Las Vegas Sun

It would be great if we could use this excellent resource provided by the Sun as a forum for intelligent commentary and sharing of information.

The endless bickering between a few people here is very distracting and quite meaningless. There will always be others with differing opinions. I suggest we embrace our diversity and honor each other as fellow human beings.

I don't know what the "Suggest removal" link is on each message, but some of the posts here have tempted me to try it out.

There are some very intelligent, well-intentioned people who frequent these pages. It would be in our best interests to maintain civility and promote an intelligent exchange of ideas. Can't we communicate without the partisan jabs, insults and "holier than thou" attitudes?

Let's set an example of how people can live in peace. Please.

Please factor in the damage nuclear power does to our environment along with the fact that it is an uninsurable business (per the Price-Anderson Act), the costs for decommissioning, the costs for storage, the health impacts on those living near the plants or the mines or the waste transport routes (millions of people), the damage to the land from mines and their tailings (a pile of which leaches into the Colorado River upstream of Las Vegas and that no one wants to pay to clean up), etc.

All of these "externalities" amount to a HUGE tax on all of us, except the utilities.

Interest means nothing if the end result is a world that is uninhabitable. We must start making decisions based on life, not on profit. Just a fraction of the current subsidies for oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear would level the playing field enough for renewable energy to succeed very rapidly. As it is it will succeed regardless, but the time frame needs to be accelerated IMHO.

Plus, nuclear power is a non-renewable fuel source, just like fossil fuels are. There is only a finite amount in the earth. The stuff we have yet to dig up is exactly where it should remain. There is only one nuclear plant that really works well, and it is 93,000,000 miles away, exactly where it should be.

I suppose the sun is ultimately non-renewable as well, but it will likely be the mother of all energizer bunnies in that respect. It won't be going out soon.

Why argue with the inevitable? Unless a person owns stock in these environmentally damaging companies (coal, nukes, gas, etc.) and doesn't grok our role as stewards of the planet, I don't understand why there is so much resistance to renewable energy.

Here's an example of solar energy that will provide some clarity on the cost issue.

Take the worst case situation, PV on a single family home. Small system, high cost per watt. Here's how it breaks down over the life of the system:

A 5 KW AC system will produce approximately 11,000 KWH of electricity annually, enough to provide all the electricity needed for an average energy-efficient home.

The warranty period for the panels is typically 20-25 years, but overall production will last much longer. Using 30 years as a conservative “useful life” the system will produce roughly 330,000 KWH of electricity.

With no rebates or incentives, installed costs run $9-$10 per watt, say $50,000. Add 10% contingency for maintenance/replacement costs (a very conservative number), bringing the total to $55,000.

So the cost per kilowatt-hour, over the useful life of the system, comes to approximately $0.17. Systems installed at the lower $9 per watt result in $0.15 per KWH. When installed in greater quantity, it is not difficult to get to $8 per watt or less, or $0.13 per KWH.

Clearly, this system produces power only at certain times, but is often during times of peak demand when utilities must pay the highest rates. Rates vary, but are often three or more times the base rate. For a true comparison, PV power should be compared at the same level as the more expensive power it is offsetting which could easily be $0.30 or more per KWH.

Being based on the sun, PV works well in tandem with other sources of energy or energy storage and more options are becoming available each year. The bottom line is between energy efficiency and the already existing energy systems that are online, there is more than enough base power generation to fill in the gaps until more storage capacity comes online.

Cleaning is a non-issue as long as the panels are tilted. Wind blows off any major dust and our infrequent rains are enough to wash them periodically.

For those who think nuclear is cheap, read the Price-Anderson Act, the biggest energy subsidy on the planet, born solely by taxpayers.

Coal futures for 2010 are already twice the current price and that’s not counting any carbon costs, which are coming and will add significantly to the cost. There is no way that any utility using coal or nuclear will honestly be able to produce electricity for less than $0.17 per KWH in thirty years – unless they embrace the sanity of renewable energy on a massive scale. If that happens, we all win.

