CNN:
The renewable energy sector is projected to generate more electricity than coal during the month of April, according to a recent report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. That's never happened before.
Technological change, government policies, and changing consumer preferences have all but guaranteed the switch from fossil fuels to renewables. To me, the economics of the switch are less interesting (people prefer cheaper techonologies…duh!), than the question of how we manage the economic transition. How do we retrain the workforce in communities reliant on traditional forms of energy production? How do we transition the infrastructure in those communities? How do we tackle tough questions like whether coal reliant communities should be rejuvenated? How do we manage the inevitable pressures of additional income inequities due to the transition?
There are a lot of questions economists need to think about.
When the renewable switch will occur isn't one of them.
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