Friday, June 21, 2013

Is Cheap Solar Energy Currently Possible?

We all love the idea of solar power.  

But is it possible to get cheap solar energy?  According to the city of Palo Alto, California, the answer appears to be...

YES.

No, really.  While reading an article on greentechmedia.com written by Eric Wesoff, I discovered that they have things worked out so that they'll be able to supply about 80 Megawatts at just 6.9 cents per kilowatt hour over a thirty year term.

That's good.  Like, holy crap good.

Well, ok.  They won't be supplying all of their residents' energy via solar power.  It'll only be around 48% when everything comes online in 4 years.

Tee hee!  I just said only.  That's actually pretty amazing for, well, anywhere in this country.

What's even more cool than that?  The fact that the state requires that cities have at least 33% of their energy coming from renewable sources by 2020.  Palo Alto will be way ahead of schedule, and way above the guidelines.

Sweet!

Go, Palo Alto!!! 

::insert stadium level cheering here::

The municipal utility has signed contracts with 3 different companies to bring in those 80 kWh of solar energy, which, according to the Vote Solar Initiative, is "about 18% of the city's load, well over the 65,000 residential customers in the city."

If Palo Alto can do it, we can, too.  All of us.

Sure, it's easier for a community like Palo Alto, which is very favorable toward green initiatives, than it is for many other communities, but they're just the starting point.  They're shown that it's possible to make solar energy cheap.

Let's work toward reaching their goal... then surpassing it. 
The total output of these 3 solar plants are enough to serve about 18% of the city’s load, well over the 65,000 residential customers in the city. - See more at: http://votesolar.org/2013/06/palo-alto-municipal-utility-going-big-on-solar/#sthash.kX5REOa2.EFWi4UDl.dpuf

The total output of these 3 solar plants are enough to serve about 18% of the city’s load, well over the 65,000 residential customers in the city. - See more at: http://votesolar.org/2013/06/palo-alto-municipal-utility-going-big-on-solar/#sthash.kX5REOa2.EFWi4UDl.dp
The total output of these 3 solar plants are enough to serve about 18% of the city’s load, well over the 65,000 residential customers in the city. - See more at: http://votesolar.org/2013/06/palo-alto-municipal-utility-going-big-on-solar/#sthash.kX5REOa2.EFWi4UDl.dp

1 comment:

  1. Sadly, something new has happened since I wrote this post a year ago - perhaps it's time to revisit this one. The state of Oklahoma now places a surcharge on use of the electrical grid for all residents that choose to use solar panels to power their homes, yet stay connected to the grid as a security measure. Thank you to the Koch brothers, right? http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/opinion/sunday/the-koch-attack-on-solar-energy.html?_r=0

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