Redefining Energy 193. The Seven Deadly Sins of the Energy Transition
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Sep 1, 2025 Michael Barnard, Chief Strategist at TFIE, dives into the Seven Deadly Sins of the Energy Transition. He critiques carbon capture as costly and ineffective, questions the practicality of hydrogen, and discusses the sluggish progress of small modular reactors. Barnard warns against the hubris of fusion energy efforts and highlights the deceptive allure of biofuels. The conversation also touches on the political challenges in offshore wind, illustrating how local opposition and regulations hinder progress in the renewable sector.
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Subsidy-Heavy Carbon Capture
- Carbon capture and direct air capture mainly attract subsidies and regulatory capture rather than delivering cost-effective abatement.
- These technologies only pencil out in rare cases with concentrated CO2 streams or immediate sequestration access.
Hydrogen Is An Energy-Intensive Carrier
- Green hydrogen loses most energy in production, compression, transport, and reconversion, making it an inefficient general-purpose fuel.
- Industrial niches may justify hydrogen, but widespread energy use is economically and energetically unrealistic.
SMRs Lost The 'Modular' Advantage
- Small modular reactors promise factory scale gains but have ballooned in size and remain bespoke, losing expected learning-curve benefits.
- At ~300 MW they become multi-billion-dollar engineering projects, not mass-produced modules.