Markets shape energy policy better than laws

I dream of a day when well-intentioned politicians are humble enough to acknowledge they cannot legislate markets. They can pass any law they want, but eventually, the market wins. Why not simply allow the market to determine the right green technology?

There is no fundamental requirement for all energy to be renewable; that is pure ideology. We can rapidly reduce carbon emissions by allowing the market to work — using superior technology rather than pretending we know more than the market.

The media has attempted to decipher the costs of renewable power and come up short. Why has New York State made this information so opaque? If renewables truly cost less, there would be no reason to hide the data. The windmills, batteries and high-voltage cables planned for Nassau County are all heavily subsidized. If these projects were truly economic, there would be no need for subsidies or secrecy.

Even if renewables were economic, the rules of warfare have changed. Recent conflicts have proved that low-cost drones can easily cripple high-value energy infrastructure, and naval experts warn that offshore wind farms are increasingly probable targets for such strikes. So, offshore wind is not the answer from that perspective.

I am realistic enough to believe we contribute to climate change but also educated enough to know we lack control over global emissions. The decisions that matter are being made in China and India. In 2025, China proposed or revived enough coal capacity that at 50% utilization emits roughly 700 million tons of carbon dioxide. In 2023, all of New York State emitted about half that amount. Despite this, I remain optimistic. Some scientists do not believe we face an existential threat, and science has a long history of being wrong. Science is not absolute fact; it is simply our current state of knowledge.

If we push back green initiatives by 10 years, we should delay all of these projects accordingly. In the meantime, let’s get cleaner using technology and economics, not legislation. The law of unintended consequences is among the most potent forces. Politicians need to understand the limits of their knowledge.

As economist Steven Levitt noted, "When politicians start making decisions based on their moral compass, facts tend to be among the first casualties."

Doug Augenthaler, Glen Head