solar + batteries is $40/mwh?
Batteries simply are not an appropriate solution to the problem.
We would need to make massive investments in high voltage DC lines across the country, dumping tons of CO2 into steel and concrete for rare usage patterns.
This line of questioning was my "mind blow." It turns out, there are technological solutions, but they don't scale to meet demand (and if/when they do, it's inconsistent). And to boot, they're an aesthetic nightmare.
Don't forget about the turtles, too: https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environm...
It's not a question of morality, but of mathematics. Can we sustainably and consistently produce enough energy using those methods long-term?
If the answer is "no," fooling ourselves into believing it's "yes" for the sake of ego/emotional pacification is setting us up for failure. I do believe the answer may be yes eventually, but on the current doomer timeline (always shifting but afaik the current doomsday is in ~12 years), the answer will remain "no."
Edit: rough solar panel efficiency stats https://archive.ph/Vh1Qj