Clean-energy pipe dreams

Waterbury Republican-American ^ | July 29, 2008 | Editorial

[Graybeard58]

In 1961, John Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon in 10 years; eight years later, Neil Armstrong took mankind's giant leap. Therefore, Al Gore says, America can produce all of its electricity from "renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources" — wind, solar and geothermal, but not emissions-free nuclear — within 10 years.

It's official: Al Gore is insane.

In a speech long on non-sequiturs and devoid of real detail, Crazy Al told an energy conference last week it is vital America follow his vision of a fossil-fuel-free society to bring about a fundamental reordering of civilization (or a return to the Middle Ages, whichever comes first) because, well, he's the God of the Greens.

His speech put no price tag on his vision, but beforehand, he told The Associated Press $3 trillion (the actual cost, for infrastructure alone, would be many times that) over 30 years (20 years beyond his own timetable) ought to cover it.

(By the way, Americans spent an inflation-adjusted $180 billion and sacrificed little to get first-man-on-the-moon bragging rights, which is more than they can hope to get from the tremendous sacrifice necessary to create Crazy Al's green elephant.)

He admitted his vision must overcome "many obstacles," not the least of which is its fuzzy math and its implicit demand that homeowners and business people who heat with oil spend many thousands to convert to electric and rip out their old furnaces and oil tanks.

But Crazy Al said the status quo will be more expensive because fossil fuels are so expensive, largely because folks like Crazy Al have choked off supply. To bring electricity prices down, end all wars, stop outsourcing of American jobs, solve the mortgage crisis, fix the economy and save the planet — his words, not ours — America must generate electricity exclusively with solar, wind and geo- thermal within 10 years.

Talk about voodoo economics. Naugatuck is spending almost $6 million to put a solar array on the roof of its high school. Over the next 25 years (if they last that long), the panels will generate almost $2 million worth of electricity.

In other words, best-case scenario: It will cost $3 to produce $1 of electricity. To break even, the price of power would have to triple, an outcome Crazy Al's scheme would achieve (and then some because he also proposes punitive carbon taxes) in the name of lowering electricity prices!

Like we said: insane.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[bikerman]

Cant wait to see the first solar powered 747 take to the sky

[Yo-Yo]

In 1961, John Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon in 10 years; eight years later, Neil Armstrong took mankind's giant leap.

Bzzzzzt. Wrong. John Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon "before the decade is out." We barely made it in July of 1969.

[mvpel]

Naugatuck is spending almost $6 million to put a solar array on the roof of its high school. Over the next 25 years (if they last that long), the panels will generate almost $2 million worth of electricity.

I think that price tag probably has more to do with bid-rigging and corruption than with the technology. Or perhaps they were due to replace the roof anyway, and the price tag includes roof reconstruction as well as the solar PV equipment.

Typical photovoltaic payoff periods are usually under 10 years these days, depending on the price of electricity. Apparently Naugatuck is a 365kW system.

[Graybeard58]

Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.

If you want on or off this list, let me know.

[Old Professer]

You don’t think the electric companies would take that lying down, do you?

http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/published/Agenda_resolution/58963-03.htm

[DManA]

The difference is we knew exactly where we had to go to get to the moon. We have no idea where to look for an economic replacement for oil.

[coalman]

solar is a joke,just like the other alt energy,but we should keep researching those alt. sources,but not have a government mandate to force anyone to use them. Coal and oil are here to stay,as far as practicality is concerned,now they may not be if we are destroyed by some lame communistic evil plot to destroy the USA. We will be glad to have the coal and oil in the coming ice age,theres way more evidence for that than GW. Right now two major volcanic eruptions are putting out more pollutants than mankind ever will,hundereds of other volcanic/geothermal events are adding to that.The result of volcanic eruptions is a cooling of the earth,add that to our most dramtic cooling happening RIGHT NOW! and we could freeze to death waiting on that sun to shine for our little solar heater

[#1CTYankee]

Al is insane but geothermal is a very economic way of generating power.

Link below.

http://www.yourownpower.com/Power/#Project%20Overview%20...

Estimates are 6-7 cents per Kilowatt hour.

[Publius6961]

Typical photovoltaic payoff periods are usually under 10 years these days, depending on the price of electricity. Apparently Naugatuck is a 365kW system.

In your dreams.
Or perhaps if you get your "facts and figures" from a "Green Industry" web site.

Anyone can do this execise.

Google major photovoltaic installations, 1980-2000.
Just stay away from "green" sites.

The experience in the real world is nothing short of dismal, and the "bookeeping" to trumpet the savings would make Al Capone blush...

[Cheetahcat]

Bzzzzzt. Wrong. John Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon “before the decade is out.” We barely made it in July of 1969.

Yes and that was with the REAL NASA not this liberalized joke we have now!

[The Great RJ]

Imagine the results if JFK’s challenge to put a man on the moon within a decade had the caveat that we were to accomplish this using anti-gravity technology. Gore’s call for replacing all fossil fuels with “renewable and carbon free sources” in 10 years is no less far fetched.