The President visited projects done the right way-
These projects were near a load center and built on degraded land. I wonder if he thinks this is the way most Nevada projects will be, or whether he simply did a cynical PR ploy?
Obama said. “We’ll invest in the development and deployment of solar technology wherever it can thrive, and we’ll find the best ways to integrate solar power into our electric grid.”
I guess this means it our patriotic duty to make sure solar technology cannot thrive in the wrong kind of places — remote, scenic and biologically important areas, far from load centers.
Obama Touts Energy Progress. He Calls Projects In Nevada, Models. By William Branigin. Washington Post Staff Writer
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30985980/wid=18298287
The above article is on MSN, Obama administration has banned all forest road building for 1 year….If you can not build the roads???
Thanks. That sounds good.
Looks like that new forest directive doesn’t affect Idaho, which was the only state to develop and implement its own roadless rule before Bush left. Bummer.
But as I recall, the Wilderness Society (and maybe Sierra Club?) are challenging the ID Roadless Rule in court.
I think there was 1 other state, Utah that did that too. But if they can not build roads in the forest then how do they plan on converting to solar or wind?? I like the road less idea myself, to protect our wild lands and forests.
I just put this new development into a post, a story
The solar project Obama visited does seem to be one “done the right way”. The panels cover 140 acres, part of which is landfill, on the airforce base and power the equivalent of 12,000 homes. In his speech Obama sites this project along with the 17 industrial size geothermal plants in Nevada as a model for renewables nationwide. The combination of base load capacity of geothermal with the peaking capacity of solar create a reliable alternative to coal, hydro, and nuclear.
So far this year two major coal plants near Ely Nevada have been shelved due to uncertainty over carbon legislation and another near Mesquite becomes more unlikely by the day. Instead, LS Power and NV Power, who shelved plants, are investing in transmission lines which will access the geothermal and solar sites along the western Nevada boarder.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/13/another-nevada-coal-plant-project-bites-dust/
What do poeple think about this type of development, geothermal and solar to replace coal plants in the desert?