Indian tribe sees bright future in solar power

[n2doc]

By Susan Montoya Bryan The Associated Press / January 13, 2010

JEMEZ PUEBLO, N.M.
A poverty-stricken Indian tribe that holds the sun and nature's other gifts sacred sees a brighter future for itself in solar power.

The 3,000 members of the Jemez Pueblo are on the verge of building the nation's first utility-scale solar plant on tribal land, a project that could bring in millions of dollars.

Experts say tapping into the sun, wind and geothermal energy on Indian land could generate the kind of wealth many tribes have seen from slot machines and blackjack tables.

"We don't have any revenue coming in except for a little convenience store," says James Roger Madalena, a former tribal governor who now represents the pueblo in the state Legislature. "It's very critical that we become innovative, creative, that we come up with something that will last generations without having a devastating impact on the environment."

more:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0114/Indian-tribe-sees-bright-future-in-solar-power

[cutlassmama]

1. Why we don't ALL do that is beyond me. Everyone should be required to go solar,

and wind powered for each of our homes.

[Warpy]

2. It's especially appropriate in this part of the country

where cloudy days are a rare occurrence. We get sun for part of most days out here.

Solar and wind alone won't do it. There has to be a way to store the energy not used during the day for use at night. Batteries are expensive, inefficient, and with a very limited life. Closed systems that use surplus power during the day for electrolysis and fuel cell power at night are certainly a possibility, although the fuel cell would need to be shared to make it large enough to be worthwhile.

[kristopher]

4. There are better alternatives for storage than H & fuel cells.

And your post presumes they will go off the grid, why should they? As long as they are tied to the grid, they have the best of both worlds.

[Warpy]

5. At this point, they are on the grid

Jemez, along with the other Pueblos, is a small town rather than a spread out reservation like the Navajo rez is. Their strategy will be different, generating solar by day and having the meter run backward, using power at night and just paying the difference, if there is any to pay.

My suggestion was for people isolated out here in the southwest. A closed system as I suggested would do the job without needing frequent replacement.

[kristopher]

6. I've been through there many, many times...

I often went to Los Alamos from ABQ and whenever the roads where clear of snow (and a couple of times when the weren't) I'd take the back way through the Jemez. I have a nice little collection of pottery from the general store they mention in the article. I'm really, really pleased they've found a viable source of income by becoming a power producer.

My thought on storage if they needed it (specific to the pueblo) was that they are perfectly situated for pumped hydro. There are also alternatives for locations without a mountain in their backyard.

[kristopher]

3. Good for them...

That is one of my favorite parts of America.

[M155Y_A1CH]

7. What a perfect match

It all seems so traditional.
:kick: