OT: So much for those California “Green” Jobs

[Veritas]

A recent lengthy report by Reuters confirms what many conservatives have long known: President Obama’s promise to create millions of so-called “green jobs” has been a colossal and expensive failure.

Since 2009, the wind industry has lost 10,000 jobs, even as the energy capacity of wind farms has almost doubled. By contrast, the oil and gas industry have created 75,000 jobs since Mr. Obama took office.

Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/wind-energy/2012/04/17/wind-industry-has-lost-10000-jobs-under-obama#ixzz1sLZRORjs

The wind farms kill birds and bats:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/7766-turbines-killing-birds-bats

[EconProf]

Ignor anyone who discusses energy unless they incorporate the new elephant in the room: abundant, cheap, American-produced natural gas.
While the government, under both Bush and Obama, were busy picking winners and losers, the private sector and old-fashioned capitalism was pioneering in technology that will revolutionize our energy future. Natural gas is one fifth its recent high price, all because we’ve discovered new and better ways to extract it, and are doing so safely. As a result, coal-fired plants are being refitted to burn cleaner natural gas, trucks will soon follow, and consumers in America’s cold belt can count on lower heating costs indefinitely.
What’s really delicious is that cheap natural gas will render even more uneconomical the wind and solar “investments” our government has saddled us with. Subsidies for the bureaucrats’ favorite green industries will will be increasingly exposed for the waste they really are. The market system once again embarrasses the government as a means for allocating resources.

[patb]

“doing so safely”

Ignore all those earthquakes

[patb]

[quote=svelte]Nissan, which has said it expects to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles around the world by 2015, has sold just 12,000 battery-electric Leafs in Japan since launching the model in 2010, according to the report.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/reputation-of-electric-cars-takes-a-hit-in-japan-due-to-tsunami/%5B/quote%5D

Nissan only expected to sell 10,000 in 2011, so they are ahead of plan.

current BEV sales exceed hybrid sales for the same introductory period.

[Aecetia]

This was an interesting study and I am not sure what to make of it: “What’s perhaps most interesting is that changes in gas prices, “had little impact on hybrid segment loyalty,” according to Polk. In the company’s quarterly hybrid analysis from 2008 through 2011, loyalty rates ranged from 26.4 to 41.8 percent, but spent most of the time in the 30s.”

Maybe it is the cost of the battery that contributes to the loyalty:
A: It should be noted that the Prius traction batteries are under warranty for 8-10 years or 100,000 miles, and so will be replaced for free before then in the case of failure. However, should the battery fail outside this timeline, the estimated cost of traction battery replacement is $3,000.
http://www.toyotapriusbattery.com/faq.html

[EconProf]

Correct, and the price of Prius battery replacement has fallen by more than 50% in recent years, a trend that will likely continue due to economies of scale.
This further tilts the Prius Buy/Not Buy decision toward Buy. Another is the recent rise of gasoline prices. The feasibility of buying fuel-efficient cars depends heavily upon future gasoline prices.

[Veritas]

“Obama can ruminate about people clinging bitterly to their God, their guns and their gas guzzlers all he wants. But he can no more make people cling to government and green energy than King Knut could cause the tides to roll out at his command.”

GM Electric Car Not Selling Well… Why Are We Surprised?

[Aecetia]

Electric cars doomed to fail:
“While the sales of some electric cars are up month-over-month, the number of electric cars sold is tiny in comparison to the rest of the auto market. It will likely remain that way unless changes are made fast says Adner, who is also the author of the new book, The Wide Lens: A Strategy for Innovation.”

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/why-electric-car-doomed-fail-150050289.html

[The-Shoveler]

I could see Nat Gas becoming the main fuel for autos sooner but I could also see plugin Hybrids being a larger part of the mix in 10 years as well as the tech becomes cheaper to manufacture due to scale, innovation etc…

[scaredyclassic]

I think in ca prius batt warranteed to 150k. Friends batt died at 147,000 miles and got it replaced.

[Aecetia]

French fry grease would at least smell better than gas.

[Veritas]

“The 411,618 square foot Solyndra building in Fremont, CA, has just been put the market, thus bringing the troubled business, which has dogged the Obama administration for months, closer to its final end. The price of the Fremont Solyndra building has not yet been listed.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/and-thats-that-solyndra-building-for-sale/

[Author]

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