Development of wind and solar energy is greatly dependent on government economic support in the form of subsidies and outright grants. Dependence on foreign oil is dangerous to our survival. Natural gas is abundant, clean and cheap. Gas can provide our independence from foreign sources of oil.
Wind sources in many parts of the country are limited by restrictions on wind farm locations. Further, the costs are prohibitive without large government subsidies. The wind and solar industries lobby wants a legislative imperative on the percentage of wind and solar that we must use. This is a so-called renewable energy standard. If all energy taxation were applied to wind and solar, wind and solar could produce only enough energy for a small part of our needs. American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode has said that Oklahoma has wind resources to provide more than 30 times of the state's current electricity needs. She fails to say what the subsidies and grants would cost taxpayers.
Natural gas is greatly needed now to fuel our industrial machine. Renewable energy standards restrict a free market. We need to let the free market run its course with no renewable energy standards.
Sid M. Groom Jr., Edmond
