Severin Borenstein on the Value of Wind and Solar Power Despite No Sun or Wind

No, Wind And Solar Power Aren’t ‘Worthless’ When There’s No Wind Or Sun

September 5, 2025

PolitiFact

Severin Borenstein, Energy Institute Faculty Director, supports the inherent value that solar and wind power brings during both times with or without sun and wind in PolitiFact.

“Many of the energy experts we contacted agreed that wind and solar energy can be stored. They added that wind and solar power also have other advantages, beyond their zero carbon emissions once they start operating…’That’s like saying that a commercial aircraft is worthless when it isn’t flying,’ said Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. ‘Obviously, any piece of capital equipment does not operate 100% of the time. The question is whether the value it creates when it is operating justifies the capital investment.’…If anything, Borenstein said, there’s concern that as the amount of refineries decreases, the few remaining will be more empowered to manipulate the price of gas.”

Photo: politifact.com