BF2S Forums Gasoline Prices Spike; May Hit $4 Gallon this Summer

Morpheus wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

that one is not actually very far from my home town... i think PA has a few more, too. Not certain.
There are a bunch in NJ already...

Or were you thinking of this one?

Well, I dunno where you live so...

I'm all for nuclear energy but people who casually push environmental stances generally aren't. That's why I brought it up. They'll rave about hybrids or electric cars but cry NIMBY at the slightest whiff of a nuclear plant being built within 100 miles of them.

Palisades (the one I linked) is just down the road from me now (probably an hour south...less maybe).
I'm all for the wind and solar farms, too. Whenever I get around to buying a home (instead of renting) I'll look at the solar panels... also tying them into the grid, so i can have my own solar farm...

Morpheus wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

Palisades (the one I linked) is just down the road from me now (probably an hour south...less maybe).
I'm all for the wind and solar farms, too. Whenever I get around to buying a home (instead of renting) I'll look at the solar panels... also tying them into the grid, so i can have my own solar farm...

Except you live in the northeast where it snows and rains often. Are you going to chop down all the trees around your home too so the panels are never shaded? Even a small shadow on the panels will degrade their performance by 60% or so. You might be able to heat your water with solar panels on a home but don't expect them to power your entire home or produce enough energy that you make money back.

say hello to my little friend:


Context.
Yes, the NE should probably not get wind/solar farms... Nuclear seems best up there.
However, what about the SW? There's a bit of open space down there....
In terms of private use, the solar really only augments the grid, yes, it is all likely possible that in order for me to get enough panels to complete break from the grid I'd need to take over the entire state of Michigan... however, if I can (almost) break free in the summer, hey, sounds good.

The continuing tension between conservationists and the renewable energy sector reared its head again last week, when US solar energy giant BrightSource Energy announced it would scale back a proposed solar thermal plant in California in order to protect the local tortoise population.

Conservation groups have claimed that the desert tortoise, a native species in the southwest's Mojave region that is officially on the endangered species list, is seeing its habitat threatened by huge thermal solar projects in the area.

One such project is BrightSource's Ivanpah solar array, which is due to become fully operational in 2012. The original plans for the project, which called for it to begin construction late last year, featured three large arrays – two producing 100MW each, and the third phase (Ivanpah 3) producing 200MW. The plans call for the units to cover a total surface area of 5.3 square miles.

However, last week the company submitted a proposal to the Californian Energy Commission (CEC) to reduce the overall area for the facility by 12 per cent, scaling back the size of the third phase of the project by 23 per cent, and replacing the five planned towers with just one.

The company said the changes would mean the facility avoids the area that would have required the most grading and rock removal in the solar fields, while leaving the largest natural stormwater features in the northern portion of the site intact.

The proposal will reduce the electricity-producing capacity of the project by 11 per cent to 392MW.

According to Defenders of Wildlife, the population of the desert tortoise has dropped by 90 per cent in the past 50 years, leaving as little as 100,000 of the animals in the south western desert region. Threats include human disturbance, to which the tortoises are extremely sensitive. The animals also rely heavily on local flora for their water supply.

This is not the first time that BrightSource Energy has had to adjust its plans for solar plants in California due to concerns from conservation lobby groups.

The company cancelled a solar project in the Broadwell Lake area of the Mojave desert in September following concerns about the proposed development's impact on local wildlife.

The firm's expansion plans could also be hindered by the introduction in December of a new bill from Californian senator Diane Feinstein that would protect areas of the Mojave desert, turning some parts of it into a national monument.

However, the proposed protected areas do not appear to overlap with the area to be used for the Ivanpah project.

California renewable energy standards previously dictated that the state draw 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by this year. The state has now been instructed to extend that renewable portfolio standard, requiring a third of the state's power to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Last edited by SealXo (2010-04-10 09:07:40)

Last edited by DUnlimited (2010-04-10 09:35:13)

11 Bravo wrote:

DUnlimited wrote:

So you US people may soon pay half what I do. I feel so sorry for you.

11 Bravo wrote:

/waits for some euro to say something aboot their prices like we care.

winnah!

11 Bravo wrote:

DUnlimited wrote:

11 Bravo wrote:

DUnlimited wrote:

So you US people may soon pay half what I do. I feel so sorry for you.

winnah!

It's funny how you formed that sentence so that it implies Americans are superior to euros

no it means we dont give a flying fuck what you pay.