'subsidizing' renewables presumably reduces demand for gas, which is the main alternative source of power these days (although that argument forgets the screams by the power industry against wind for needing 'back-up' and the reality that gas-fired power plants are quite compatible with wind...)

This seems to be the case in Spain, where there's pushback against the current system of electric feed in tariffs which favor wind and solar over combined cycle gas.........

As it stands now the feed in tariff for solar is through the roof, and something like 2000 MW of thermal solar capacity are going to be coming online in the country in the next 1-2 years.

On an up note, I think that the "demand reduction" approach to renewables, that is arguing that having wind online means that you can cut the capacity factor at natural gas and coal fired plants, is a huge public relations argument that hasn't been well made.

Particularly where it reduces demand for coal, the carbon savings of wind on a marginal bases are through the roof.  If there was a carbon trading scheme in place, I'd think that you could funnel fees from carbon emissions into wind.  That would help provide a source of funding to get renewables off the ground.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg