Green New Deal not cost-effective, says former Missouri energy official

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal proposal is a non-starter, according to a former member of the Missouri Public Service Commission.

“We’re talking tens of trillions of dollars in order to make something like this happen,” said Jarrett. “Even if it was practically possible, it would completely devastate our economy.”

To change to completely green energy at the speed asked for would take all kinds of enforcement, too.

“Trying to organize the shutdown of thousands of coal and natural gas plants,” said energy lobbyist Terry Jarrett. “Shifting from gasoline powered vehicles to electric vehicles, it just permeates throughout the economy. Farmers would have to replace every one of their tractors and combines and farm equipment and make them all electric. People heat their homes and businesses with natural gas. All those furnaces would have to be taken out and replaced with electric. It is just mind-boggling.”

There also isn’t a good solution to how to store renewable energy, yet.

“The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine,” said Jarrett. “With those intermittent forms of renewable energy, you’ve got to have the backup generation that when they’re not working at their capacity, you’ve got a backup.”

Jarrett says battery projects are promising, but the cost would be exorbitant.