The bottom line is that PV is already on a par with our existing energy sources. Other technologies like geothermal, wind and CSP are even better. So, as Mr. Comarow states, “What are we waiting for?”

Renewable energy is the only way to go. This is an excellent opinion piece and points to way toward a long-term, stable energy future that will build our economy and address serious issues like climate change.

The economics of RE make complete sense when all subsidies for fossil/nuclear, both obvious and hidden, are taken into account.

Nevada will become The Solar State, leading the transformation to a new, green economy.

The city of Curitiba in Brazil has had great success in transforming their grid lock into widely accepted, functional mass transit at relatively low cost.

Check out http://tinyurl.com/6648ws for more details.

Many other social innovations have taken place in Curitiba. It is a very interesting story.

Peak Oil is here folks. Forget the new airport. It's time to focus on building a local economy that can sustain itself without cheap fossil fuels. It's been a nice ride and we could have done a lot better, but few were paying attention while cheap flights and wasteful SUVs burned up a precious, one-time resource like it would never end.

One bright spot on the horizon is Nevada's incredible potential for renewable energy. A rapid, intelligent shift in that direction would bring jobs to the state and reverse the six billion dollar per year energy hemorrhage we currently suffer from.

Instead of a tarmac at Ivanpah, build solar arrays. It's the wise choice for those who care about the future of Nevada.

Congratulations to the Sun on a job well done! This is a great web site and you deserve the recognition.

The nation's top climate scientist is getting an award for his outstanding work on the issue of climate change. Why, governor, are you completely ignoring him? I think a response to his letter is important. We want to read it and have it be part of the record.

How can you actually support these coal plants in spite of the dire warnings? I understand your important Texas meeting includes a panel discussion on energy with some of the biggest fossil fuel corporations and polluters in the world, including Shell, BP, Peabody and others. Will you be golfing with them too?

Are you giving equal attention to the clean energy options? Of course I'm not referring to the ridiculous oxymoron of "clean coal," something that does not and will never actually exist.

This is Nevada's chance to step up to the plate and shine like never before. Governor Gibbons, please, for the sake of the citizens you represent and their children, stop these coal plants and embrace renewable energy on a comparable scale!

Let's not miss this one time, golden opportunity to make a contribution to the world that goes far beyond that of gaming, lights and glitter. Our economy will thrive, the flow of energy dollars will begin to flow into our state instead of out, jobs will be created, the lights WILL stay on and we'll all breathe easier.

Please listen to Dr. Hansen and the thousands of other scientists from around the world. There has never been so much scientific agreement on an issue. We MUST heed their warnings. The only place for coal is in the ground...untouched.

Great editorial! Rather than a "solar growth spurt" however, we are poised for what could be a significant, long-term and beneficial economic transition.

Nevada is set to become a major player in an industry that makes gaming look like, well, a game. That industry is ENERGY, and unlike the coal industry wannabees who will never be what they profess, our renewable energy is truly clean.

I do not understand people's love affair with coal. It IS yesterday's energy. In fact, it's ancient energy. It belongs in the ground, permanently.

We get more energy from the sun than we could possibly need. All that is missing is education and political (corporate) will.

Those who embrace coal as a viable energy source must be under the illusion that it will somehow be profitable for them personally. After all, coal is just dirty, black stuff - why else would someone defend it so strongly? Unfortunately, any profit, even for the wealthiest corporations, will be short-lived and foolish in the long term.

mschaffer is right, the real cost of coal goes far beyond air quality issues. We are risking lives and raping our landscape, destroying vast bio-regions of forested mountains and once-beautiful valley streams to get that coal.

But hey, we have to watch American Idol on big plasma screens in air-conditioned comfort for the lowest possible cost, right? Surely we need to pump endless tons of water over phony waterfalls to create Disney-esque illusions of natural beauty. I suppose we think that's better than a real waterfall, on a real mountain, supporting real habitat in some far off place, right?

Oh sure, those people might suffer and lose what they hold dear, including their homes, their health, their land and their lives. But that's their problem I suppose.

COAL: The ultimate folly.