Is renewable energy less expensive? Not necessarily… due to infrastructure complexities

Thursday 13th February 2025

Despite claims that the transition to renewables will bring electricity bills down, it really isn't that simple because of the infrastructure implications.

MIT Climate Lab puts it like this: “Would getting all our electricity from wind and solar power raise the price of electricity? Yes—wind and solar are cheap and getting cheaper, but they do make the grid more complicated in ways that, today, would make electricity more expensive if we relied on them exclusively.”

With Richard Schmalensee adding that “even if energy storage becomes more affordable, running an electric grid entirely on solar and wind is always going to be more complicated than what we have now.”

This emphasises how important it is to scrutinise sustainability-related issues in the round… sadly, activists and politicians often make promises that fail to materialise – so, when renewable energy fails to deliver lower electricity bills, public trust is eroded; against this backdrop, it is little wonder to see the word greenlash gaining ground, which refers to the mounting backlash against environmental policies.