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The Taste of Germany's Dust
On June 19, I wrote (in extreme frustration I might add) about the likelihood that Congress, in its extreme ineptitude, will allow to expire a tax incentive to encourage the development of alternative energy.
The potential of a solar energy plant in places like Arizona was cited as an example of the kind of thing that might collapse if the tax break were not extended.
Then Tuesday, I received in my in-box my daily copy of Grist, an on-line magazine of sorts that includes links to the environmental stories of the day.
It included a link to this story about a new solar power plant on a former air base in the former East Germany.
In my blog I had noted that Germany is fast becoming the solar power king of the world and we (again) are being sadly left behind by a myopic energy policy.
A reader wrote, and I quote "that is BS."
The writer, identified only as anonymous, said his (or her) tax dollars were not needed to get a fledgling industry off its feet.
Fair enough. But in the meantime, here is what's happening in Germany.
"A solar power plant described by its operators as the biggest in the world began generating electricity at the site of a former East German air base on Sunday, June 22.
"The Waldpolenz Solar Park is built on a surface area equivalent to 200 soccer fields, the solar park will be capable of feeding 40 megawatts into the power grid when fully operational in 2009.
"In the start-up phase, the 130-million-euro ($201 million) plant it will have a capacity of 24 megawatts, according to the Juwi group, which operates the installation.
"After just a year the solar power station will have produced the energy needed to build it, according to the Juwi group.
"The eastern part of Germany is one of the forerunners of solar energy in the country. Three of the world's 50 biggest solar parks are located near Leipzig.
Folks, it's not even sunny there!
Two years ago, President Bush told the nation in his State of the Union address that "we are addicted to oil."
And now, rather than investing in the development of the clean technologies of the future, he wants to drill our way out of a corner into which we've put ourselves by refusing to make the investment sooner.
Oy!
The potential of a solar energy plant in places like Arizona was cited as an example of the kind of thing that might collapse if the tax break were not extended.
Then Tuesday, I received in my in-box my daily copy of Grist, an on-line magazine of sorts that includes links to the environmental stories of the day.
It included a link to this story about a new solar power plant on a former air base in the former East Germany.
In my blog I had noted that Germany is fast becoming the solar power king of the world and we (again) are being sadly left behind by a myopic energy policy.
A reader wrote, and I quote "that is BS."
The writer, identified only as anonymous, said his (or her) tax dollars were not needed to get a fledgling industry off its feet.
Fair enough. But in the meantime, here is what's happening in Germany.
"A solar power plant described by its operators as the biggest in the world began generating electricity at the site of a former East German air base on Sunday, June 22.
"The Waldpolenz Solar Park is built on a surface area equivalent to 200 soccer fields, the solar park will be capable of feeding 40 megawatts into the power grid when fully operational in 2009.
"In the start-up phase, the 130-million-euro ($201 million) plant it will have a capacity of 24 megawatts, according to the Juwi group, which operates the installation.
"After just a year the solar power station will have produced the energy needed to build it, according to the Juwi group.
"The eastern part of Germany is one of the forerunners of solar energy in the country. Three of the world's 50 biggest solar parks are located near Leipzig.
Folks, it's not even sunny there!
Two years ago, President Bush told the nation in his State of the Union address that "we are addicted to oil."
And now, rather than investing in the development of the clean technologies of the future, he wants to drill our way out of a corner into which we've put ourselves by refusing to make the investment sooner.
Oy!
Labels: Germany, Grist, solar energy
posted by Evan Brandt at
3:00 PM
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