[ApplegateRanch]

To make that a reality, a vast area of photovoltaic cells would have to be erected over 250,000 square miles of barren land in the Southwest.

1. The "environmental damage" shading would cause would drive envirowhacks lividly crazier, with predictable results;

2. the massive transmission problems would be a nightmare;

3. the 'eggs in one basket' problem with any kind of disaster, would be catastrophic;

4. transmission losses by the time power reached the East Coast would be massive;

5. Great, while the sun was up...photovoltaics don't work at night, and are poor early & late in the day.

Build more nuke plants, where & as needed.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Article in Scientific American if you get a chance. I’m not endorsing this but it lays out whole solar scheme:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan&page=1