Campaign

Renewable Truths

Renewable energy attracts more myths than almost any other technology. Each of these takes one widely repeated claim and works through the actual numbers behind it.

March 12, 2021

Making ethanol from corn is the least efficient use of farmland

Corn is the #1 crop grown on US farms. Most of it is used to make gasoline-additive ethanol.…
February 16, 2021

Are solar panels really full of toxic materials like cadmium and lead?

The truth is that solar panels are made almost entirely with abundant, earth-friendly materials like glass, aluminum, copper,…
April 14, 2020

Introducing our Myths of Solar series

Solar needs subsidies to survive. Solar energy is diffuse and requires too much land. Rooftop solar will raise…
April 11, 2020

When it comes to land impact, does solar, wind, nuclear, coal, or natural gas have the smallest footprint?

Renewable energy technologies like solar, hydro, and wind require a lot of land. But, how does their impact…
March 30, 2020

Will rooftop solar drive up the cost of electricity, particularly for low income households?

Will your neighbor’s solar panels make your electric bill higher? We take a look at the research, data,…
March 2, 2020

Myth busting the politics of renewable energy: Do conservatives really oppose renewable energy?

This is the second in our series. See part 1 here: Myth busting the crazy politics of clean energy:…
November 27, 2019

Will the growth of solar power crowd out farmland?

As solar power continues its rapid growth, will its large land requirements crowd out land otherwise needed for…
November 17, 2019

Do we have enough silver, copper, and other materials to keep up with the growth of solar?

Will growing demand for solar panels put pressure on commodity supply chains, driving up costs, and even disrupting…
September 8, 2019

Does the intermittency of solar and wind make electricity more expensive?

Energy from the wind and sun is intermittent and often unpredictable. Critics point to this as the fatal…
August 11, 2019

Will waste from retiring solar panels overrun our landfills?

As solar continues to increase its share of global energy production, people are starting to wonder what we’ll…
July 6, 2018

How much solar would it take to power the U.S.?

Critics claim that there simply isn’t enough land in the U.S. to power the country with solar. We…