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Big Solar Energy Projects Could be Coming to the West

Get Solar -- Six western states, including California, Colorado and Arizona, now have the potential to get more of their energy needs met by solar power. On October 12, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced close to 285,000 acres of public land will be set aside for future large-scale solar power plants.

In order to encourage solar development, the federal government said it would lower the cost of obtaining a permit to build solar projects and is offering additional incentives to solar developers. While no specific projects have been approved yet the 17 newly-established solar energy zones throughout the western states have the potential to provide electricity to 7 million households.

"[We] are laying a sustainable foundation to keep expanding our nation’s domestic energy resources," Ken Sal

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Submitted Oct 17, 2012 By: skb69sa

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,590 Points:1,606,595 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Oct 19, 2012 11:02:10 PM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse put the production close to the consumption.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,590 Points:1,606,595 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Oct 19, 2012 4:45:25 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse CA and Las Vegas are also one of the biggest energy users.
BEGTWO Champion Author Maryland Posts:1,927 Points:720,615 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Oct 18, 2012 8:56:28 AM Ignore BEGTWO Report Abuse OK
remay Champion Author Houston Posts:6,953 Points:2,114,690 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Oct 18, 2012 5:55:59 AM Ignore remay Report Abuse Really? With all the solar companies going under?
Eugenian Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,842 Points:358,130 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 11:34:58 PM Ignore Eugenian Report Abuse I'd rather have my tax dollars subsidizing this progress (at relatively low cost) than paying for Bush's trillion-dollar invasion of the wrong country (oops!) or Exxon's larger-than-anything-previously-seen-in-human-history windfall profits.
DanMtz Champion Author Oakland Posts:3,340 Points:1,240,400 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 12:55:20 PM Ignore DanMtz Report Abuse ...unless the projects disrupt the living conditions of a lizard or something...
bar1035 Champion Author Charlotte Posts:9,135 Points:1,294,445 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 12:48:59 PM Ignore bar1035 Report Abuse look up just how much of the US our socialist government owns sometime
k2kipp Champion Author Minnesota Posts:3,151 Points:1,124,260 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 9:17:21 AM Ignore k2kipp Report Abuse So by setting up more solar it would mean reduction of fossil fuel consumption. These solar panels last over 25 years. Solar energy to recharge the battery powered cars you all hate (reduction of oil usage). Cheaper electric heat (reduction of oil usage). Need I spell it all out for everyone? God forbid that eventually gasoline prices may drop because of reduction of oil usage. Hell no we don't want that. All these complaints of how the government isn't doing anything to lower the cost of energy. It appears you don't want them to. You don't want change. Do you think your tax money will be returned to you if projects like this are blocked? Are they going to mail you a check? Solar, Wind, Oil, Hydyo. whatever... all have a place... what ever works best in that situation. They all need to be used in combination. The government has used tax money for nearly everything you have today, Roads, Schools, Parks, Coal mines, Big oil, Farming.... need I go on? This isn't a political opinion... but something must change... and change now.
torch347 Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:1,065 Points:1,030,525 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:31:42 AM Ignore torch347 Report Abuse I agree with schvanda63.
jiml1965 Champion Author Harrisburg Posts:3,020 Points:687,325 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:31:13 AM Ignore jiml1965 Report Abuse subsidized, your tax dollars at work
bigt61 All-Star Author Virginia Posts:652 Points:203,015 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:31:08 AM Ignore bigt61 Report Abuse Joeski1 said: No waste by products from solar or wind! No radioactivity, no heavy water, no coal slag, no coal ash, no fracking waste water, little or no air pollution. Which energy source is really cheaper? ================================================== You think those solar panels just magically appear out of thin air? It takes big nasty factories mixing 1000's of tons of chemicals to make them. They need to be installed, cleaned, maintained and replaced by crews having to service them over thousands of acres. All for relatively minimal power output. While the sun is shining of course. Oh, you need power at night? Now we need batteries with their own pollution and longevity problems. Solar panels on rooftops supplementing home power use likely will never pay for themselves, but at least the homeowner gets a warm fuzzy "green" feeling. Major solar installations are a taxpayer boondoggle of the 1st order and a joke.
