Fossil fuels are raw materials that have to be extracted…

“Fossil fuels are raw materials that have to be extracted and processed. Wind and solar energy are different. The only costs associated with them are technological.”

Tom Steyer

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Renewable energy costs are mainly technological, unlike fossil fuels which require extraction and processing.

In simple terms: Renewables cost tech, not raw material.

Key Takeaway

Invest in technology for clean energy.

Themes

energy policy technology economics environment

Mood

urgent hopeful

Type

political inspirational

When to use this quote

policy making
investment decisions
public education
infrastructure planning

Key Concepts

cost analysis energy transition innovation

Questions to Reflect On

What tech advances are needed for cheaper renewables?
How can policy accelerate these advances?

A Different Perspective

Technological challenges can delay adoption.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Tom Steyer

The American people know that climate change is the kind of problem only America can solve.

Tom Steyer

The more we allow Republicans to concentrate the lion's share of wealth in the hands of a few, the more power these wealthy few…

Tom Steyer

I think I understand the relationships between different people within the company: people who are straightforward employees, people who can impact the bottom line,…

Tom Steyer

Trump's vitriol attracts large crowds and may even win him the Republican presidential nomination but dishonors our best traditions. It spits in the face…

Tom Steyer

I've always said that climate change is the defining issue of our generation. I've set out to hold candidates and elected officials accountable and…

Tom Steyer

Donald Trump may be unusually flamboyant, but his views are all too representative of the party that is about to nominate him for president.

Tom Steyer

In American politics, the deepest rivalry is between the rational world and the right wing of the GOP, who are increasingly marginalized in their…

Tom Steyer

On the path to a low-carbon, clean-energy future, we need cleaner, non-intermittent sources of power that will allow us to keep the lights on…

Tom Steyer

I founded NextGen Climate with a clear mission in mind: to act politically to prevent climate disaster and preserve American prosperity.

Tom Steyer

Since the Reagan era, Republicans have prescribed cuts for rich people and corporations as a cure-all. But every time they put their theory into…

Tom Steyer

The fact of the matter is, people care about their own human interests: the people they love, their families, and their communities.

Tom Steyer

We need to ask elected officials supporting Keystone XL whether they're willing to put their constituents and our environment at risk so that foreign…

Tom Steyer

I am passionate about preserving the rights and opportunities of current and future Americans. That has meant fighting to stop global warming.

Tom Steyer

We can't double down on the failed energy policies of the past.

Tom Steyer

The tech-driven economy leads to a two-tier job market where workers are either critical or 'commodity.' This divisive 'winner-take-all' mentality hurts most Americans and…

Tom Steyer

Explore all 100 Tom Steyer quotes

More Climate quotes

Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…

Enda Kenny

In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.

Cate Blanchett

Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…

Kenneth Fisher

Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…

Jay Griffiths

There are many more traits that the climate deniers share with the creationists and Holocaust deniers and others who distort the truth.

Donald R. Prothero

Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…

Ed Begley, Jr

I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…

Vivienne Westwood

Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…

Joe Craft

Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.

Rupert Murdoch

Fossil fuels, including oil, are running out and supplies are getting harder to find. If we do nothing, prices will continue to rise and…

Lucy Powell

Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…

Al Gore

I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…

John F. Kerry

We live in a state with a wonderful climate and plenty of natural beauty, from the shores of Cumberland Island to the Chattahoochee River…

Roy Barnes

Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.

Van Jones

All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…

Ted Nordhaus

Browse all 8,549 Climate quotes

Fossil fuels are raw materials that have to be extracted…

About This Quote

Related quotes

More by Tom Steyer

More Climate quotes