Claim Verification: "Renewable energy (solar + wind) can replace fossil fuels without major grid upgrades or backups." — Disproved

Automated fact-verification of the claim: "Renewable energy (solar + wind) can replace fossil fuels without major grid upgrades or backups." Verdict: DISPROVED Key Findings Both sub-claims disproved. The IEA, IRENA, and EIA all explicitly state that grid upgrades and energy storage are essential for integrating high shares of solar and wind power. Grid investment must nearly double — from ~$300B/year to over $600B/year by 2030 — just to keep pace with renewable deployment (B1). Energy storage is not optional. 24 GW of battery storage is planned for 2026 in the U.S. alone (B6), and the IEA states flexibility needs will double by 2030 (B4). No country operates on solar+wind alone without grid interconnections, hydroelectric backup, or battery storage. Files proof.py — Re-runnable Python verification script proof.md — Structured proof report proof_audit.md — Full verification audit trail proof_narrative.md — Plain-language summary proof.json — Machine-readable structured data Generated by Proof Engine v1.2.0.