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Re:What if carbon removal becomes the new Big Oil? by kvetching on Sunday July 26, 2020 @09:58AM (#23957085)
Renewables are crony capitalism. Without consistent government subsidies, incentives, grants, etc...they are not profitable.
Re:What if carbon removal becomes the new Big Oil? by dragonwriter on Sunday July 26, 2020 @10:06AM (#23957130)
No, renewables are public goods as they have positive net externalities, that is, a substantial share of the benefits of their use accrues to people outside the transaction. Well, relative to fossil fuels, at least; it's more accurate to say that fossil fuels are public harms with a substantial net negative externality.

Government action in the form of subsidizing the former and/or taxing the latter is necessary to internalize the externalities so that the relative net cost (benefit) is born by (accrues to) the participants in the transaction.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigovian_tax

Re:What if carbon removal becomes the new Big Oil? by amiga_500 on Sunday July 26, 2020 @10:02AM (#23957113)
Fossil fues are subsidized because the users don't pay the true cost.
Re:What if carbon removal becomes the new Big Oil? by VyperCard on Sunday July 26, 2020 @10:15AM (#23957169)
Yeah they are also directly subsidized.