Utilities Just Declared War On Solar

[jpak]

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/utilities-just-declared-war-on-solar-cm580014

Now that solar power is reaching prime time, the fossil fuel industry is doing all that it can to stop its growth.

For many years solar was on the periphery, installed by early adopters and helped along by government subsidy. But over the last several years, solar has emphatically become mainstream. It is still growing from a low base, but it is now one of the most preferred sources of new electricity generation. The cost of residential solar have been cut in half since 2010, and utility-scale solar has achieved even greater cost declines.

In 2015, the U.S. saw 16 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity installed, which accounted for two-thirds of the total. Solar alone accounted for about one-third of new capacity last year. Natural gas only captured 25 percent of the newly installed capacity despite several years of incredibly low prices. The banner year for clean energy occurred while 11 gigawatts of coal-fired electricity came offline as old plants were retired amid rising costs and stricter environmental regulation. The clean energy transition is very much underway.

But the backlash from incumbent industries has also sprung to life. With solar and wind suddenly eclipsing fossil fuels as a preferred option for new power plant capacity, utilities and other fossil fuel interests are moving quickly to disrupt the progress of clean energy.

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/utilities-just-declared-war-on-solar-cm580014#ixzz40M22sDn8

[Trajan]

1. Assholes

Progress leaves the old school behind, so they pull out the swords and daggers ...

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Living in the Southwest,

we see the Koch Brothers and the Fossil Fuel Industry spending Millions on State and Local Politicians to effect Legislation curtailing Solar and Wind Generation by Home Owners. We just lost our Solar Industry in Nevada via the Lobbying of Anti-Solar Rules and Regs.

[ladjf]

3. They've have already been at war with the solar industry for years.

But , the time has come when the large Utilities can no longer contain the "solar bull". It's coming.

[Champion Jack]

4. ...the last days of oil and gas were desperate and nasty

[FiveGoodMen]

5. What we get for letting Capitalism run wild

Provide enough incentives to the greedy and there's no limit to the damage they will cause (or the power they will usurp).

Raise the top bracket to 90% again and in a little while the motive (and ability) to ruin the world will decrease.