy.

In light of the academic challenge to the notion of competitiveness, AEI has gathered experts to research the value of the concept of competitiveness in different spheres. How do we define competitiveness, and is it worth pursuing as a policy goal? In what way do countries compete in various areas, including international trade, financial services and health care? 

Despite widespread political support and large direct and indirect subsidies from both the federal and stategovernments, renewable electricity—wind and solar power, in particular—produces only 3.6 percent of USpower generation. This small market share suggests inherent limitations that can be overcome only at veryhigh cost.

A number of rationales for renewable electricity support usually are offered in support of those public policies; whatever their surface plausibility, they are deeply problematic both conceptually and in terms of the available data.