A quick look at askod's graph leads me to ask: where is Germany to find relief? While I am sure that Powder Basin coal miners and US railroads are more than happy to sell Germany coal, but it is unlikely to be a very good deal. As capital costs are retired and wind power continues to decline in price it will have tremendous advantages over coal, even before considering the carbon. There is no fuel costs for renewables. And then there is the reaction of the German people.

I will await the response of Crazy Horse, DoDo or Jerome for a better answer. But I remain suspicious of anything the WSJ might have to say about energy. It does seem that the cost of energy for manufacturing, as opposed to residential uses is posing a problem in Germany and industry, in conjunction with Merkel's conservative government, when it emerges, could do damage to Germany's world leading wind energy manufacturing industry. But where else can Germany get affordable power. Wind is roughly competitive with coal in the USA now, and doesn't have to include the cost of sea shipment, but no new coal plants are being built. This indicates that the issue is not based on the fundamental costs of the two sources so much as on who gets subsidized by whom.


"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."