Developing countries face significant challenges in achieving their primary goals of poverty alleviation, reducing unemployment, and minimizing inequality.
With about 80% of the global population of 8 billion people living in less developed countries. Much of Africa and South-East Asia are prime examples of this, but also Pacific Ocean Island states. The people in those countries might live on less than $10 per daybut the greater problem is that they have little or no access to reliable electricity, nor to the myriad of products manufactured using fossil fuels and their derivatives. The "green" agendas of the developed world are threatening to never allow them access to it.
It's shocking that "GREEN" policymakers are oblivious that two basic facts are driving the ignorance of the forthcoming energy crisis.
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- No one uses crude oil in its raw form. 'Big Oil' only exists because of humanity's addiction to the products and fuels made from oil.
- 'Renewables' only exist to generate occasional electricity, as they cannot make any products
Fossil fuels, on the other hand, manufactures everything for the 8 billion on this planet, i.e., more than 6,000 products, and transportation fuels.
These developing countries face significant challenges in achieving their primary goals of poverty alleviation, reducing unemployment, and minimizing inequality. Central to meeting these objectives is the need to accelerate and sustain economic growth.
A stable and secure supply of continuous, uninterruptible, and dispatchable electricity is a non-negotiable requirement for sustainable economic growth. The concept of dispatchable electricity refers to the ability to provide a reliable and consistent power supply at a competitive price, precisely when and where it is needed. This critical need raises questions about the suitability of renewable electricity sources, such as wind and solar, for developing countries' long-term energy strategy.
Dispersed generation of electricity by wind and solar power generation facilities are often located far from the areas where electricity demand is highest, necessitating costly expansions of the grid.
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- Waste: Wind and solar installations have shorter operational lives compared to coal and nuclear plants, leading to higher waste disposal challenges, especially given the toxic materials involved.
- Other relative cost issues: Not considered are the numerous by-products derived from coal and other fossil fuels. These are numerous and extremely valuable. The human standard of living has increased dramatically and been maintained since the discovery and use of coal and other fossil fuels and their by-products. These by-products are not available from renewables.
- Changing economies to a net zero electricity target has been estimated by many experts to be between 2 and 3 trillion US dollars per annum. Bjorn Lomburg recently wrote "Globally, we are already spending almost $2 trillion annually to try to force an energy transition".
The experience of others, such as Germany with its "Energiewende" policy, and California with its "Green New Deal" and "Net-Zero" policies serve as cautionary tales. Germany and California's shift away from coal and nuclear towards renewables has led to the highest electricity prices in Europe and the continental United States, adversely affecting their manufacturing sector and compromising their energy sovereignty. Higher electricity prices in Europe, Australia and California are excellent examples of the price increase to economies based primarily on renewables.
Meanwhile many poorer developing countries, including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, and the ASEAN countries, focus on continuing their development and industrialization programs. Whilst they have renewable programs, these countries have their baseload electricity provided primarily through High-Efficiency, Low-Emissions (HELE) coal-fired, gas and nuclear power stations to support their rapid industrialization and economic growth. That is partly why they are the high economic growth economies of the world.
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About the Authors
Ronald Stein is co-author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book Clean Energy Exploitations.
He is a policy advisor on energy literacy for the Heartland Institute,
and the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, and a national TV
commentator on energy & infrastructure with Rick Amato.
Robert Jeffrey is
an economist, business manager and energy expert. He has masters
degrees in economics and holds a PhD in Engineering Management. He was
on the economic round table advising the South African Reserve Bank.
Olivia Vaughan
holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Law and a MBA and operates across key
sectors in the circular economywith focus on sustainable systems and the
built environment. She lives in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.