Well, it’s a bad argument made that way, I agree.
But let’s at least be honest about the necessity to massively overbuild intermittent sources (and expensive storage) to provide reliability when we compare $/MWh.
But let’s at least be honest about the necessity to massively overbuild intermittent sources (and expensive storage) to provide reliability when we compare $/MWh.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3-Learning-curves-fo...
Plus, it would be probably unwise to extrapolate the current downward trend in costs for the relatively new technology (meaning early in its marginal cost curve) of utility-scale solar and wind that it would continue to get much cheaper.
The two factors combined would suggest that current energy policy in Hawaii is likely to result in increased costs for the consumer down the line.
[0]: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/pdf/electricity_generation....
Scroll down a bit under the graphic. https://ourworldindata.org/cheap-renewables-growth (which has some more dramatic charts, and a lot of explanation)
California has contracts with 8 Minute Energy to buy energy from their solar+storage plants for 4 cents per kWh.
When the public (and even policy makers who know should know better) see these numbers, they fairly assume that the sources are being measured by the same criteria.
The very first chart puts solar+storage at $46-102/MWh, with gas at $42-101/MWh.
https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/2023-levelized-cost...
It is so blatantly dishonest.