Energy Minister Chris Wright implored European countries to reject the “climate shock” and instead rebirth of natural gas and nuclear power as parts of the continent continue to face widespread grid blackouts. [emphasis, links added]
Speaking at the Global Energy Conference in Poland on Monday night, Wright said Europe's net zero policy will shift from oil and gas to wind sources, such as wind and solar, to fight global warming, posing a threat to economic prosperity and national security.
According to Wright, European leaders should choose a path that ensures energy rich, safe, affordable and reliable.
“The other side of the fork strips citizens [and] “This is the authorization of the energy system. This top-down enforcement of “climate policy” is justified to prevent the world from climate change,” Wright said as European leaders looked at it.
“But I can say that the climate alert obviously reduces energy freedom, and therefore, prosperity and national security throughout Western Europe. Let me say it again. The climate shock reduces freedom, prosperity and national security,” He continued.
“The economic research on climate change concluded that zero 2050 net is the wrong goal. Not only is it impossible to achieve, but the blind pursuit of it will lead to greater damage to humans than climate change itself.”
[When] You drag a wagon into the weather, it's just an adventure.
Wright's speech was appropriate: Spain and Portugal are both facing huge grid blackouts, a phenomenon that energy experts warn that this will become increasingly common as countries begin to rely more on weather-dependent power supplies, such as wind and solar.
These sources of power are often considered unreliable because they cannot be dispatched for the time being.
Although the authorities have not provided reasons for the activity, Solar energy accounts for about 55% of electricity generation, while wind accounts for 11% and natural gas accounts for only 3%according to the moment of power data generated before the power outage.
Reliance on green energy is part of the design and broader zero goal – in fact, in September 2024, Spain officially hikes its solar, wind and overall emissions targets.
As of Monday afternoon, data showed that the power grids in both countries had made little progress and continued to generate a small portion of their total electricity demand. The looming sunset may also lead to further shortages due to solar power generation situations.
“It's very sad to see what happened to Portugal and Spain and a lot of people there. But, you know, you're very relevant to the vans and the weather, it's just a dangerous effort,” Wright said in an interview with CNBC after his speech.
“If you choose to have expensive, unreliable energy, you cannot have a prosperous economy and can reduce your chances of living [citizens]. It's an option, but it's a bad option. ”
Wright's speech also marked a turning point in how the United States handles energy and climate issues on the world stage.
During the Biden administration, then-energy secretary Jennifer Granholm and other senior officials regularly scolded the fossil fuel industry and called for more net zero policies than less.
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