Bernie Sanders’ Plan To Make Solar Power More Accessible

[Jefferson23]

by Ari Phillips Posted on July 7, 2015 at 3:40 pm

On Tuesday, Vermont Senator and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for low-income families to take advantage of solar power. The bill, called the “Low Income Solar Act,” came the same day that the Obama Administration announced a similar program aimed at installing 300 megawatts of renewable energy in federally subsidized housing by 2020.

The Sanders bill would aid in this effort by providing $200 million in Department of Energy loans and grants to help offset the upfront costs associated with installing solar panels on community facilities, public housing and low-income family homes, according to a press release. The projects would also have to prioritize loans for female- and minority-owned businesses, as well as target specific regions including Appalachia, Indian tribal lands, and Alaskan native communities.

“The scientific community tells us very clearly if we’re going to reverse climate change and the great dangers it poses for the planet we must move aggressively to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy,” Sanders said in a statement. “We can achieve this goal, save families money and protect the planet for future generations.”

According to the bill summary, homeowners with suitable roofs would receive grants to help them afford solar panel installation while renters or others without appropriate siting options would get connected through alternative means such as community solar gardens. Solar gardens are designed for those without rooftop access as a way to connect to a shared solar system that guarantees their electricity comes from solar power. Usually these community solar gardens are one or two megawatts in size and operated by third-party solar providers and local utilities.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/07/3677745/bernie-sanders-introduces-solar-legislation/

[peacebird]

1. I like it!

[LWolf]

2. Talk...walk. I like it. nt

[grahamhgreen]

3. Great idea, similar to the very successful German solar program!

[Jefferson23]

6. Is that right? I am not familiar with that program..if you have any info you would care to

post in this thread..feel free.

[grahamhgreen]

8. Link to a nice overview:

Basically, I believe the program lends to homeowners, who pack back the loan by providing power for the grid.

http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-energy-support-germany-closer-look

[Jefferson23]

9. That is a comprehensive look..thank you. I did not read through all of it, but sections, also the

conclusion:

The main conclusion is that by and large the German path has been remarkably successful, given the goal – shared by a great majority of the population – of “de-fossilizing” Germany’s electricity sector. While the costs of electricity to most end use customers have indeed increased, it is important to note that the size of the renewables levy by itself is an incomplete (and likely exaggerated) measure of the cost of the program to consumers. It is also important to note that exemptions for trade-sensitive and energy-intensive industries contribute to higher rates for non-exempt consumers, but also ensure that exempt industries do not suffer a competitive disadvantage internationally. The exemptions have meant that electricity costs for large industrial users in trade-sensitive industries are generally in line or even below those faced by European competitors and thus likely have at least contributed to the fact that until now German industry’s competitive position remains quite strong.

Very interesting considering the TPP coming down the pike.

[elleng]

4. The Presidential Candidate With a Plan to Run the US on 100% Clean Energy:O'Malley

That leaves Martin O'Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore and two-term governor of Maryland, who's trailing all of the above in the polls. In the wake of the pope's headline-grabbing encyclical on the environment, which champions the moral need to fight global warming and calls for a swift transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, the presidential contender published an op-ed in USA Today outlining an extremely ambitious plan to do precisely that.

"I believe, within 35 years, our country can, and should, be 100% powered by clean energy, supported by millions of new jobs," O'Malley writes. "To reach this goal we must accelerate that transition starting now."

"As president, on day one, I would use my executive power to declare the transition to a clean energy future the number one priority of our Federal Government."


Whole article here:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/martin-omalley-clean-energy-candidate

The specifics of O'Malley's plan:

-Create a national Renewable Energy Standard that would mandate 100 percent clean energy by 2050
-Launch a seemingly New Deal-styled Clean Energy Job Corps that would retrofit buildings for efficiency and build green spaces
-Have the EPA enforce a "zero tolerance" methane leak policy (currently, natural gas production releases a staggering amount of the super-greenhouse gas into the atmosphere)
-Call on Congress to enact a carbon cap that would charge companies for their carbon pollution, and return the revenue to lower and middle class families
-Deny the Keystone XL and halt offshore oil drilling in Alaska

[Jefferson23]

5. Thank you, elleng. n/t

[elleng]

10. You're welcome, Jefferson23.

[Jefferson23]

11. One way or another elleng, we're going to get a progressive agenda and we'll

fight like hell until we get there.

[elleng]

12. YES we WILL!

[JI7]

7. there are many lower income people who want this

[raouldukelives]

13. Great stuff! nt