Administration Freezing New Solar Projects

At the same time scientists are alarmed about the effects of global warming and the inaction by the US, reports predict the possibility of ice melting on the North Pole:

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.

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The polar regions are experiencing the most dramatic increase in average temperatures due to global warming and scientists fear that as more sea ice is lost, the darker, open ocean will absorb more heat and raise local temperatures even further. Independent

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The current Administration, filled with energy lobbyists, has taken the following action according to the NYT:

DENVER — Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

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The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

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From an Administration that fought to keep arsenic in drinking water and mercury in coal-fired power plants, have they suddenly experienced an environmental conscience?

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NYT further locates the land to provide greater understanding of the importance of the locations:

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Much of the 119 million surface acres of federally administered land in the West is ideal for solar energy, particularly in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California, where sunlight drenches vast, flat desert tracts.

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Galvanized by the national demand for clean energy development, solar companies have filed more than 130 proposals with the Bureau of Land Management since 2005. They center on the companies’ desires to lease public land to build solar plants and then sell the energy to utilities.

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According to the bureau, the applications, which cover more than one million acres, are for projects that have the potential to power more than 20 million homes.

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20 MILLION HOMES?

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All involve two types of solar plants, concentrating and photovoltaic. Concentrating solar plants use mirrors to direct sunlight toward a synthetic fluid, which powers a steam turbine that produces electricity. Photovoltaic plants use solar panels to convert sunlight into electric energy.

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Reports seem to indicate that Concentrating PhotoVoltaics may cost 3 cents a KW, so is cost competitive with fossil fuels and nuclear, without the pollution or federal subsidies.

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To those who doubt the feasibility of solar, the following seems to support it:

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Much progress has been made in the development of both types of solar technology in the last few years. Photovoltaic solar projects grew by 48 percent in 2007 compared with 2006. Eleven concentrating solar plants are operational in the United States, and 20 are in various stages of planning or permitting, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

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So one is left with lingering doubts about the sincerity of an Administration that has trashed bi-partisan environmental legislation and whether their aim is to stifle green energy sources and inflict ever increasing energy costs on consumers.

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Surely there are ways to expedite the process were they so inclined to support construction of solar power generation.

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It should be noted that this action is being taken at the same time COC 73064 through COC 73094 propose gas and oil exploration by the BLM on 55,000 acres in Colorado.