Energy Expert Dr. Lars Schernikau: Wind and Solar Energy Make Electricity Expensive
Grid-scale batteries are not the solution—they are expensive, do not last long, and are harmful to the environment.
Dr. Lars Schernikau
Hannes Sarv
Date: 3 October 2025
Dr. Lars Schernikau is an energy expert and author who has thoroughly studied the electricity generation system. He says that wind and solar energy production are unstable and, instead of lowering prices, will significantly increase the total cost of electricity generation. In an interview to Freedom Research, Dr. Schernikau explains in detail the requirements of the electricity generation system and why wind and solar energy, which are proclaimed by the authorities to be environmentally friendly, are actually not so, and why the increasingly widespread use of these systems will drive the electricity prices up, rather than reduce them.
Dr. Lars Schernikau explains the fundamental issues with wind and solar energy
In the interview, Schernikau pays particular attention to storage technologies, i.e. batteries. These systems are supposed to supplement weather-dependent wind and solar energy production, i.e. provide us with electricity when the wind is not blowing and the Sun is not shining. However, according to Schernikau, batteries are not the solution because they are extremely expensive and current technologies are capable of storing only a fraction of the energy that we actually need. In addition, Schernikau says that batteries and their production are an environmental nightmare.
Dr. Lars Schernikau is an energy economist and entrepreneur involved in commodity trading. He is the founder, shareholder, and former board member of the German-listed commodity company HMS Bergbau AG and has founded and advised several other companies in the commodity, mining, and energy sectors around the world. He studied at New York University and INSEAD in France and holds a doctorate in economics from the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) in Germany. He advises government agencies, banks and corporations on energy policy issues. He has signed our World Climate Declaration and is also a member of the CO2 Coalition.
Last year, he and Professor William H. Smith published a book that takes an in-depth look at electricity generation systems, their efficiency, environmental footprint, and future options: The Unpopular Truth about Electricity and the Future of Energy.
Hannes Sarv
Freedom Research
This interview by Hannes Sarv with Dr Lars Schernikau was published on 2 October 2025 on the Freedom Research website. Hannes Sarv is a journalist and media specialist.
more news
Dismantlement of South Africa’s Ferrochrome Industry
South Africa’s once dominant ferrochrome industry is on the brink of collapse and requires a government bailout. That decline is not because the world no longer needs ferrochrome. It is because South Africa’s leaders tied their industrial policy to a “green” agenda that undermines reliable, affordable energy and sacrifices economic strength.
“Should LCOE finally be retired from energy policy?”
“The LCOE narrative has just collided with reality. If ‘cheap’ solar and wind really were enough, the energy transition would largely run on autopilot. Emissions would fall. Subsidies wouldn’t be needed. Electricity would get cheaper. None of that is happening.” – Jonas Kristiansen Nøland, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Global Warming Sustained a Naval Power That Dwarfed Vikings
Which civilization flourished during this warm medieval period, and what enabled it to rise and thrive—becoming even more successful than the Norse seafarers? In this article, Vijay Jayaraj examines the evidence and reveals the answers.
