Myth Part 1: They help our economy by giving a jump-start to the most promising long-term forms of energy, solar and wind.

The Coal Truth: We can’t predict what the best forms of energy will be long-term–and it’s especially irrational to give preference to today’s least reliable, most expensive technologies.

• If solar and wind could truly provide us with affordable, reliable energy, they would not require subsidies to compete. [1]
• The way to find the best sources of energy, carbon and non-carbon, is to let them compete–not to prefer solar and wind and discriminate against coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, and hydro.

Myth Part 2: They help our economy by balancing out the huge subsidies fossil fuels get.

The Coal Truth: Per unit of energy, solar and wind are the most highly subsidized forms of energy by far.

Myth Part 3: They help our economy by providing a lot of jobs.

The Coal Truth: Wind and solar provide a lot of unproductive, unnecessary jobs that drive up prices for ratepayers.

Myth Part 4: They help our environment by reducing emissions–especially CO2 emissions.

The Coal Truth: Subsidizing small domestic decreases in CO2 emissions does nothing to significantly impact global CO2 levels. [2]

• If reducing CO2 levels globally is desirable, the only sustainable solution is to develop cheap non-carbon energy for everyone–not to make American carbon energy expensive.
• By cherry-picking certain forms of non-carbon energy for subsidy, renewable tax credits are encouraging them to maintain the expensive status quo.

• Solar and wind require subsidies because, left free to choose, people prefer affordable, reliable alternatives.
• Per unit of energy, solar and wind are the most heavily subsidized forms of energy by far. [3]
• By encouraging us to burden the energy grid with unpredictable sources of energy, solar and wind increase the cost of energy, as they have in places like Germany. [4]
• We should level the playing field by ending, not equalizing, energy subsidies.