IF YOU ARE DRIVING INTERSTATE 15 TO LAS VEGAS, just before you enter Nevada, if you look north, you will see two massive structures in the distance.
Those structures are part of the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, which at design capacity of 392 MW is capable of providing energy for 140,000 homes. The plant, owned by Google in conjunction with Bright Source Energy, cost $2.2 billion to build, with $1.6 billion of that in federal loan guarantees.
Unfortunately, the plant “once promoted as a turning point in green energy” is not producing as planned. The reason, according to the Associated Press: “The sun isn’t shining as much as expected.”
Seriously? If the sun isn’t shining enough in the Mojave Desert, where is it shining more?
The piece continues: “Factors such as clouds, jet contrails and weather have had a greater impact on the plant than the owners anticipated.”
Contrails? Are you kidding me?
When it comes to whacked-out conspiracy theories, contrails probably rate third, right behind 9/11 truthers and Dr. John Brandenburg’s theory that a nuclear bomb wiped out life on Mars in 1976. Where is Art Bell when you need him?
An additional item in the piece also worth noting: Jeff Holland, a spokesman for plant operator NRG, confirmed that “the company always expected a ramp-up period of four years to reach maximum output. That extended period was not publicly disclosed, however.”
In other words, before spending $1.6 billion in tax dollars, the public was deceived regarding key facts of the plant’s efficiency. Maybe they were getting their economic advice from John Gruber?
On the heel of the above story, I found the following at ScientificAmerican.com. In 2007 Google launched an energy initiative called Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE < C) as an effort to drive down the cost of renewable energy. Laudable goal that it may be, the project has now been canceled. It’s not mentioned in the article, but one has to think that the lack of success at Ivanpah was a factor in Google’s decision. Project Engineers Ross Koningstein and David Fork wrote: “At the start of RE < C, we had shared the attitude of many stalwart environmentalists: We felt that with steady improvements to today’s renewable energy technologies, our society could stave off catastrophic climate change. We now know that to be a false hope. “Even if that dream had come to pass, it still wouldn’t have solved climate change. This realization was frankly shocking: Not only had RE < C failed to reach its goal of creating energy cheaper than coal, but that goal had not been ambitious enough to reverse climate change.” Google invested heavily in RE < C and is now shifting focus to other areas to combat “global warming,” a shift supported by others within the environmental movement. The engineers at Google describe their “realization” to be shocking, but it should not have been if they had had some logic, as well as a better understanding of the laws of thermodynamics. There is no doubt that a technical solution will be forthcoming to provide cleaner sources of energy (river/ocean current derived hydro energy or fushion technology are two promising areas); however, to think that the world’s climate could be significantly impacted, at a cost-effective price, by solar plants, windmills and other such “renewables” is a quixotic fantasy. Even Sancho Panza knew better. I mentioned the less-than-illustrious Jonathon Gruber, a man whose distain for all things not Democrat is shared by one Allen Clifton, a writer for ForwardProgressives.com whorecently wrote a piece titled “The Simple Truth: President Obama is Too Intelligent for Republicans to Understand.” Mr. Clifton posits that Obama is a “big-picture thinker” with whom we of the unwashed masses cannot keep up. Clifton writes: “Take ‘Obamacare’ for instance. It’s not a ‘fix health care today’ law. In fact, the law itself is made to grow and evolve over time. My belief is that it’s a springboard to true socialized medicine.” That is exactly what those of us opposed to the “Avoidable Care Act” have been saying for years, and that is exactly why we are opposed. So who really were the big thinkers on this one, Mr. Clifton? As part of the DNC’s strategy this past election, the Democrats — or should we now call them Grubbercrats? — coined the term “Republican War on Women,” a deception that played well in small circles like MSNBC’s viewers. In reality it seems the esteemed Nancy Pelosi had her own little cat fight going with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a now-pregnant double-amputee Iraq war veteran. Rep. Duckworth, unable to travel because of her pregnancy, requested a waiver from House rules to vote by proxy in support of assigning Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., to the top seat of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In a close and divisive contest Pelosi favored her long-time friend Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Silicon Valley. But Pelosi needed every vote she could get (or suppress), so denying a pregnant woman, one wounded in war, was an easy choice for the former Speaker. As it worked out, Pallone won on a vote of 100-90, so Pelosi’s efforts were for naught. And it bears pointing out that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits job discrimination based on pregnancy. To be fair as well, many inside the Democratic Party were appalled by Minority Leader Pelosi’s actions, as well they should have been, and it speaks well for them to so state their opposition. This was a battle Pelosi lost — and one she deserved to lose. Dennis Lund is a mechanical engineer who lived in Benicia for more than 20 years.
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Now Dennis how dare you challenge this wonderful group of Progressives. You did good Dennis, keep at it. 2016 is starting to look grim for the Progressives. That comment will get the Ma. Senator grouip out in force.
*snore*
You got that right, Hank.
