By Joseph John Rothengast
(919) 247-4143
jjr@jmja.com
What would happen if we had no energy crisis? We would not have large changes in the cost of electricity, corporations would not “lay off” employees because of high electric costs, and people would be able to afford electric to heat and air-condition their homes without destroying their budget. This would give people more discretionary funds to spend on other things and stir the economy.
I propose turning over some of the military funds to have the factories turn out photovoltaic modules that would create electric from a clean and renewable source so that it would lower the costs of these modules and stir investments in solar and other energy sources that would turnaround global warming.
If we encourage people to create Energy Farms, sites that not only generate electric for their own needs, as thousands of homes do now, but would generate electric for 20 – 100 or more homes. It would make land values more valuable where they could create these sites, create millions of jobs, do away with our dependence on foreign oil and burning fossil fuels that cause environment pollution.
The Department of Energy’s current Million-solar-roofs by 2010 program should be to really create a million of these Energy Farms. Our electrical grid relies on centralize power plants, with the pollution that they create. By promoting Energy Farms we would have the capability of further breaking down the grid into smaller sections. This capability would allow us to recover faster and have less of an impact when there are outages.
The result would not only provide jobs but less pollution and the costs of smog, oil spills and cleaning up land. It would help the balance of payments. Not only by less need on imported oil but also by selling energy related products overseas. We would no longer have to send troops over to protect our oil producers and save funds on military costs. We would also save the lives of our troops and the need to create munitions and additional arms. Factories that produced these items could be converted to produce solar modules. With every module produced it would go further to clean the environment for the nation and the world.
Current worries about terrorist attacking power plants and the electrical grid would be lessen since the impact would not be as severe.
The technology is already here, what is needed is to bring the costs down and to get the information out to people on how to create sites and finance it.
It would also help if there were additional incentives and legislation to make it easier for approvals on sites. Since there is no pollution sites should not have to undergo “Environmental Impact Studies”. A common legal contract that is fair to the producer and the utility would allow sites to avoid legal costs.
The astheists of solar modules are also improving so that they could be placed on smaller lots without adversely affecting the looks of the neighborhood but by increasing the value of homes. Some modules are also built into the roof so that they appeal to the traditional homeowner. Imagine being able to be energy independent. Rather than getting a bill at the end of the month you would get a check from the utility. There would be a incentive to conserve since every penny saved would be worth 2 cents, the amount you would have paid versus the penny paid to you. A person would have the incentive to generate additional electric since there would be an increase to their income. It could be a family business that is handed down through generations.
Independent living sites for handicapped individuals could be built around Energy Farms to provide income and backup in case of grid power problems. Federal expenses could be paid back from a percentage of the income and used for additional programs. State and local communities would not only benefit from localize electric but also by a broader tax base.
The financial section would have mortgages with sites creating income and therefore less risk. Photovoltaic modules can last for 40 or more years with little maintenance. Imagine a career where you can stay home, have heat for a year round greenhouse to grow food and a reverse osmosis equipment to produce clean water from humidity in the air. That would be very close to being self-reliant living.
Colleges need to start to think about teaching courses built around this new career.