How Green Energy Fantasies Have Put The World At The Brink Of War – The Federalist

Europes aggressive leap towards green energy is proving to be a grave mistake.

As Europe braces for war on its eastern borders, the continents shift from cheap, reliable energy in the form of coal and nuclear to wind and solar has left millions, already struggling with a low-wind winter, dependent on Russian natural gas to meet baseload power needs.

After decades of transition, Europe now gets more than 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia, making the continent far more susceptible to interruptions ordered by President Vladimir Putin as he prepares a takeover of Ukraine. And its not just gas. Russia is the dominant supplier of Europes oil and solid fuels, providing 27 and 47 percent respectively, according to the EU.

European dependence on Russian energy supplies was entirely self-inflicted. More than half a dozen European countries banned fracking over the last decade, and the Kremlin has kept reserves low after the continent knee-capped its own domestic production.

Germany is most dependent on Russian gas to compensate for when the sun doesnt shine and the wind doesnt blow. The nation continues to phase out coal and nuclear despite importing more than 70 percent of its energy supplies. The last German nuclear plants are scheduled to shut down by the end of the year, and its remaining coal plants abandoned by 2038.

Theyve reduced the options or the bandwidth that European countries have available to them, said Katie Tubb, a senior policy analyst for energy and environmental issues at the conservative Heritage Foundation, on Europe facing potential cutoffs. I dont think there is a rapid solution here in part because the EU has been going down this road currently for decades now.

Decommissioned power plants do not come back online with the simple flip of a switch. Without coal or nuclear, natural gas is needed to fill the void left by unreliable wind and solar when they dont produce. The continents fracking bans, however, have diminished its capacity to generate its own supply, leaving Europe vulnerable to Russian pressure and aggression.

Putin has weaponized Russian energy supplies before, even recently, raising European anxiety hell do it again even more aggressively. Last year, Putins refusal to ramp up European gas supplies as an energy crisis induced by a low-wind season gripped the continent was seen as an effort to strongarm officials into approving the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline into Germany. The finished pipeline would allow Russia to circumvent extensive Ukrainian networks in the event of invasion, which now appears close on the horizon.

Tubb told The Federalist a moderating factor in Putins decision to trim shipments is the extent to which the Kremlin relies on energy sales for income, which heightens the importance of Russia having an alternative route from what could become war-torn territory. But, Tubb cautioned, its consistent to expect Russia sees its energy sector as an extension of its government and is therefore a political tool as much as it is a market participant.

Russian dominance over European energy has already driven a fissure into western alliances, transforming Germany into an unreliable partner. Germanys dependence was enhanced by President Joe Bidens approval of the Nord Stream 2 last summer while the White House shut down power projects on American soil.

If not outright weaponized, Putins supplies have certainly bought influence, with German diplomats seeking exemptions from western sanctions so Berlin may keep its gas flow from Russia intact, according to the Wall Street Journal. Germany has also refused defensive weapons shipments to Kyiv as thousands of Russian troops descend on Ukraines border.

The United States, on the other hand, cant meet German energy needs since American export terminals for liquified natural gas (LNG) are already operating above capacity. While new terminals are expected to come online this spring, Germany has no LNG terminal of its own.

The idea of a clean-energy future is not a fantasy. What is a fantasy is that such a future is achievable in the absence of nuclear power and fossil fuels, which drive innovation and adaptability to reach the aspirations for a cleaner planet. Cheap, reliable energy provides the foundation for development and new technology to emerge that enables adaptation.

Gas, coal, and nuclear are needed to offer instantaneous energy when unreliable renewables, which also pollute, fail to meet the job. Europes energy needs have complicated negotiations with Russia as Putin appears ready to deploy troops into Ukraine in the face of a divided opposition.

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com.

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How Green Energy Fantasies Have Put The World At The Brink Of War - The Federalist