Sweden Abandons Goal Of 100% Renewables
Most First World governments at the very least pay lip service to “net zero” carbon emissions. The goal is to have a net zero increase in carbon emissions by some future date, usually a decade or two out.
One of the ways countries are trying to achieve “net zero” is to switch towards 100% renewable energy, ie. weather-dependent energy sources such as wind and solar. But one European country has already decided to abandon that goal.
The Swedish government has decided to abandon its pursuit of 100% renewable energy. The country will instead invest in nuclear energy.
From The Blaze:
The Swedish parliament determined last week that in order to ensure the country has a “stable energy system,” it will have to abandon its goal of “100 per cent renewable electricity production by 2040.”
To satisfy electricity demand, which is set to double to around 300 TwH by 2040, Sweden’s right-of-center government announced June 20 that it would instead lean more heavily on nuclear energy and subsidize the construction of new nuclear plants — plants green-lit in 2016 but sidelined for fear they would be too expensive, reported Reuters.
The country, home to just over 10.5 million people, presently has three nuclear plants with six nuclear reactors in commercial operation. The state-owned Vattenfall aims to bring the tally up to eight reactors and refurbish extant facilities.
While Sweden’s heightened nuclear focus is consistent with the country’s commitment to shifting entirely off fossil fuels in a way that doesn’t altogether cripple the nation, this bullishness on carbon-free nuclear power represents a significant about-face on atomic energy, which the country decided in a 1980 referendum to phase out.
Sweden is leading a new trend in energy production and use. There is only one source of reliable carbon-free electricity and that is nuclear.
One of the major reasons why Sweden is pursuing energy independence is that it is close to Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led European nations to limit their dependence on Russian oil and natural gas.
But the problem is many of the environmentalist crowd oppose nuclear power. In fact, they’re opposed to any source of electricity that is clean and reliable.
It is because they oppose things that make life more enjoyable and fun. Most of them want humanity to lower its living standards and promote “degrowth.” Degrowth is what it sounds like, the shrinking of the global economy. They want to make your life worse.
Sweden is finally pursuing energy independence. More countries should follow suit.
