Austin's Ambitious SOLAR plan sets standard

[Dover]

Austin Tx puts their green into green.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/saturday/news_f31df7a973f070521041.html

Austin sets standard for solar energy
City's ambitious commitment would be among top in nation

Saturday, December 6, 2003

In a move that national clean energy experts are calling astounding, city leaders have given the green light to an aggressive program to buy 100 megawatts of solar power a year by 2020, enough to power more than 14,000 homes.

The commitment represents almost half of the solar energy currently produced nationwide and is probably more than any other city has pledged to consume. But questions remain about how to pay for such an investment, although city leaders believe falling prices and improving technology will make it possible to enter the solar market without rate increases for customers.

Austin Energy unveiled plans this week to buy 15 megawatts by 2007, 30 megawatts by 2010, 50 megawatts by 2014 and 100 megawatts by 2020. The utility also announced its intention to create a program with the highest rebates in the nation for users of sun-catching photovoltaic cells. That would catapult Austin to the forefront with solar mavericks such as San Francisco and Sacramento in California and the states of New Jersey and New York.

"I've not seen any muncipality -- with the possible exception of Sacramento -- with a plan as ambitious as what Austin is outlining," said Ken Bossong, coordinator for the Washington, D.C.-based Sustainable Energy Coalition, as news of the plan spread like a thunderbolt through the clean energy community.

Local environmentalists were nearly unanimous in praising the decision, which they said could create a hot spot of photovoltaic manufacturing and research in Austin similar to the tech boom of the '90s.

"It could have a domino effect," said Richard Amato, who heads the University of Texas' Clean Energy Incubator, which helps nurse startup companies focusing on renewable energies. "Austin Energy's recent commitment in its strategic plan does nothing but help us."

In approving the plan, City Council members called it a historic shift for the city's energy department.

"I'm honored to be on the council at this momentous occasion . . . not just for Austin but for the country," Brewster McCracken said. "This is a moment we will look back on as a catalyst for economic (development)."

After the City Council unanimously approved the plan Thursday night, it received a standing ovation from a crowd of mostly environmentalists, a rarity in recent months of strife.

Though the plan lays out specific goals for solar energy use, it is vague on how to pay for it. Barry Sarma, chairman of the city's electric utility commission, said the plan lacks details.

"If we don't maintain strong financial stability, we may kill the golden goose," he said. "Solar energy is costly."

In fact, solar energy is as much as five times as expensive as traditional electricity created from natural gas and other fossil fuels, solar experts say. But solar costs are expected to drop as new technologies make it cheaper to produce. Bossong said solar energy has gotten progressively less expensive and by 2020 may actually be cheaper than natural gas.....>> MORE

[Don_G]

1. It Might Be Less Costly Than They Think

Kettle Chips in Salem, Oregon has finished a 114 KW Photovoltaic System for their factory. Even with the reduced output of the Pacific Northwest (cloudy days), the payback is expected to be in 7 years. I'm sure Austin can crank out a few more KW because of its location.

Link: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031118/185698_1.html

[Dover]

2. Another interesting move by Tx. - state getting into the water business

State Wading Deeper Into Water Business

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/saturday/news_f31d0871824881aa00f3.html