We’ve all heard the common myths about renewable energy: It’s expensive; it can’t be relied upon; there just isn’t enough of it to meet our energy needs. But as technological advances and plummeting costs drive explosive growth -- U.S. installed wind capacity has grown sevenfold to nearly 47 gigawatts in the last seven years -- real-world experience is shattering long-held assumptions every day. Even ardent supporters of renewables may be surprised by what we’re learning.

Renewable energy actually reduces electricity prices for businesses and consumers. A new analysis [PDF] conducted by Synapse Energy Economics on behalf of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid found that adding more wind power to the electric grid could reduce wholesale market prices by more than 25 percent in the Midwest region by 2020 -- $3–$10 per megawatt hour (MWh) in the near term, and up to nearly $50 per MWh by 2030. Those savings would be passed along to consumers through lowering retail electricity prices by $65–$200 each year.

Utilities scare consumers into believing they don’t deserve or can’t afford a better, cleaner energy system. The United States is fortunate to have some of the richest and most diverse renewable energy resources in the world -- wind in the Great Plains, solar in the Southwest, and even more wind off the Atlantic coast. As much electricity could be generated every year from these resources as the United States consumes as a whole -- several times over. The trick is getting that energy to market. The electric power transmission network in this country was not designed to reach deep into …

The Wall Street Journal recently published an editorial, "The Great Transmission Heist," that took a swing at renewable energy. That's not surprising. What is surprising is that the piece wholly abandoned not only the facts, but fundamental market principles related to the energy sector. The Journal attacked a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposal [PDF] that would create a more fair and rational framework for modernizing the nation's electric grid. Specifically, the guidelines would ensure that everyone who benefits pays, regardless of arbitrary boundaries and proposals generated by various regions. Critics of the new rule, particularly incumbent utilities that …