Comments on: Solar arrays to power county facilities

By: Dan Drummond Sr

Dan Drummond Sr — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:28:31 +0000

Solar is beautiful.
The Sun our star. I heard that most people living before the Civil War did not know the Sun was the same as the stars they saw at night.

I’m thankful for the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home. Tax money well spent. You have to feel for those kids. I wonder what it would be like to live there.

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By: MOCKINGBIRD

MOCKINGBIRD — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:02:01 +0000

We have a power array on my worksite building. It’s cut the power bill more than 2/3. The landlord is extremely happy and expects to have the array paid for in 5 years time.

The real money sucker is PG&E. They put their profits into their pockets and didn’t keep up with the necessary upgrades of the power grid or the natural gas system. They want us users to pay for the San Brunno gas explosion that happened because they failed at monitoring and upgrading the pipes. they want us to pay for the upgrades which I believe we’ve already paid for over and over again.

I’d rather the county put their money into solar which supports small businesses and jobs in Sonoma County than into PG&E’s CEO’s deep pockets. The array is permanent and will pay for itself in time. It is a good investment both financially and environmentally.

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By: James Bennett

James Bennett — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 04:45:48 +0000

Creating black holes to take money from.

That’s what this is coming to.

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By: Steveguy

Steveguy — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:42:40 +0000

$100 MILLION for a solar project ? Really ?

” The Water Agency is pursuing what would be the largest solar project in the county, with plans to cover 50 vacant acres near the county airport with 54,700 panels, costing about $100 million ”

The last big energy project has a horrible return on investment and costs us MORE for over a decade ! I think it is like $360,000 a year more for the same amount. Too lazy to look up the Water Agency other fiasco out Airport Blvd.

It’s all a scheme that relates to the Lobbyist article in today’s PD. These money wasters can get $$$$$$$$ for lining pockets, but they can’t fix the roads. Where has good governance gone ?

Water is a hundred dollar bill now, not some previous minor expense, and they spend MILLIONS freely ! It is or has become cost negative for growing your own veggie garden. Really.

Fix the dam roads with the $100 MILLION. Oh my

ps. Hey PD, please pursue the County and ALL records. There is so much waste and avarice to find. Please win awards for exposing the con game that is occurring with our so-called public servants. Please.

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By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:16:53 +0000

There are two reasons solar polar advocates can pretend that green energy is cost competitive: government subsidies and AB32, which mandates public utilities obtain 33% of their power from narrowly-defined “green” sources.

To meet this mandate, PG&E and others are signing very expensive contracts that meet AB32 requirements. Guess what, PG&E rates will rise significantly as a result.

If we do this often enough, yes, even solar power will start to look cheap . . . . . . to people wearing very tight blinders.

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By: brown act Jack

brown act Jack — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:38:39 +0000

Ah, but, Reality Check, it will provide jobs for the County.

Someone will have to go out there and wash them down every week or so, till around the poles, check the wiring, and make sure that the inmates don’t electrocute themselves.

And then , of course, it will mar the landscape of the Hway 12, which is a scenic designated road, but, heck, we have to buy these Chinese products for our country, don’t we!

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By: brown act Jack

brown act Jack — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:31:55 +0000

Never take advice about a business proposition from someone who is trying to sell you the idea!

Where is the cost benefit anlysis?

When you want to do something you should have the staff present both sides of the equation, and not rely on the supporters for all of the information

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By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:11:33 +0000

The first sentence is clearly false. For much of the year the county facility will rely on electricity from the same power grid most of us use, PG&E’s. And for all of the year it will depend on the grid for backup.

I doubt the cost of relying on PGE’s generating capacity for backup is factored into these costs. Even at that, the article gets fuzzy about whether this project saves even a nickle.

It is past time for the PD and news media to start writing full disclosure articles on the cost of solar power, its benefits and liabilities. As of today, the media does little more than serve as a public relation’s arm of the solar panel industry.

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