Comments on: A Financial Stimulus Package that Pays for Your Photovoltaic System?

By: design

design — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Well after so many years spent dodging “Kyoto” bullets, seems something is moving now. A big oil shock first, facing China challenge, then this financial crisis… It is rude but true : “Grab ‘em by the balls, and their hearts and minds will follow”. Though more than from a green sensitivity the appeal comes again from earning money. If this is the only thrust this “get paid for” policy will be flushed as soon as conventional power sources prices fall down again.

By: design

design — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:17:00 +0000

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:36:54 +0000

The Bush government was forced to borrow huge sums of money from China to pay off OPEC countries for the oil we burn! We must stop oil addiction! Plug in hybrid cars will reduce the amount of oil we burn, but require electricity to do so. We have little choice in the matter. We must generate electricity, by burning coal, windmills and solar installations or be blackmailed by greedy OPEC countries for another century!If the U.S. had chosen to be a moral people, and leaving Iraqi oil alone, and following Al Gore, decided to develop the South Western deserts, with the technology of the times – solar/thermal-molten sodium – electricity installations, for the same amount of money as that war cost, ($650 Billion), today, we would be tapping into the largest, renewable, sustainable, energy source the world has ever known. It would have paid every energy bill in the U.S.A. for maintenance fees only – FOREVER! It would be equivalent to an oil field that can NEVER run dry! Low cost electric power, and storeable hydrogen gasoline replacement from the electricity, for all!
After the millions of murders, and $650 billions of dollars, borrowed from our children’s futures and pissed away, with thousands of our own and others maimed and disfigured for life, millions of families utterly destroyed, ours and theirs, we are no closer to Iraqi oil production than the Iraqis are!
The next time you hear a blithering idiot spoiled brat, drunken, drug addicted, sociopath, rich Arabic saber dancing daddie’s boy oilman, stand at a microphone and threaten YOUR safety with someone ELSE’S weapons, remember what you lost America, remember, and weep! (also see http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan)

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:36:00 +0000

By: Tim Hurst

Tim Hurst — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:14:24 +0000

Alex-

I guess I should have made it clearer that Xcel gives rebates because the voters approved a referendum mandating an aggressive Renewables Portfolio Standard.

That said, Xcel is now a huge champion of clean energy in Colorado. After having fought the original referendum, they stood completely behind the doubling of it a few years later.

By: Tim Hurst

Tim Hurst — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Alex-

I guess I should have made it clearer that Xcel gives rebates because the voters approved a referendum mandating an aggressive Renewables Portfolio Standard.

That said, Xcel is now a huge champion of clean energy in Colorado. After having fought the original referendum, they stood completely behind the doubling of it a few years later.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:43:49 +0000

As an Xcel Energy customer in MN where this program is NOT available, I can assure you that they are doing it because of legislation, not out of the goodness of their hearts. Laws requiring these steps are the only way we’ll accomplish any progress in this area, so don’t be shy about contacting your representatives in government to push for these changes.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:43:00 +0000

By: Joel Bittle

Joel Bittle — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:29:15 +0000

Great idea, Tim. Thanks for your comment.

By: Joel Bittle

Joel Bittle — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Great idea, Tim. Thanks for your comment.