k2kipp Champion Author Minnesota Posts:3,151 Points:1,124,260 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:20:11 AM Ignore k2kipp Report Abuse I use some solar to cut my electric bill. Those bitching about it, DON"T KNOW SQUAT!
bigt61 All-Star Author Virginia Posts:652 Points:203,015 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:19:30 AM Ignore bigt61 Report Abuse 285,000 acres? 10 years from now we'll be tearing that crap down so we can drill.
PTBpricer Champion Author Virginia Posts:1,463 Points:202,520 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:17:10 AM Ignore PTBpricer Report Abuse More power to them.
schvanda63 Champion Author Lansing Posts:1,307 Points:262,260 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:09:35 AM Ignore schvanda63 Report Abuse "In order to encourage solar development, the federal government said it would lower the cost of obtaining a permit to build solar projects and is offering additional incentives to solar developers." Like MANY people have said before, if it is viable, let it pay for itself without government money(OUR TAX DOLLARS). Let the private sector pony up for once.
LocalSpyGuy Champion Author Tampa Posts:7,785 Points:1,582,250 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 8:09:29 AM Ignore LocalSpyGuy Report Abuse I'm with Joeski1.
btsom Sophomore Author Oklahoma City Posts:222 Points:14,100 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:57:51 AM Ignore btsom Report Abuse Joeski1 said: " No waste by products from solar or wind! No radioactivity, no heavy water, no coal slag, no coal ash, no fracking waste water, little or no air pollution. Which energy source is really cheaper?" Have you thought about the energy use and pollution caused by mining the minerals and in the manufacturing of the solar panels and the wiring to hook it all together? How environmentally friendly are worn out solar panels in land fills? What happens to the water cycle, climate and native wild life when the ground under the solar panels no longer gets its daily heating and cooling cycles? What will be the impact of the chemicals used to keep the panels clean? All of this for a system which produces power for 25% to 30% of the time. Hope you don't have a medical emergency at night or on a cloudy day, there may be no light in the hospital.
otherdave Champion Author Indiana Posts:3,378 Points:1,266,235 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:54:27 AM Ignore otherdave Report Abuse ANOTHER OBUMMER ROAD TO NOWHERE!
w4kh Champion Author Tennessee Posts:11,655 Points:2,226,065 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:53:48 AM Ignore w4kh Report Abuse These states have enough sunny days to justify the investment, and once the panels are installed, there isn't much maintenance because solar has no moving parts to wear down.
ss70 Champion Author Detroit Posts:9,639 Points:1,867,175 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:51:10 AM Ignore ss70 Report Abuse US should go solar and wind way to the max .
danny999 Champion Author Florida Posts:8,708 Points:1,636,135 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:43:56 AM Ignore danny999 Report Abuse Gonna steal more tax payers money for your fantasy energy league,OBUMMA.
QualTekGuy Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,051 Points:730,925 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:43:43 AM Ignore QualTekGuy Report Abuse Solar is part of our future, whether or not people want to embrace it.
1stClicker Champion Author Texas Posts:5,301 Points:2,240,620 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:42:20 AM Ignore 1stClicker Report Abuse Is this another Obummer investment with our taxpayer money?
checkum Champion Author St. Louis Posts:7,581 Points:1,472,090 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:41:31 AM Ignore checkum Report Abuse a waste of money
91Hilux Champion Author New Haven Posts:2,152 Points:678,770 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:39:18 AM Ignore 91Hilux Report Abuse We need to find out how China can produce panels at a fraction of the price we can, and put them out of business.
ChristinaCricke Champion Author New Jersey Posts:3,727 Points:764,650 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:38:43 AM Ignore ChristinaCricke Report Abuse OK
bobcatfan Champion Author Kentucky Posts:1,582 Points:614,520 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:36:43 AM Ignore bobcatfan Report Abuse In 1890, the only use for oil products (yes, they existed) was to burn in lamps and stoves. Then along came the "rich man's toy"... the automobile. It still took another quarter of a century before there was a real availability of cars. We've been doing solar for about 10 years. Let the technology advance another 15-20 years and we may be saying... "Gas, really? You still use gas?"
