Part 8/9:
While renewables are undeniably a vital part of a sustainable energy future, this analysis underscores that their true costs—when factoring in grid integration, backup, infrastructure, and plant life-cycle expenses—may be significantly higher than portrayed.
The narrative that wind and solar are unequivocally cheaper and more efficient hinges on assumptions that heavily favor renewables and underplay their requirements for supplementary systems. As it stands, coal remains a comparatively economical option, and the transition to a fully renewable grid may entail substantial financial and logistical challenges—not just environmental benefits.