There is an undeclared energy battle being waged in America. As installation costs drop, rooftop solar is spreading throughout the US and, while reducing the nation’s carbon footprint, it also cuts into corporate profits. Despite three resounding setbacks, utility companies are fighting to hold on to their monopolies. They are doing this by trying to limit net metering, the cornerstone policy that gives solar customers credit for the excess energy they put back on the grid. The Alliance of Solar Choice (TASC) says two of the hottest battles are currently being fought in Arizona and Colorado. This was America’s Net Metering War.
The tide of rooftop victories started on June 26 of this year, when the Louisiana Public Utilities Commission voted 3-2 to maintain the payments utilities must make to solar owners.
Four Months after supposedly going “online,” there seems to be very little probability Ocotillo Wind Farm will ever live up to its promise of carrying “1,000 MW of additional power into San Diego, or enough energy to serve 650,000 homes.”
Take a very close look at the diagram above. Notice the words “Tube Burst,” “Tube Burst Criterion” and “Tube fails 95% Burst probability 1.35 year.” These are calculations as to how long the tubes in unit #2, at San Onofre Nuclear facility, would remain intact if the generator went online now. Generators are supposed to last supposed to last 30 to 40 years, not 1.35 years. This is not a normal situation, in which there is “no significant hazard.” Yet, 14 months after having to shut down because of the unprecedented wear in their generator tubes, Southern California Edison (SCE) is claiming they should be allowed to start the facility up again.
In his March 5 video log, Jim Pelley recorded the arrival some of of the last 18 wind turbines at Ocotillo. Phase one of the project has now been online four months, during which he has recorded very little wind.
