Correcting the Record on Renewable Energy

SUMMARY

A response to a Washington Post op-ed discussing the limits of renewable energy.

In an op-ed in The Washington Post , “Getting Real on Wind and Solar”, James Schlesinger and Robert Hirsch warn darkly about the limits of renewable energy.

But as the energy debate proceeds in Congress, we believe it is vital to get the facts right, and unfortunately this piece clouds more than it illuminates. We simply can’t get to a clean energy future without using everything – when it comes to carbon-free energy, we must be the proponents of all of the above.

In this memo, we offer some responses to the claims made in the op-ed and try to set the record straight about the viability of wind and solar power.

To read this Memo, open the attached PDF