Solar panels increase house prices.

[snic]

Hm, maybe my image of Texas as full of enormous guys in 10 gallon hats driving enormous trucks all over their enormous state with the help of enormously cheap fuel is just a stereotype!

[Sunking]

Actually there is more electricity generated from wind in Texas than any other state except maybe California.

No question about it. It is NO CONTEST TX has 12.2 GW installed capacity. CA is a distant 2nd @ 5.6 GW followed by Iowa @ 5.3 GW. No other state even comes close to TX. See for yourself here

[Sunking]

Hm, maybe my image of Texas as full of enormous guys in 10 gallon hats driving enormous trucks all over their enormous state with the help of enormously cheap fuel is just a stereotype!

Yeah perhaps. Well no 10 gallon hats, but the rest is true. TX is a energy exporter. We have no state income tax, low property taxes, high wages, and low unemployment. We are a Conservative State with Conservative principles. We lead the country in growth and economics. Only state that can compare is North Dakota which is another Conservative state and energy exporter. TX i snot perfect, but better than most. If it makes you feel better NoBama was right in his State of Union Address, the debate on climate change is over. One of the coldest winters on record. 14 degrees in north Dallas today and powder snow. Never seen that here or this late in the year. Normally I can plant Tomatoes and Pepper March 1. Not this year.

[SunEagle]

No question about it. It is NO CONTEST TX has 12.2 GW installed capacity. CA is a distant 2nd @ 5.6 GW followed by Iowa @ 5.3 GW. No other state even comes close to TX. See for yourself here

Looks like California are trying to catch up. I have been following the news from RenewablesBiz and it looks like California will be swapping out the much older and smaller wind turbines up in the Patterson Pass wind farm. The existing 300 65kw turbines (installed in 1985) will be replaced with a lot less but newer turbines that are in the 2 to 3 mega watt range. They will get more output and but have about 96% less wind turbines.

[russ]

I hope a fresh wind blowing towards solar (I guess, pun intended) will be drifting across this state soon.

\So you want the government to throw money at solar for some pie in the sky concept?

[snic]

the debate on climate change is over. One of the coldest winters on record. 14 degrees in north Dallas today and powder snow.

Of course your one single anecdote beats the opinion of hundreds of scientists who have studied the issue for decades, using multiple approaches and analysis methods to crunch through all kinds of data, and overwhelmingly reached the same conclusion: global warming is real and it's man-made.

Yep. There's some snow in Dallas today. They must have gotten it all wrong.

[snic]

\So you want the government to throw money at solar for some pie in the sky concept?

The pie-in-the-sky concept is that a market for solar will facilitate innovation, making it more and more efficient, affordable and widespread, so that eventually it contributes significantly to energy production and reduces use of fossil fuels.

It might be pie in the sky, but so was the airplane when those bicycle mechanics went flapping around on the beach in North Carolina 114 years ago.

[Naptown]

The pie-in-the-sky concept is that a market for solar will facilitate innovation, making it more and more efficient, affordable and widespread, so that eventually it contributes significantly to energy production and reduces use of fossil fuels.

It might be pie in the sky, but so was the airplane when those bicycle mechanics went flapping around on the beach in North Carolina 114 years ago.

Not to forget interplanetary travel. Many innovations came out of that endeavor. (OK Tang was not that great but Velcro was)

[SunEagle]

Not to forget interplanetary travel. Many innovations came out of that endeavor. (OK Tang was not that great but Velcro was)

Didn't we get Velcro from the Men in Black?

[SunEagle]

The pie-in-the-sky concept is that a market for solar will facilitate innovation, making it more and more efficient, affordable and widespread, so that eventually it contributes significantly to energy production and reduces use of fossil fuels.

It might be pie in the sky, but so was the airplane when those bicycle mechanics went flapping around on the beach in North Carolina 114 years ago.

Do not forget that all renewable energy sources require to be backed up by other energy sources. If we don't get the Nuclear program back up to snuff that other energy will always come from fossil fuels.

[SunEagle]

I agree that there should be backup. But I think that with all the new technology at hand, we could build a dynamic grid that can exist with much less nuclear and coal than we have today. Proponents of traditional electrical generation always argue that we couldn't do without them. However, that doesn't mean we have to solely rely on them.

Unless you can keep the sun shining or the wind blowing all the time you will always needs another energy source. Storage will never be able to supply the need so generation is the only answer. The choices are nuclear or fossil fuel so we will always rely on them.

Unless you have a "black hole" somewhere in your pocket.

[snic]

Unless you can keep the sun shining or the wind blowing all the time you will always needs another energy source. Storage will never be able to supply the need so generation is the only answer. The choices are nuclear or fossil fuel so we will always rely on them.

I never really understood assertions like these.

You are telling us that "there will always need to be another energy source" other than wind or solar. That statement is true only to the extent that the assumptions underlying it are true. One of those assumptions is that our need for energy will continue to be as high as it is now. But that assumption is flawed. People are capable of living (and even living well) using much less energy than the average citizen of the first world uses today. Given the financial and environmental costs of fossil fuels and nuclear power (or, I should say, if and when the environmental costs becomes reflected in the financial cost), people are likely to begin to reduce their energy usage, and to look favorably at renewable energy to fill their needs.

The fallacy here is assuming that tomorrow's market and technological capabilities will look much like today's. There are good reasons to believe that they will not.

[bcroe]

Generation

Unless you can keep the sun shining or the wind blowing all the time you will always needs another energy source. Storage will never be able to supply the need so generation is the only answer. The choices are nuclear or fossil fuel so we will always rely on them.

That is certainly true. But we need to keep pushing development in every area. Maybe
solar will find a proper niche, like recharging your spare electric car battery
(while you drive the other). I am not feeling guilty in using the development
to some advantage here. Bruce Roe

[russ]

You are telling us that "there will always need to be another energy source" other than wind or solar. People expect the lights to come on when they flip the switch - that requires backup power generation.

One of those assumptions is that our need for energy will continue to be as high as it is now. Few have your apparent desire to live in a cave.

People are capable of living (and even living well) using much less energy than the average citizen of the first world uses today.Consumption has gone down sharply the past 40 years. Most people living in the first world have no desire to live like a peasant in India - or even like a middle class person there lives.

Given the financial and environmental costs of fossil fuels and nuclear power (or, I should say, if and when the environmental costs becomes reflected in the financial cost), people are likely to begin to reduce their energy usage, and to look favorably at renewable energy to fill their needs. Nice green blather but no more.

The fallacy here is assuming that tomorrow's market and technological capabilities will look much like today's. There are good reasons to believe that they will not".Again - green blather. If you have some point make it rather than make a wild blanket statement like "someone will think of something.

Comments in bold within the text.

[russ]

It is beyond me how some people can still deny the existence of climate change.

OK - since you think it is true it has to be true? This is a true green viewpoint. Many minorities demand all others accept their viewpoint.
There are reliable long-term weather data to back it up.
Some data does and some doesn't.

It's not an invention of some "liberals" but a widely accepted scientific theory stipulated by those whose job it is to do research on it.Pardon? Pollution has an effect on the earth I agree. What that is we do not know and the "concerned scientists" plus UN lot are generally blowing smoke.

Depending on the economic and the political climate, public opinion seems to change. However, there is a difference between mere beliefs and evidence and theories derived from evidence Congratulations - that is 3 lbs of BS in a 3 lb bag!

Comments in bold within the text