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Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are Public Enemy Number One, Says IEA
International Energy Agency Chief Economist Fatih Birol made no bones about his opinion on fossil fuel subsidies at the European Wind Energy Association conference this year. Birol said that “[f]ossil fuel subsidies are public enemy number one for green energy.”
Fossil fuel burning power plant via Shutterstock
Birol delivered a direct message to governments that continuing tax breaks for fossil fuels companies doesn’t make sense because renewable energies can’t compete with artificially cheap oil and gas, making it impossible to meet climate change targets.
To contend with the charge that renewable resources are too intermittent and unpredictable to replace fossil fuels, Birol asserts that political instability is the real culprit holding green tech back.
Birol called for “governments around the world to end the $.05 trillion subsidies given to oil and gas production,” according to Business Green.
Unfortunately, Birol realizes the unlikelihood of any government totally abandoning fossil fuel subsidies in the near future, especially in light of the spike in oil prices after the Arab Spring.
Understanding the true nature of subsidies is a tricky thing. Need some additional reading? Look no further:
- CleanTechnica Director Zach has outlined some key facts about what subsidies mean.
- Energy Subsidies: Oil versus Renewables
- Dana Nuccitelli’s musings on fossil fuel subsidies
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are Public Enemy Number One, Says IEA was originally published on: CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 30,000 others and subscribe to our free RSS feed, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or just visit our homepage.
2013-02-08 04:16:24
Source: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/08/fossil-fuel-subsidies-are-public-enemy-number-one-says-iea/
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