Feds Suddenly Environmentalists? Halt Solar Development . WTF?

[NCDem60]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/us/27solar.html

“Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, 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. The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states.”


We should drill everywhere but solar power? No way. Idiots.

[Clovis Sangrail]

1. solar panels are dangerous

much better to lease the land out for mining or oil exploration
:sarcasm:

[TheFarseer]

2. this is getting really disgusting

everytime someone has a solution, someone has to take a big dump all over it. Wind is killing birds and hydro is hurting fish, OMG, we can't do nuclear because something almost happened 30 years ago, and now solar might be bad for something. I say we set Dick Cheney up on a hamster wheel connected to a turbine and see where that gets us.

[Gold Metal Flake]

3. There are no environmental impact reports for rooftop installs.

On the roof is where the industry will move. Nothing will stop solar. It's an international market and it's growing fast.

[ladjf]

5. We need the large solar projects that use public lands.

The key here is to get enough renewable sources to take pressure off of the demand for oil, thereby forcing the oil prices down. Residential use of solar isn't massive enough to have a significant impact on the competition with oil.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. I understand the goal.

Residential is not the only rooftop.

[ladjf]

8. Some big stores like Walmart are deploying solar panels. That

works great.

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. It helps.

What I envision is a back-door approach utilizing corporate roofspace. It's not "the goal" but it will continue demand in this country until industrial PV farms are implemented. Meanwhile, new developments in concentrated PV keep being announced. Most recently, a method of using an active coating to capture and focus sunlight for CPV that eliminates the need for moving mechanical trackers. That is a huge deal for industrial CPV applications.

The world will continue to demand CPV, the US companies will continue to innovate and respond. The US government can not resist for long.

Once we have a crapload of Dems running around in positions of authority inside the beltway, industrial PV will happen. But, in the meantime, the republickers will not stop PV.

[alarimer]

7. But you can't remove acres of habitat like that

Much more acreage than is required for wind, say. I am not saying I agree with this move but putting huge numbers of solar panels on public land IS going to remove it as habitat and that impact does need to be studied before it is done. Removing trees, for example, to place solar panels is very bad. I would prefer they use the tops of already existing structure. Much lower impact. In fact, probably next to none. Put them where they need the electricity, not in the middle of nowhere.

[ladjf]

9. I'm not sure where they have applied for permission to deploy

solar farms. I was under the impression that they were primarily interested in desert type environments. Also, some of the installations are the reflector type that is built in a circle.

I wouldn't favor cutting down any forest to use for solar. There are too many areas that would work
for solar without disturbing Nature.

[Gold Metal Flake]

11. Deserts such as Death Valley and open plains such as in north Texas and Oklahoma.

Dealing with the fragile and unique ecosystems such as in Death Valley will have to be considered. You can destroy entire species easily there. It's important to figure out ways to do this that don't cause extinctions. This is why I favor covering industrial roofs in urban areas. It allows PV to progress while other issues are figured out. Call it the Kudzu approach. Just keep growing!

[sam sarrha]

4. reagan ordered a 50 yr study of acid rain for coal fired power plants..