Splainin Trump - part the second

A new-ish series; first installment was some years ago, but now that wannaBePresident Huey Long 2024 is being pushed past even his unlimited limits by Gov. DeMented, he's more regularly goining nutsoid. I couldn't be happier.

Today he breaks wind.

Wind turbines are an icon for the energy transition and the subject of heated debate in Washington. They've been mocked by prominent members of the GOP, including former President Donald Trump, who recently called wind the "worst form of energy."

Here's the full quote, from the link:

It's so sad when you see that they are approving these windmills — worst form of energy, the most expensive. You talk about carbon emissions, well they are making them. More goes into the air than if you ran something for 30 years. When operating properly, wind turbines do not create carbon emissions as a result of electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

So, let's look into the expensive allegation. Well, no. But, of course, this analysis is from the lying Woke Left Gummint.

Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today, costing 1-2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit. Because the electricity from wind farms is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time (e.g. 20+ years) and its fuel is free, wind energy mitigates the price uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources of energy.

But, from the point of view of the fossil fuel cabal, any large scale form of electric power which isn't fossil fuel driven is a threat. The problem with an electric based society/economy (which wind, hydro, and solar make feasible) is that the transport sector, currently fueled by gasoline and diesel, can't easily leverage it. Yes, there remains the wet dream of battery powered cars everywhere, and may be trucks, but that dream depends on a very long term source of, at least, nickel and lithium. But we already know how to leverage electricity in transport: Europe has been doing it for about a century, electrified trains and trolleys. But that means cities gain sway, since laying track into the hinterlands (which the USofA had before GM put an end to it) these days counters the Real Americans live in the rural places truth. My father was born in 1915, and said that he could go between Springfield and Boston on trolleys, town to town. Turns out, he wasn't lying. Here's the Boston end.

And another bit of history.

The Hartford & Springfield was a very important piece of the electric railway system in New England. It was not only the link between the upper and lower Connecticut Valley, but it was also the only link between the entire street railway network of southern and northern New England. This connection allowed travelers to travel between New York and Boston by trolley.

Given the bias in elections, which the Right Wingnuts have been augmenting since 2020, the "I ain't giving up my F-150 and my dog for no trolley!" attitude, they rural rubes wouldn't even take it even if it's free. Freedom!!!!!!