

Google invests $200M in Texas wind farm - akos
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/09/google-makes-200m-equity-investment-in-texas-wind-farm/

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tokenadult
Just another way that government subsidies help the rich get richer.

AFTER EDIT: Yes, I see the downvote, and I'm willing to discuss the facts with
you. Do you seriously think Google or anybody would invest in that wind farm
without serious government incentives behind the investment? And if the tax-
policy-favored investment is in a high-capital physical plant like a wind
farm, isn't that an investment that's not easy to make for investors who have
little capital? A big wind farm is inherently linked into the power grid, and
doesn't help you or me get off the grid.

Some sources that prompt my curiosity about these policies:

[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/business/energy-
environmen...](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/business/energy-
environment/a-cornucopia-of-help-for-renewable-energy.html)

[http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/07/news/economy/energy-
subsidie...](http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/07/news/economy/energy-
subsidies/index.htm)

<http://www.economist.com/node/21556904>

<http://www.economist.com/debate/overview/217>

[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000087239639044365920457757...](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443659204577575203384685874.html)

[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000087239639044403240457800...](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444032404578008183300454400.html)

For balance, critiques of other government subsidies for other industries
(surely disfavored by Google):

[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=making-
rene...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=making-renewable-
energies-competitive)

[http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-21/when-it-
come...](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-21/when-it-comes-to-
government-subsidies-dirty-energy-still-cleans-up)

~~~
ghshephard
The subsidies aren't there to make anyone richer/more equal/etc... They are
there to get scales of economy developing in Renewable Energy such that the
price comes down.

It's been extraordinarily effective in Solar.

The only rational reason to make these investments as a society is if we
believe that Petroleum/Coal/Nuclear based energy has externialities (or
present-value-risk-adjusted externialities) - I.E. Climate Change, Pollution,
Nuclear Disaster, etc... that exceed the cost of these subsidies.

I've often wondered whether the deaths of Solar Panel installers, Visual/Noise
polution of Wind Farms, and environmental havoc resulting from hydro electric
facilities are factored into these equations when subsidies are being handed
out.

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jayfuerstenberg
Motives aside, I'm glad to see more power coming from solar and wind.

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andrewfelix
These guys are really betting against dirty energy.

Google could eventually become the Rockefeller of renewable energy.

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tvladeck
This is not a bet for / against anything. This is an investment into tax
equity. Because Google has large tax liabilities, they can deploy tax equity
more efficiently than most investors. That's why they're in this game -- and
I'm glad that they are.

~~~
andrewfelix
Then why specifically renewable energy and not, say corn?

~~~
tvladeck
I'm not sure about investing in corn, but these are the credits that i'm
speaking of -- and they apply to renewable energy.

[http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=...](http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US02F&re=1&ee=1)

[http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=...](http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US13F&re=1&ee=1)

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JoshHenryKatz
Vertical integration at its finest.

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bifftannen
Please don't invest money in this hellhole.

