If All It Took Was Talk
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
There’s a big difference in talking about the importance of alternative energy and doing something to make it happen. We’ve got the talk part down pat – doing something is the place where things fall apart.
Probably the biggest reason for not getting it done, when it comes to alternative energy development, is the market reality on why “alternative” is alternative for a reason. In spite of all the editorials and politically-correct posturing…if it wasn’t for government’s efforts to force us into alternative energy and subsidizing the start-up, there would be even a whole lot less alternative energy than we have now. The numbers just don’t add up to create a market-driven, real economic reason for getting into solar or windmill powered energy.
Even with the hype over how Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of alternative energy (or supposedly we should be) the reality of where things stand is explained very clearly in this piece by the Nevada Policy Research Institute. When we already have extremely high power rates…how much sense does it make to go out of the way to see if you can find even more expensive rates.
Another factor that is emerging in the supposed wisdom in all getting behind building Nevada’s green energy economy is the problems in finding a place to have the components, necessary for the green energy, to exist. As a member of the state group which is working on Sage Grouse conservation, there are no secrets that locating alternative energy generation facilities is a significant issue…and so are the power lines to take the power from where it is made to where it will be purchased.
The most likely energy source (geothermal) to fit into the current mix is limited to where there is hot water under the surface of the earth. Sage Grouse problems abound for potential sites for development of geothermal power and the most probable approach will be expensive mitigation or flat out “No” as an answer from federal land managers.
Wind power development in Nevada is also running into Sage Grouse problems, along with the “not in my backyard” attitudes related to impeded “view sheds”.
Solar, besides being completely uneconomical without artificially higher regular energy prices isn’t the panacea promoters would like to advance. “Free” sun power energy costs a lot of green (and we’re not talking the environmentally-proper kind of green) and it takes a lot of water and a lot of space…which seems to be part of the story we don’t see highlighted in the rambling rhetoric of it being our future.
So other than the reality of being too expensive and not fitting into the other things that we believe are more important uses of the land – alternative energy development has real possibilities…or, so I’ve been told.
There’s a big difference in talking about the importance of alternative energy and doing something to make it happen. We’ve got the talk part down pat – doing something is the place where things fall apart.
Probably the biggest reason for not getting it done, when it comes to alternative energy development, is the market reality on why “alternative” is alternative for a reason. In spite of all the editorials and politically-correct posturing…if it wasn’t for government’s efforts to force us into alternative energy and subsidizing the start-up, there would be even a whole lot less alternative energy than we have now. The numbers just don’t add up to create a market-driven, real economic reason for getting into solar or windmill powered energy.
Even with the hype over how Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of alternative energy (or supposedly we should be) the reality of where things stand is explained very clearly in this piece by the Nevada Policy Research Institute. When we already have extremely high power rates…how much sense does it make to go out of the way to see if you can find even more expensive rates.
Another factor that is emerging in the supposed wisdom in all getting behind building Nevada’s green energy economy is the problems in finding a place to have the components, necessary for the green energy, to exist. As a member of the state group which is working on Sage Grouse conservation, there are no secrets that locating alternative energy generation facilities is a significant issue…and so are the power lines to take the power from where it is made to where it will be purchased.
The most likely energy source (geothermal) to fit into the current mix is limited to where there is hot water under the surface of the earth. Sage Grouse problems abound for potential sites for development of geothermal power and the most probable approach will be expensive mitigation or flat out “No” as an answer from federal land managers.
Wind power development in Nevada is also running into Sage Grouse problems, along with the “not in my backyard” attitudes related to impeded “view sheds”.
Solar, besides being completely uneconomical without artificially higher regular energy prices isn’t the panacea promoters would like to advance. “Free” sun power energy costs a lot of green (and we’re not talking the environmentally-proper kind of green) and it takes a lot of water and a lot of space…which seems to be part of the story we don’t see highlighted in the rambling rhetoric of it being our future.
So other than the reality of being too expensive and not fitting into the other things that we believe are more important uses of the land – alternative energy development has real possibilities…or, so I’ve been told.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 7/14/2011 9:06 AM 
Categories: Alternative Energy
Tags: Alternative Energy Development Government Subsidies Solar Power Wind Power Geothermal Power
Categories: Alternative Energy
Tags: Alternative Energy Development Government Subsidies Solar Power Wind Power Geothermal Power
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