Overview

• On Sept. 5, the Department of Energy posted on X that wind and solar infrastructure is “essentially worthless” when there is no sun or wind, drawing millions of views.
• Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the stance, calling renewables intermittent and saying greater reliance creates “a whole separate grid” that raises costs.
• Elon Musk replied “Um … hello?” and pointed to Tesla’s 370‑megawatt‑hour Megapack project in Australia as proof that large batteries store renewable power for later use.
• A community note and responses from public officials and analysts stressed storage as a core part of modern grids, with California cited for significant battery output during peak hours.
• PolitiFact rated the DOE statement False, as reporting also details parallel policy moves including halted approvals for new wind and solar, blocked projects totaling about $19 billion, and a $679 million offshore wind funding cancellation.