It's Alive! Alternative energy subsidies make their biggest comeback since Jimmy Carter.

Reason ^ | June 2009 | Ronald Bailey

[neverdem]

The main difference in 2009 is that an unfounded fear of depleting global resources has been replaced with an exaggerated fear of global warming.

Keep hope alive! Bailey's coming back!

[pointsal]

The mother’s milk....freebies from DC.

[Free Vulcan]

Alternative energy needs to stand on it’s own period.

The nuke technology is interesting.

[WorkingClassFilth]

In the upper midwest, a grid-tied photo-voltaic system cost about $8-12 per watt installed. For an average home at northern latitudes with good solar exposure, a 6 or 7 kilowatt system (w/4 solar hrs./day) might do the trick. That’d be a bill anywhere from $48,000 to 84,000 for the set-up. Government grants and credits are supposed to cut this in half, so the homeowner would be paying an average of $33,000 for the system. With cap and trade and an additional electrical cost of $1,000-$1,500 per household, realizing energy costs approaches some believable threshold if one plans on staying in one place for 20 years or so.

Of course, liberty and utility independence are the biggest reasons I can think of for owning a PV system. Cutting costs ain’t even on the list.

[OneWingedShark]

Actually, If they really wanted it they wouldn’t doo it via sponsoring... they would do it by awarding a cash-prize (tax-free) to the entity that accomplished the goal they wanted.

IE, Say that Government wanted 20% of our energy provided by solar; so they offer $50bn to the entity that put 20% solar energy into the grid. (With some specs, of course.) Then award the money to whomever does it. In a situation like one company providing %11, and one providing 14%... they might be able to file for it jointly, as their combined input is 25% of the grid, which exceeds the 20% mark they wanted.

Just my idea there.

[calcowgirl]

helping the United States achieve “energy independence.”

"Protectionists!"

[neverdem]

I have nothing against renewable energy, but it needs to be competitive in cost with no subsidy. Using renewable energy to feed power grids isn’t smart, IMHO. They are intermittent and make the required convenional power source less efficient because they have to generate a relatively constant power load. Solar and wind could add to a peak load, or generate hydrogen from the hydrolysis of water, IMHO.

[Mojave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8H5263jCGg

[org.whodat]

Not true, the subsidize for ethanol took place well after carter and it's billions per year.

[calcowgirl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLlwO7178Vs

[neverdem]

The Torture Debate Shows Our Vulnerability to Radical Evil

Napolitano Pulls Right-Wing Extremism Report

Sen. Graham is Sponsoring a Bill That Will Result in a National Anti-gun Database

More Americans "Pro-Life" Than "Pro-Choice" for First Time And the GOP should move to the center?

Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

[BIGLOOK]

I suppose I'm just a skeptic in all this....but the alternatives to 'fossil' fuels is .....what?

Wind power; requires a backup generating system when the winds are too low charge a grid, or too high, in which case the windmills are shut down to save the structures. Fossil fuels are the backup....(Thank you T.Boone!)

Nuclear! I'd invest in nuke power in a NY minute....except there's no locality that wants a nuke power plant built near it, thanks to Hollywood and shysters.

Solar! That's the ticket! Acres and acres of solar panels in the pristine praries and deserts of the West...'Where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play'! Of course there will be a backup fossil fuel generation plant when the seldomly heard of cloudy day occurs. Damn....a discouraging word....right T.Boone?

Lignified plant material! During the Global Warming hoax, millions upon millions of trees have been planted to offset the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning SUVs, jet aircraft and Toyota Prius (the statistical numbers game applies here, one SUV is replaced by three Prius rounding out the equation).

Just think of the wonderful transformation of energy technology if we can shake down fossil fuel energy providers to fund the plantings of more and more trees which can be used as a primary source of energy (and exercise) to warm our homes in the winter (Thank you, Ben Franklin!) and warm them in the summer as well.

Think of the traditions saved as well. The Yule log will be resurrected from oblivion, the Christmas Tree will provide a symbol of faith and joy.... and warmth a week later. We might even sneak a few lumps of coal from the brat's stocking for added heat. What the hell, it's Christmas....or winter solstice...or whatever.

Yessiree! We're embarked on a new journey into the discovery of new energy solutions which wouldn't have been possible had we not developed technologies to convert fossil fuels to energy in the first place. It's a new age!

(It's up to all of you to name this 'New Age')

Cough...cough...

[RoadTest]

Sure. Why use the petroleum God put in the ground for that purpose when we can burn the world’s food in our vehicles?

[Fraxinus]

Interesting little factiod for you.
Almost all coal fired plants designed to burn crusher run coal will burn shredded plant material with little or no changes to the plant.
The largest changes I know of are a slighter lower burn/boiler temp, and greater ash production.

[Elsie]

“They don’t really care how much it costs.”

“They don’t really care how much it costs.”

“They don’t really care how much it costs.”

“They don’t really care how much it costs.”

---

(Wanna BET!?)

[bert]

As I sit here in my office in 2009, the relics of those 70’s heady days of youth are about me. The south wall all of glass has been remodeled to include Low E insulating but is still floor to ceiling glass to permit the winter sunlight to strike the brown quarry tile floor. It is a very effective passive solar collector and has provided some warmth for virtually no cost for 34 winters. The eve overhang is just the correct dimension to prevent the warmth to collect in the summer and add to the A/C load.

The active so;ar collectors are long gone. Like the gas plant in the article they never worked well enought to be worthwhile. The trees however have grown and completely shade the house during summer providing the cool shade that reduces the interior temps.

I have been there and done that, I read the Mother Earth News from cover to cover and implemented many of the suggestions. I sold my wood burner because my insurance company frowned on solid fuel heating systems. That was ok because my chainsaw was worn out and gathering the wood was becoming more trouble than it was worth to a 65+er. I also sold my ‘78 GMC longbed after 25+ years of faithful service and shudder at the thought of piling up a load of wood in my new Sprinter van that replaced the pickup.

Having been there the current talk is deja vu ll overagain except for one thing. I worked over a nearly 10 year period as a subcontractor on three TVA Nuclear plants. Coupled with a pumped storage plant, they are proving to be the most effective of all the energy of that bygone era.

[Elsie]

Psst....

Ya wanna buy some Foreign oil-based gasoline at $1.99 a gallon, or,

some Domestic Ethanol at $2.79 a gallon??

[Elsie]

Why use the petroleum God put in the ground for that purpose when we can burn the world’s food in our vehicles?

Grampa had transportation that burned food: Dobbin!

[Elsie]

Wait!!

I’ll slip into your neighbor’s wallet and get a dollar from him so your Ethanol is only $1.79.

NOW will you buy it??

[Elsie]

Wait!

I’m gonna need a little more than that dollar for operationg expenses. Maybe a $1.50.

If he finds out I got HIS money, we can just get it from other taxpayers; ok?