BrightSource signs 1,300 MW solar deal

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/02/09/daily59.html

Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 12:42pm PST

BrightSource signs 1,300 MW solar deal

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - by Lindsay Riddell

BrightSource Energy Inc. on Wednesday announced it has signed contracts to supply Southern California Edison with 1,300 megawatts of renewable electricity — enough to power 845,000 average homes — from seven solar thermal power plants across deserts in the Southwest.

The agreement with Oakland-based BrightSource Energy is the largest renewable power agreement signed by any U.S. utility, the company and the utility said.

BrightSource develops solar thermal power plants that use acres of giant mirrors to concentrate the desert sun’s rays onto a tower, turning a liquid in a giant boiler at the top of the tower into steam. The steam runs turbines that produce electricity.

California investor-owned utilities are required to get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by the end of 2010, but it’s unlikely PG&E, Southern California Edison or San Diego Gas & Electric -- California's largest utilities -- will meet that deadline.

…

[drm604]

1. I don't understand why we haven't been doing a lot of this for a lot of years.

As far as I can see, solar thermal is low tech stuff, certainly compared to photovoltaics. We should have been doing this in a big way decades ago.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. One of my favorite Vonnegut quotes

is something to the effect of: "Whenever a question begins with 'why don't they,' the answer is usually 'money.'"

Not only is solar thermal low tech stuff, we've known how to do it (and do it well) for decades. This plant was http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/power_towers.html">built in the 80's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert#Solar_One_and_Solar_Two


In truth, the technology's been around much longer than that. Here's a photo from 1913:
http://troughlabs.com/Meadi,_Egypt_Mirror_1913-2_600.jpg

The thing is, since burning fossil fuels was cheaper, people didn't pursue solar thermal commercially.

[drm604]

3. This is a good example of why government needs to intervene in the market at times.

If we had had true leadership that foresaw the future and wasn't in the back pocket of the fossil fuel industries, then we could have had taxes, tax credits, loans, and even direct spending, to eliminate those cost differences.

Carter started us down that road, but the "Reagan Revolution" nonsense torpedoed that.

[Kolesar]

4. Bruce Springsteen used to refer to candidate John Kerry as having "maturity"

I always imagine that we need leaders with maturity to plan energy policy for the sake of future generations. I think the current President gets it. I just hope he has the energy and time to devote to such policy.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. I fear, that unless he has a time machine he doesn't have enough time

Time is not on his side.

[drm604]

6. So you feel that there's no hope?

We're screwed?

We have to at least try.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Oh yes, absolutely, we must try.

Just because I fear the worst, does not mean I do not wish to avoid it.

However, so very many people are apathetic. If we want to avoid the worst, we need to act rapidly and decisively (as the President would say, "with all deliberate haste") and too many just don't seem to give a damn at this point.

[The Brethren]

8. I would agree with you

that too many people are apathetic. Perhaps that is changing as the economy worsens and folks may start to look at many areas differently. Interest, not to mention ingenuity often rise out of desperation.


Stimulus Plan ("American Recovery and Reinvestment Act") full text: Orig. House version -- http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryBill01-15-09.pdf Senate version -- http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_02_02_The_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009.pdf Spreadsheet of Senate compromise -- http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_02_08_UPDATED_Appropriations_Provisions_of_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act.pdf?CFID=4043629&CFTOKEN=40573040 Text of Senate compromise version of fiscal stimulus legislation -- http://readthestimulus.org/amdth1.pdf

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. Check out the results from this Survey:

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/features/art26253.html

Americans are sharply divided in their beliefs about whether climate change is real, according to a new study commissioned by The Nature Conservancy and other leading conservation and climate action groups.

The study — the American Climate Values Survey (ACVS), conducted by the consulting group http://www.ecoamerica.net/">EcoAmerica — also found that only 18 percent of survey respondents strongly believe that climate change is real, human-caused and harmful. It also found that political party affiliation is the single largest indicator as to whether people see climate change as a threat.

…

Now — more than ever — we must focus on engaging Americans in the support for climate solutions, particularly going into 2009 when the next Congress and the international community will come to a fork in the road.

We'll either choose one of two paths: one that will reverse global warming while creating a new, more prosperous economy; or one that will make us increasingly dependent on a dwindling supply of dirty sources of fuel.

(October 2008)

When less than one fifth of "Americans" "strongly" believe anthropogenic Global Warming is real, I don't know as we have a prayer of having any real impact. Still I will continue to try. I remain, at heart, an optimist.

[windoe]

10. Good news!!

This is one way to recovery!! :bounce:

I wish I could recommend, but is too late....