[acqq]

The "free" balloons were paid for to be produced before being given away as ads.

The production of energy has always the costs, and some interested parties attempt to hide them to make them an easier sell.

[Dylan16807]

It's not about hiding costs, it's about capital cost vs. marginal cost. When marginal cost is near-zero, you get significantly different economic behavior from something that has a balance of capital and marginal costs.