Episode October 9, 2026 56 min 36s

Ed Hoskins: “Weather-Dependent “Renewables” | Tom Nelson Pod #435

Ed Hoskins presents slides comparing renewables (onshore/offshore wind, solar PV, plus biomass and hydro) with gas, coal/lignite, and nuclear on productivity, EROEI, CO2 embedded in construction, land use, materials, build time, service life, and costs adjusted for capacity factors. He cites European capacity factors since 2010 (offshore ~32%, onshore ~20s, solar ~11%), a combined renewables average near 15% and declining since 2020, and a 2023 wind lull leaving large multi-day deficits. He argues storage to cover such gaps is infeasible, renewables require backup and expanded grids, wear out faster, and become far costlier once productivity is included; nuclear is most energy-productive. He criticizes Germany’s nuclear shutdown and questions CO2-driven policy.

00:00 Renewables Reality Check

02:17 Capacity Factors Since 2010

05:33 Dispatchability And Grid Backup

08:42 Wind Drought Case Study

11:43 Storage Costs And Scale

13:25 Energy Return On Investment

16:19 Germany Nuclear Shutdown

17:35 Embedded CO2 And Biomass

21:38 Land Use And Grid Sprawl

25:01 Build Times And Lifespans

29:16 Cost Comparisons With Productivity

41:00 2025 Installations And Conclusions