Government puts the brakes on new solar projects

The Bush administration can't keep pace with a surge in solar energy proposals.
That's the good news.

The bad news is that the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

David Adams, Times Staff Writer

Comments

[jes]

Let's get this straight...the BUSH (Greedy Oil Party) government wants to put a hold on SOLAR projects to study the "environmental impact" BUT is more than willing to PLUNGE headlong into drilling in our seas and WILDLIFE REFUGES without the same studies?? HUH?!?! - someone help me here...

[Tim]

It would be one thing to have an official NEPA environmental impact statement for the project, but to simply impose a moratorium? I smell politics. But on the bright side, solar is indeed flourishing despite government obstacles. If you want to be cheered up a little, read this article on solar's booming potential: http://www.brightfuture.us/new.

[paminator]

This should not be a surprise to anyone. Solar IPP's want the cheapest land they can find, and fed land leases are it. But, the same environmentalists who want to shut down fossil fuel energy sources and promote solar at any cost, are also beginning to realize just how much wilderness needs to be accosted and paved over with solar arrays to make the smallest dent into current and future predicted energy needs in this country.

As for the Bush administration, everyone who champions higher energy costs to reduce CO2 blah blah blah should sit back and marvel at how large an impact this administration has had on reducing energy use in the US :)

[Frank]

Paminator, go back to bed... No one is talking about paving over anything for solar. There's enough roof space in Florida alone to install GW worth of solar. Your obstructionist views are nothing but smoke and mirrors. I guess all the investors pouring millions into renewables are wrong and you are right. LOL... you are a joke...

[paminator]

Frank- I never claimed investors in renewable energy were wrong. Indeed, I think they are brilliant to be riding the renewable energies wave partially created by their own lobbying efforts with local, state and federal governments. But, investors are interested in extracting profits. They couldn't care less how much renewable energy costs to the end user.

You apparently have no idea of the grand solar plans envisaged for the Southwest US. "A Solar Grand Plan- By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions". By Ken Zweibel, James Mason and Vasilis Fthenakis, Sciam, Dec 2007.

Taking your claim of (1?) GW (baseload?) worth of solar on rooftops, at current installed prices of $9/Watt peak and 25% availability, that comes to $36B that someone is going to be paying.

A 1.2GW nuke is $8B. Hmmm.....

[Tino]

Solar Plant Moratorium Called Off:

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-solar-public-lands,0,6180373.story