June 28, 2008
Stunting Solar
The New York Times reports that the federal government has, once again, put its head where the sun don't shine (forgive teh reference):
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 — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
But the decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily, reached late last month, has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry, as fledgling solar companies must wait to see if they can realize their hopes of harnessing power from swaths of sun-baked public land, just as the demand for viable alternative energy is accelerating.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”
Ah, but it makes perfect sense if you want to deed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to your oily friends before you leave office. The last time Bush worried about an environmental impact was when he fell off his bike in '04.
We aren't the only ones to smell something repugnant
CleanBeta has discovered an internal study conducted by the Bureau of Land Management in 2003 that describes the enormous potential for concentrated and photovoltaic solar energy production on BLM lands in the same six states where it froze today’s projects. The study (attached below) recommends that BLM rapidly increase the number of solar energy projects on these public lands. In fact, this is what BLM did. In the five years since the document appeared, the Bureau began recruiting solar energy projects to select sites on federal lands, which led to the dramatic increase they are now using as an excuse to shut the project down. The document raises serious questions about the Bureau’s reasons for freezing the solar energy projects located on federal lands. Please read the document — Bureau of Land-Management-Solar Energy on Federal Lands Assessment
If you're not disheartened enough take a look at this
On a cheerier alternative energy note, the Boston Globe staff held their first annual Prius rally. The winner rolled into the final stop at the Humvee dealership registering a whopping 63 miles per gallon. We have, with maximum concentration, and many irritated drivers lining up behind us, managed 45 miles per gallon in the silver bullet . Practice makes perfect.
Photo note: All the solar energy panels you're going to see for awhile.
Posted by Dakota at June 28, 2008 11:12 AM