The same week that Dick Cheney advocates on “Meet the Press” the waterboarding of innocents if it meets “the objectives,” Dennis Lund offers this “From 30,000 feet?”
I’d rather read a Howdy Doody lunchbox…
According to the story I read the Ivanpah plant was only producing half of what it was supposed to. Regardless of how one feels about alternative energy that is a dramatic shortfall. What it suggests is that the cost of this energy may be twice what was predicted and perhaps the environmental benefits lower than projected. Rather than smear Dennis we should consider this data and what it means for us here as well. Does anyone know if the MCE is or was going to be crediting Ivanpah as part of its energy mix?
It is funny that you hear about the many shortcomings of the Ivanpah in the mainstream media. As if the woes of this facility apply to solar (or other alternative energy production facilities) across the board. It just typifies the propaganda-based cherry-picking that seems to be so prevalent these days.
There are multitudes of alternative plants up and running these day. Alternative power companies are constantly scouting, purchasing and developing new facilities, and or upgrading/expanding older facilities. There are no signs of this slowing down.
If you have not heard California’s Topaz project is the largest solar power plant in the world with a 550 MW capacity, and it is now in full operation. It is located in San Luis Obispo County and has 9 million solar panels. Desert Sunlight, another 550 MW PV plant is scheduled to go online in Riverside County in 2015,
Thanks Reg for the comments. It is always appreciated when someone actually reads the piece before commenting as some seem to do.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Whale blubber enthusiasts whaled for eons, camel dung burners too. Buggy whip manufacturers are rumored to have wept for weeks in their hardwood bins. Get over it. Burning petroleum products in the open air and whale blubber and camel dung are all archaic. Edison knew it and moved forward. One day the Koch brothers and all their lobbyists will be over and their flattened coal-topped mountains also. Stay archaic if you can. Chernobyl will be toxic forever. I’m counting on the sun, wind, waves, etc. Move on or be a dinosaur-like fossil. Good luck!
Talk about archaic. How about someone who just bubbles all over the claimed Native American former Republican now Socialist Senator from Ma. Yes the one and only Elizabeth Warren the former Republican not that long ago. Over 70% of her life she was a Republican. So to get into politics in Ma. I will just switch to a Democrat.. Just remember Arlen Spector the double switch as an example. That is the type of person you fall all over yourself for. Yes the Socialist along with another of your spoken about idols Bernie Sanders. Wind, sun and waves have been used for years. The Conservatives are all over these renewable resources not the Liberals. All they do is talk and demonstrate. Merry Christmas to all during this wonderful season.
If all else fails attack the messengers. Blah-blah-blah…
Thanks Peter, I did not see you attack anyone here. You merely pointed out that some folks still adhere to their antiquated ideology. I wish you and your family a very heart felt Merry Xmas Eve. I hope you have some great plans this weekend and you won’t be wasting time on viewing any mind numbing bowl games.
Thanks, Thomas: I no longer measure these back pages with any credibility. They are sorry laugh zones for whiners and complainers and those that have left Small Waterfront Town, USA and still think they are relevant spokespeople for what?
The Niners offensive line can’t protect Kaepernick (sp?) and The Raiders have no clues at all. Collegiate football? Sorry, I rarely go there…I was thinking about Badminton, and hockey and facebashing as a sport has no appeal whatsoever. Maybe I’ll do yardwork and blow/vacuum leaves if it doesn’t rain. Merriest of the season to you. –pb
Peter said: If all else fails attack the messengers.
Do you mean like this:
Whale blubber enthusiasts whaled for eons, camel dung burners too. …Move on or be a dinosaur-like fossil.
Correction:
My fourth word in should have been “wailed,” indicative of whining, carping, science-denying anti-progressives who have always historically clung to their foul-the-air energy solutions. Good luck Muchachos. Even 20-20 observations from 30,000 feet should see more than ice crystals from contrails. Elizabeth Warren: will she clean your clock and be more feared than even Hillary? Hahahahahahahaha. Rollout your Jebs, Marco Rubios, and other seasonal mannequins. What a comedy show. Will there be Best Booby Prizes this time?
I think Peter is even older than we are. In any case, I’m old enough to be able and willing to ask questions which is all I’m trying to do. My biggest concern on all of this is that the cost of alternatives needs to be examined before we jump on board and those who object should be able to provide answers if those questions upset them. The story I read indicated that the data came from the California Energy Commission, which one would assume is partial to alternative energy, if anything.
Reg: I’m 72 in January if age is a barrier to your clear thinking. Good luck with that. And I’ll stack my 30 years as a college-educated sled dog against yours or any right-wing complainer any day of the week. Edison…remember him? He saw electricity as cutting-edge technology once upon a time ago. Who of the right-wing clan of complainers can muster up anything but petroleum burned in the atmosphere as cutting edge? Dull knives, amigo. Dull knives.
Now Dennis you know we cannot question Petr and his comments. He thinks he is stealth. I do hope Petr has a very Merry Christmas. I do not think that is an attack.