Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Calif Announces Project To Power 250,000 Homes Using Energy Beamed From Space(VCs To Get Billions)
BusinessInsider ^ | |Dec. 8, 2009, 3:02 PM | Graham Winfrey

Posted on 12/08/2009 5:52:01 PM PST by fight_truth_decay

California is making waves today by announcing a first-of-its-kind space-based solar project that will transmit energy down to earth from space. According to estimates from developers, the project will generate enough electricity to power 250,000 homes per year. SolarFeeds.com: California’s biggest energy utility PG&E has announced that they would purchase 200MW off solar power that will be beamed from space by 2016.


(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: cleantech; energy; solar; solarpower; space
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
( same like article Sept. 2009) "...energy would be collected over a 15-year period, transmitted back to Earth via radio frequency power, and converted to renewable electricity for PG&E and its customers..." "thanks to massive VC investment in cleantech startups, dramatic gains have been made in seemingly dormant research. With traditional capital providers refocusing priorities, the investment baton has clearly been passed to utilities to help us benefit from groundbreaking, VC-infused cleantech efforts."

"Thanks to massive VC investment in cleantech startups?

"VCs are changing their roles as the government becomes a big factor in determining which cleantech startups succeed...For example, cleantech group LLC : SAIL-backed cleantech startups to secure $3B in government funds & loan guarantees to commercialize their technologies...a new kind of VC organization that makes partnership with government a core competency and asset. Risk taking and government agencies simply don’t go together. Yet this is what is being attempted."

1 posted on 12/08/2009 5:52:02 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

Oh brother.


2 posted on 12/08/2009 5:53:10 PM PST by BurbankKarl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

WTF?


3 posted on 12/08/2009 5:54:21 PM PST by Poundstone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay
California is making waves today....

You can say that again, financially.

4 posted on 12/08/2009 5:55:49 PM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

So Uncle Sugar will pay the start up and then the consumers will pay whatever it takes..and PG&E will get it added to their base rate. No matter what it costs.


5 posted on 12/08/2009 5:56:37 PM PST by Oldexpat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

Next thing you know they will be monitoring all of our energy usage obama plans a new electrical grid and internet and I can easily see him taking charge of things like this.

Going High-Tech to Track Home Energy Use

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/30/earlyshow/leisure/gamesgadgetsgizmos/main5834076.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesArea

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHNQ_enUS345US345&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=obama+wants+new+electrical+grid


6 posted on 12/08/2009 5:57:02 PM PST by FromLori (FromLori)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BurbankKarl

If one piece of space junk ends up in the right place, out go the lights.


7 posted on 12/08/2009 5:58:33 PM PST by UCANSEE2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay
Is there a chance the track could bend?

Not on your life, my Hindu friend.

8 posted on 12/08/2009 5:59:37 PM PST by steveo (2010 never again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

OH oh. Capturing solar energy that would have missed or bounced off the earths atmosphere and piping it down to earth just adds to the heat load of the earth. Wait until the global warming nuts hear about this.


9 posted on 12/08/2009 6:00:06 PM PST by HD1200
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

I thought the sun was already doing this? ;-)


10 posted on 12/08/2009 6:01:54 PM PST by doc1019 (Obama, not so much.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

How can I resist?

“Beam me up, Scotty.”


11 posted on 12/08/2009 6:02:53 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FromLori
It is not just monitoring. The 'sensors' are being built by a company that Obama's 'buddies' own, and they CUT your power (by powering off selected devices), to maintain an even load on the grid.

So, even if you are willing to pay for the electricity, too bad. You have been deemed to stupid to conserve electricity usage by yourself. The government is going to do it for you. There will be an extra charge for that, btw.

12 posted on 12/08/2009 6:04:39 PM PST by UCANSEE2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

Looks like some kind of solar powered space weapon to me.


13 posted on 12/08/2009 6:05:05 PM PST by smokingfrog (I'm from TEXAS -- what country are YOU from?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.


14 posted on 12/08/2009 6:07:07 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone
"as the government becomes a big factor in determining which cleantech startups succeed"

Clean Tech Forum 2009: Smart Grid Panel Speakers

Thomas E. Cain, Managing Partner, Sail Venture Partners
Wesley K. Clark, Chairman and CEO, Wesley K. Clark & Associates
Peter A. Darbee, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation
William Clay Ford, Jr., Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
Jeff Ziarko, Legislative Assistant to Congressman Sander Levin... etc...

15 posted on 12/08/2009 6:07:43 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

never happen

saw this idea 30 years ago when i was in the solar industry with hughes research labs. Microwaves will kill any birds that fly into the transmit path, planes cant fly through it. ground based solar is way cheaper, point of use solar power generation is a better solution.
Distribution from a central source can always become a control issue, price is always going to be more expensive when all factors are considered.point of use power generation solves it all.


16 posted on 12/08/2009 6:11:14 PM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: smokingfrog

And, if you happen to get in the way of the microwave beam that transmits the power to earth, a solar powered space weapon is exactly what it is.


17 posted on 12/08/2009 6:12:33 PM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: fight_truth_decay

Any bets on this monstrosity ever starting up and producing power?


18 posted on 12/08/2009 6:13:34 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Are my guns loaded? Break in and find out.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: calljack

the biggest problem was current flow set up magnetic fields that warped the power busses. It cost too much to put up something that was heavy and strong enough to not warp out of shape when the current started to flow. Maybe they fixed that but that was only 1 of many problems. now there is probably too much space junk (400,000 pieces and counting)
to keep it producing long enough to pay for itself.


19 posted on 12/08/2009 6:16:43 PM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: calljack
never happen

They still get the billions..


The New World Order
“We shall have world government whether or not you like it, by conquest or consent.” - Statement by Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) member James Warburg to The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 17th, 1950.
"We are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence; on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly-knit highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific, and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed." John F. Kennedy

20 posted on 12/08/2009 6:20:21 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson