Golden State Today

Author and founder of the Center for Industrial Progress Alex Epstein offered his views on why California is experiencing blackouts in a string of Twitter posts earlier this month.

The problem is directly tied to policies that reward or mandate unreliable electricity from solar and wind, while punishing or outlawing reliable electricity from nuclear, natural gas, coal or hydro sources, Epstein said in the posts.

“Electricity producers know how to produce enough reliable electricity for virtually any situation — certainly plenty for the heat wave California has been experiencing this year,” he wrote. “All you need to do is build enough reliable power plants: nuclear, natural gas, coal or hydro.”

Epstein | Contributed photo

But, he said, the state has attempted to create “a mini-mini-Green New Deal” and chose to mandate that much of the electricity generated in the state come from less reliable solar and wind electricity sources.

“This meant that we would become hugely dependent on reliable power plants from other states,” Epstein wrote.

What happens to a state trying to rely on “unreliables” when there’s a regional heat wave? It’s not pretty.

“The wind dies down. The sun dies down daily,” he said. “We need more electricity from the states with ‘reliables’ — but they need more, too, so they send us less. Surprise . . . blackouts!”

Epstein says that candidates who support renewable mandates, let alone the Green New Deal or Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, should be asked how they plan to prevent blackouts, or, if they prefer, green-outs, that the mini-Green New Deal caused in California? He told Golden State Today the evidence is readily available.

“According to official data, California relied on natural gas for over one-third of its electricity and for over 20% on solar and wind in 2018,” he said. “Almost one-third of electricity was also imported from outside the state — Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona, Baja California, Colorado, Mexico, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah.”

However, that plan has now proved unreliable.

“What dropped dramatically during certain parts of this crisis was the availability from other states, which were dealing with their own heat waves,” Epstein said.

Californians are literally feeling the heat because of the decisions their elected and appointed leaders made, he says.

“Blackouts are a huge problem for individuals, especially for those vulnerable to heat who cannot cool their homes,” Epstein said. “And blackouts are a huge problem for businesses, especially industrial businesses, which must stop vital operations. The more blackouts become normal, the more industries will flee the state.”

That may finally force some changes.

“California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, are finally acknowledging the over-reliance on unreliable renewables,” Epstein said. “This is an opportunity to question and change our renewable commitments going forward.”

Epstein is the author of “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels,” a New York Times bestseller that makes the case that for people to thrive, they must use more fossil fuels, not less.

Epstein received the Most Original Thinker of 2014 award from the McLaughlin Group. He is known for his willingness to debate anyone, anytime, taking on leading environmentalist organizations such as Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and 350.org over the morality of fossil-fuel use.

He has made his moral case for fossil fuels at dozens of campuses, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Duke, his alma mater.

Epstein offers more about energy, environment and climate at his website EnergyTalkingPoints.com. He also welcomes questions through direct messages on his Twitter page.

“The truth about California needs to be told in advance of this crucial election,” Epstein said.