Bill to seek 10% solar energy standard(MN)

pioneer press ^ | 2-21-13 | Leslie Brooks Suzukamo

[TurboZamboni]

Minnesota should have a mandate for using solar energy similar to the one it has for using renewable wind energy, say backers of a pair of bills to be filed Thursday in the State Legislature. The bills would require the state's utilities to produce 10 percent of electricity from solar energy by 2030. A solar standard would raise present utility rates by 1 percent per year, starting with the first year, and be borne by ratepayers, its backers said in a news conference at the State Capitol Wednesday, Feb. 20. But legislators sponsoring the Solar Energy Jobs Act emphasized it as a jobs bill, saying it will create 2,000 jobs in its first year alone, based on analysis using software from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. State Rep. Will Morgan, DFL-Burnsville, and the author of the House version, said a solar energy standard also could attract more than $230 million in investments in its first year

[TurboZamboni]

BOONDOGGLE! I wonder which lawmaker(s) has ties to the solar company.

[wbill]

So.....who’s going to shovel the snow off all the solar panels in the winter?

[TurboZamboni]

Then we just need some high speed trains coming from all four directions to bring the thousands of workers
to the magic fairy kingdom of free electricy.

I’m sure the ice and snow will have zero impact on the fantastic output of the panels.

[TurboZamboni]

Then we just need some high speed trains coming from all four directions to bring the thousands of workers
to the magic fairy kingdom of free electricy.

I’m sure the ice and snow will have zero impact on the fantastic output of the panels.

It’ll be such a source of civic pride that legislators and citizens alike will come to shovel them off for free!

[cripplecreek]

You could cover every square mile of the state in solar panels and not reach that goal.

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[Da Coyote]

Hey Minnesota Libs - why not mandate 100% solar?

That way, we can have the pleasure of watching you idiots freeze to death in the dark.

There are maroons, true maroons, and uber maroons.

Libs fit the latter.

[TurboZamboni]

Dumb
For
Life

DFL

[wbill]

I’m sure the ice and snow will have zero impact on the fantastic output of the panels

:-)

I've never lived in MN, but I have in Maine. The sun doesn't come up, much, in the dead of winter.

I'm sure that having the sun rise after 8 and set before 4, for a fair bit, will have little impact as well.

Previous poster was right. Just follow the money. Some Pol owns stock in the right solar company.

[Secret Agent Man]

I didn’t realize Minnesota had billions in surplus funds to piss away.

[justrepublican]

And so it was written that in the land of snow and clouds there would be sunshine and wind mills for all , and the citizens rejoiced for the Dayton did proclaimed it would be good and just for all!

[hadaclueonce]

“State Legislature” Those two words says it all.

These clowns get elected and spend the first term trying how to get their name in the press.

It does not mater if it is solar energy or cheerleader rights, they have a supporter.

[TurboZamboni]

The right to lead cheers is in the penumbra.

[steve86]

"You could cover every square mile of the state in solar panels and not reach that goal."

These econuts are so far detached from reality it is laughable. Saw this morning where an idiot in the Seattle paper is advocating tearing the diesels out of the Puget Sound ferries and converting them all to "wind power". And he didn't mean sailboats he meant ferries with wind turbines on the top. LOL. That'll work.

[cripplecreek]

We killed prop 3 in November but my point is larger. These unattainable goals have the bigger issue of control behind them. They don't care that the goals are unattainable as long as they can get the force of law behind them to force other green energy initiatives.

Proposal 3 would require that the state add as many as 13 times more wind turbines in Michigan than currently operate. Proposal 3 would mandate that 25 percent of Michigan’s energy come from renewable sources. Wind is expected to be the primary supplier of renewable energy if the proposal passes.

Advocates and experts predict 2,300 to 3,790 nearly 500-feet high wind turbines would have to be added to meet the 25-percent mandate. Michigan currently has 292 wind turbines in operation.



Most of Michigan is 'Poor' or 'Marginal' For Wing Energy

[dennisw]

Minnesota adjoins North Dakota and its oil boom. Build a few pipelines, bring some cut rate oil into Minnesota, refine it and you are in bushiness. Far better idea than solar

Minnesota has two oil refineries. Get them suited up (expanded) for North Dakota oil and gas

[steve86]

Our utility in Washington State is required to purchase "renewable" power although there is all the hydro power you could want and it isn't considered "renewable". What? Big fight right now.

Some of the turbines on higher ridgelines here do pull their own weight but still an unsightly mess and much more expensive then power from the dams.

[TurboZamboni]

I’m sure WI would be happy to see us saps in MN some of their hydro power.

[cripplecreek]

Our utility in Washington State is required to purchase "renewable" power although there is all the hydro power you could want and it isn't considered "renewable". What?

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan all have enormous hydroelectric potential in existing dams but the liberals are tearing them out as fast as possible. It just goes to show you that its about the power to control.

I've done a fair amount of research into the costs of wind and solar vs hydroelectric and personally determined that its insanity to overlook the existing dams. It costs about 1/4 more to refurbish and restore dams to electricity production but unlike windmills, it doesn't need to be done every 10 to 15 years like a windmill. Modern generator technology means even very small hydro plants can produce a huge amount of power. My township council has looked into it for our little millpond and estimates that it could produce more electricity than a half dozen of these 300 to 500 foot windmills and there are at least 6 other dams of similar or larger size within 20 miles of here.

Just a quick estimate tells me that we could repower 6 dams for around $24 million that will produce as much electricity as 36 windmills at at cost of $72 million. (I estimated $4 mil per dam and $2 mil to erect a windmill and that's not counting the fact that the windmill needs to be replaced many times in the operating lifetime of a hydro plant)

One thing that dams do that no other energy source can do is create high dollar lakefront property, fishing and boating related revenue.

[dennisw]

Eco-freaks don’t like dams. They don’t like hydro-power. They will rally against and try to stop all new hydro-power