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CONTACT: Charlotte LeGates
PHONE: 202/326-9316
FAX: 202/326-9334
E-MAIL: clegates@ngsa.org
The debate topic, "Resolved: That the federal government should establish a policy to
substantially increase renewable energy use in the United States," was chosen for debate by the
National Forensic Society. The NGSA initiative is one of several that make relevant information
available via the Internet.**
"Current congressional proposals to force use of so-called renewable energy sources do not
appear to be in the best interests of either the U.S. economy or the environment," said NGSA
President Nicholas Bush.
According to studies from federal agencies, economic consulting organizations, and several
industries,*** mandated use of renewables has the potential to stunt the growth of power
generation from natural gas and raise electricity costs. "This is ironic," Bush noted, "because
power from gas combined-cycle technology is less costly and, in many cases, more
environmentally benign than use of renewables." The environmental problems of renewable
energy include high levels of emissions from biomass, municipal waste, and geothermal energy;
habitat and soil destruction from wind, solar, and biomass energy; and wind power's record of
killing birds, including endangered species.
Following are some of the points made by the studies cited in one of the site's documents, "A
Reality Check on Renewable Energy":
One study cites the average cost of renewable power as twice that of power from combined-cycle
gas technology.
Another calculates that achieving an 11 percent power contribution from renewables would likely
cost more than $200 billion (in constant 1995 dollars) above today's most competitive
alternatives.
Many forms of renewable power must be generated where the resources are located, which may
be far from population centers. Studies cite the cost of connecting these generators with the
electricity grid costs between $300,000 to $1 million per mile.
Over the past 20 years, the U.S. has spent $30-50 billion on subsidies for renewables.
Renewables were assumed to be crucial to U.S. energy security because of the perception in the
1970s that the nation was running out of natural gas. Today, producers and government are
confident of a 60-year natural gas supply recoverable at competitive prices. Additionally,
according to the National Petroleum Council, the U.S. has upwards of a 600-year supply of
natural gas that can be produced with more advanced technology.
# # # #
Editorial Notes:
* Documents are available from the NGSA receptionist, 202/326-9300.
** Other Internet sites containing information relevant to the debate include(click on highlighted items to go directly to referenced item):
- <http://www.public-policy.org/~ncpa>.
*** These studies include:
- Bradley, Robert L. Jr., "Renewable Energy: Why Renewable Energy Is Not Cheap and Not Green," released by the National Center for Policy Analysis, Summer 1997. Available at <http://www.public-policy.org/~ncpa/studies/renew/renew.html>.
- Charles River Associates (Douglas Bohi and David Montgomery), "Renewable Energy Mandates and Electric Utility Restructuring," Spring 1997. Available at <http://www.ngsa.org/REN3.HTM>.
- Kessler, Jon, et al., "Natural Gas, Is It Really the Answer?" U.S. Department of Energy (DoE)
- Resource Data International, "Energy Choices in a Competitive Era: The Role of Renewable and Traditional Energy Resources in America's Electric Generation Mix," April 1995, released by the Center for Energy and Economic Development. Available at <http://www.conx.com/ceed/elecgenmix/default.html>.
- WEFA (Mary Nowak), "The Impact on Natural Gas Markets of Renewable Energy Mandates, Spring 1997. Available at <http://www.ngsa.org/WEFA.HTM>.
The Natural Gas Supply Association represents producers and marketers of domestic natural gas.
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This page was last updated August 31, 1997.