The Feds have put a moratorium on new solar power plants being built on public lands according to this New York Times article. They claim they need to assess any "environmental impact" a new solar energy plant might cause. Their estimate is that they will need two years for their studies.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Interior Department cite possible causes of environmental concern such as:
- Water: most solar plants would be located in desert areas and the water needed to run them may cause problems for surrounding cities.
- Reclamation: how in the world would the feds "restore" the land after being used by a plant that has been running or 20 to 30 years. We're told it's a "big issue."
- Transmission Lines: they're wondering how much damage is going to be done to native vegetation. Also on their collective minds is just what will the "desert tortoise and Mojave ground squirrel" have to say about all this. Interviews with them will probably begin shortly.
The general thought is that yes, it would be wise to study this but not at the expense of getting these new plants up and going. Get the plants going and study the impact in real time as they progress in their development.
Editor Pat: This is what I warn about. Big government and multinational companies joining together to slow down to a crawl technology that will benefit people. How would it benefit government to have it's population independent and living off the grid? A population of strong rugged individualists would be self-sufficient and would not need a large "Nanny" government.
We can be sure that any time research and development brings progress and innovation to technology that services people better than the status quo-powerful forces will challenge it.
2 comments:
I am an Electrical engineer. Thermal solar is one of the best points of attack on our energy crisis and global health issues. Clean and relatively quick to roll out, with molten salt batteries or other storage technologies a true threat to the status quo.
This is the first push back by a corporate controlled government. What will they do when this and other technologies scale to the home?
What I can't understand is why the big electric companies like GE, IBM and even the utilities aren't arguing for the success of cheap clean energy. Low cost electricity means lots of electric motors and other devices for vehicles (yes we are there the batteries need a bit more density but VFD control and other digital methods will give you the motor you need for most jobs). Is it that their major share holders could be Saudi funds, Exxon, Texaco, Russian whats going on here?
Anonymous,
You would know better than most how important it is to get this technology off the ground.
Everyone will benefit from it.As you ask-What's going on? It makes no sense.
A mass letter, phone call and email revolt might be listened to but not enough people know about this technology and how it would benefit them. The powers that be know this so they're able to get away with it right now.
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