[PaulKeeble]

While true if you haven't noticed it Solar and Wind are taking off at a staggering rate for electrical production. At prices around $15 per MWH they are substantially cheaper than gas/coal/oil electrical production. The economics just work out now in a big way and renewables are so much cheaper fossil fuels days are numbered.

Besides if you just car about the economics and not the potential reduction on the planet they are still cheaper to run over their lifetime compared to petrol.

[oceanplexian]

If renewables are substantially cheaper, why did the UK and the rest of Europe have an energy crisis and record energy prices?

The two things don’t add up, on one hand you have people claiming renewables are cheaper than ever, on the other you have skyrocketing electric bills. If renewables don’t actually decrease energy prices for consumers then claiming it’s cheaper is misleading.

[Kim_Bruning]

There's a war on and some gas lines were blown up. Consequences: A cold winter last winter, and countries scrambling to build expensive LNG terminals.

Last time I looked in this corner of Europe, it takes about 3-6 months to get an appointment to install solar and/or an electric heat pump. Installers can't keep up with demand, and they can't train new people faster than they're already doing.

That definitely isn't happening because the gas alternatives are so cheap.

Energy prices are high not because people are converting. They're high because of the shock caused by the (then) sudden unexpected war in Ukraine, and people simply can't convert fast enough.

[Nextgrid]

> why did the UK and the rest of Europe have an energy crisis and record energy prices?

What senile, old, corrupt and/or stupid politicians decide isn't necessarily the rational choice, and in fact is often the opposite.

Mismanagement shouldn't be seen as a failure or a flaw of the underlying technology.

[Tommstein]

> What senile, old, corrupt and/or stupid politicians decide isn't necessarily the rational choice, and in fact is often the opposite.

For example, these smirking German assholes, who I would have enjoyed seeing being interviewed last winter after Russia knocked the dumb smirks off their faces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfJv9QYrlwg

[PaulKeeble]

Because they don't have enough renewables yet and run on gas. It was gas prices that went ridiculously high after Russian gas was shut off and there wasn't enough.