In tough times, Delaware farmers give solar a shot

[jpak]

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100321/BUSINESS/3210305/1003

HOCKESSIN -- This fabled 1796 dairy farm needs a lot of power for its 20 freezers, two houses and a barn with a milking parlor.

Jim Mitchell says he's making ice cream from the sun, having installed 8,500 square feet of solar panels that provide 85 percent of Woodside Farm's power, as grazing sheep shorten the grass below.

What he's not making from the sun, however, is money. Although his family's big investment means stable energy bills, state law prohibits homes and businesses from selling much excess power to their utility.

But if Gov. Jack Markell gets his way, the state would allow farmers like Mitchell to sell excess solar energy, and encourage them to pool their resources to build bigger, jointly owned solar arrays.

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[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Can't sell excess energy?

The stupid, it hurts.

[jpak]

2. State solar policies differ - in many states you can sell excess power - but apparently not in DE

and yes - stupid

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. What's the rationale?

[jpak]

4. Utilities don't want the competition & in red states they just don't like "socialist liberal" solar ...

my guess

[kristopher]

5. Nah, micromanagement just isn't worth the effort to them.

It is a case where market efficiency drives us in an overall inefficient direction. Government direction and goal setting in this case would result in short term inefficiencies as the utilities have to spend money to keep track of the exchanges, but in the long term the overall system would be much more efficient and cost less to society.