Buck_on_Bass Champion Author Tennessee Posts:7,564 Points:1,452,610 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:36:31 AM Ignore Buck_on_Bass Report Abuse This is where the government is trying to pick winners and losers. Wind technologies are still in need of incentives after more than twenty years. Will solar be the same?
Siddie1926 All-Star Author Houston Posts:824 Points:204,320 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:35:45 AM Ignore Siddie1926 Report Abuse Hope they have the brains tohve the solar panels made in the USA
Bullseye520 Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,182 Points:664,465 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:35:07 AM Ignore Bullseye520 Report Abuse Okay!
itzagasgasgas1 Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:3,954 Points:1,596,245 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:35:01 AM Ignore itzagasgasgas1 Report Abuse We need to evaluate the profitability of these burgeoning industries before we continue to flush hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain.
The3rd Champion Author Jacksonville Posts:2,851 Points:826,560 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:34:13 AM Ignore The3rd Report Abuse While this is all fine and good... where will the solar panels come from, China?
miamimusic Champion Author Miami Posts:2,138 Points:1,249,195 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:34:06 AM Ignore miamimusic Report Abuse We need more projects like this.
Alaydown Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:5,098 Points:820,470 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:33:41 AM Ignore Alaydown Report Abuse More tax money wasted
PENNYPINCHR Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:5,339 Points:2,277,720 Joined:Jul 2001	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:33:28 AM Ignore PENNYPINCHR Report Abuse More Solar businesses getting our tax dollars which seem to be going bankrupt. This is Obama's energy policy. Vote the SOB out of office!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MidNJ Champion Author New Jersey Posts:7,536 Points:1,169,685 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:32:54 AM Ignore MidNJ Report Abuse Hopefully sooner rather than later.
TAT36 Champion Author Florida Posts:6,783 Points:1,300,000 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:32:31 AM Ignore TAT36 Report Abuse Could be depends on the election how it progresses.
chuckhermann All-Star Author New York Posts:952 Points:497,150 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:31:27 AM Ignore chuckhermann Report Abuse A combination of sun (daytime) and wind (when the sun sets) would provide a good mix. Of course, you still need either energy storage or generation capacity for these intermittent resources.
biza4u Champion Author New Haven Posts:8,508 Points:1,624,975 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:31:15 AM Ignore biza4u Report Abuse Useless
georged12 All-Star Author Michigan Posts:836 Points:52,410 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:30:22 AM Ignore georged12 Report Abuse OK
mh44s Champion Author Madison Posts:4,374 Points:1,687,040 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:28:15 AM Ignore mh44s Report Abuse Still need other power sources when the sun goes down.
bozo Champion Author Boston Posts:4,690 Points:2,091,630 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:28:13 AM Ignore bozo Report Abuse limited appeal for using tax dollars.
bowler360 Champion Author Illinois Posts:1,955 Points:496,525 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:27:36 AM Ignore bowler360 Report Abuse Nothing is free.
miser73 Champion Author Gary Posts:1,166 Points:238,315 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:27:25 AM Ignore miser73 Report Abuse Solar faces the same challenge as electric vehicles. Both need better rechargeable battery technology to make them practical.
cricket48750 All-Star Author Michigan Posts:787 Points:410,555 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:27:21 AM Ignore cricket48750 Report Abuse Bring it!
RochBear Champion Author Minnesota Posts:10,449 Points:1,738,915 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:26:20 AM Ignore RochBear Report Abuse There are large part of AZ owned by the Gov't which is pretty much worthless land, So setting up a large solar farm would make good use of that land. Our Land.
CSharpGuy Champion Author Colorado Springs Posts:9,457 Points:1,895,460 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:26:17 AM Ignore CSharpGuy Report Abuse Building solar panels is still very expensive.
Marson Champion Author Scranton Posts:8,932 Points:2,075,235 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:26:05 AM Ignore Marson Report Abuse All of this sustainable energy is lovely, but it should not have government subsidy. It is really only good if it stands on it's own economics.
NoGas714 All-Star Author Indiana Posts:733 Points:748,235 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:24:59 AM Ignore NoGas714 Report Abuse The sun still shines for free.
HEMI4x4OH Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:5,378 Points:606,600 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 7:24:57 AM Ignore HEMI4x4OH Report Abuse OK