Editorial
Solar Gets a Boost, But at What Cost?
There will be a renewed struggle for the “green” heart of certain states after legislative committees suspended rules on the siting of “wind farms,” large groups of up to several dozen turbines that can, if placed correctly, harness the wind to power whole communities at low cost and with little in the way of undesirable waste.
Some have opposed wind farms as unsightly, although renewable energy fans would counter that they are certainly no worse than most traditional sites. These are not only equally large, but, in the case of coal-burning plants (which, according to the Department of Energy, still account for 45% of the country's electricity production) have the added disadvantage of stacks spewing ugly – and potentially dangerous – smoke. Coal waste sites have been classified by the EPA as “potential hazards to communities,” meaning they could cause death and significant property damage in the event of a spill brought about by natural disasters or terrorist attack, and smoke from coal plants has long been linked to the phenomenon known as “acid rain.” Asthma rates are higher near coal-burning plants.
Recently, however, anti-wind campaigners have taken a different route, accusing wind turbines of causing health and safety problems. Lawmakers in some states apparently agreed, suspending siting rules entirely, meaning there is no knowing what, in future, might constitute a legal wind harvesting site. Companies that build and install turbines have responded to the uncertainly of the situation by postponing or canceling completely projects which would have brought hundreds of new turbines – as well as billions in investment and millions in estimated job hours – to various states, fearing farms built now might prove illegal under new siting rules, should any ever be proposed.
The situation would appear to be a boost for solar, but at some cost, we believe. Where wind farms are not possible, solar farms are equally unlikely. Many states offer a wide variety of incentives for individual homeowners investing in solar, including rebates, loans, grants and tax exemptions. We embrace these, but they are not a replacement for large-scale investment. Despite rebates and tax advantages, even despite the long-term cost-efficiency of solar, as well as the possibility of selling energy back to utility companies in the event of over-production, the initial costs remain too high for some individuals. Renters, meanwhile, have little or no incentive to opt for solar, and must hope that their landlords take the initiative. Since owners are not responsible for the utility charges of rented units, it seems unlikely many will bother.
If private solar becomes the only renewable energy option in some states, it places the entire onus of responsible energy creation on the individual. Anyone who can afford to be so eccentric as to upgrade an existing home to a renewable source, or who wishes to build a new home powered inexpensively by the sun, is welcome, even encouraged to do so – but as a group, we will apparently take no responsibility for the environment. Alone, we might chose to do the right thing; communally, we will continue to pollute at the expense (in terms of health, of course, but also of political and other costs) not only of our immediate neighbors but of everyone, everywhere.
This is a terrible and terrifying example of the group mentality: when some do not wish to climb higher, the rest of us must stoop to accommodate their low thinking. Therefore whole states will suffer for the perverse desires of a few to halt progress. We believe this is a shame, and that however good it may appear for the solar industry in the short term, it is a blow to renewable energy in any form over the long term. Those of us who support solar do so not to the exclusion of other forms of safe, renewable sources, whether wind or waves or other technologies that have yet to be invented. We support a cleaner environment, and that means mass investment in all major alternative energy sources. We call on state legislators across America to rethink siting rules, and to advance the creation of large-scale alternative energy sites.