Summer Heat Waves Create the "Problem" of Negative Energy Prices

Here's a "problem" you don't hear that much about yet: negative energy prices. This is what happens when a green energy initiative such as solar power produces so much energy that you end up with an excess capacity and people who have opted into it actually get paid for generating a net positive energy surplus. That may seem like an optimistic future to hope for, but it's ​already happening in some places across Europe​. Of course, a system working too well like this is also creating some losers, namely the venture capital firms that have invested based on the assumption of higher prices. With negative energy prices, those margins drop steeply.

As ​Bloomberg recently reported​, this means that you now have situations like Spain where over $80 billion in investment is generating powerful impact for people and the environment ... but not so good financial results for investors. As a result, this is a case study that offers us two lessons. The first is that the most profitable endeavor and the one that offers the greatest benefits for mankind may be in opposition to one another. The second is that the ideal entities to invest in this sort of initiative may never be private companies but rather international governments who should be focused on creating impact for their citizens without the motive