Duke’s new solar farms in Florida echo what Duke was already doing three and a half years ago when an independent study concluded more solar power in North Carolina would save utility ratepayers tens of millions of dollars annually.
Duke solar power farm in Perry, Florida, courtesy Duke Energy
John Downey, Charlotte Business Journal, 23 October 2013, Study: Solar benefits outweigh costs in NC, Continue reading
South Carolina’s largest solar farm generated 5% more power
than planned
in its first year (2014), and demonstrated that
tracking mounts provide more power in the late afternoon at peak
air conditioning use time.
It took only nine weeks to build, far faster than any pipeline or nuclear project, and you could build enough of these solar farms to produce more energy
in less time than it would take just to permit either of those, much less build them.
However, Santee Cooper could do better about enabling others to install and connect solar power.
Right now, Santee Cooper is making even Duke Energy look good.
Santee Cooper, 24 January 2014, South Carolina’s largest solar farm introduced to the public, Continue reading
Duke Energy, purported big customer of FPL and Spectra’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline boondoggle, is expanding into solar financing for commercial projects, and from North Carolina into South Carolina. After even FPL’s parent bought a Hawaii utility to get into the solar game, why would anybody want to waste time, money, eminent domain land takings, trees cut down, or the hazards of sinkholes, leaks, and explosions near schools and businesses when we can all go straight to faster, cheaper, and far safer and cleaner solar power?
First this: Jennifer Runyon, Renewable Energy World, 9 February 2015, Duke Energy Takes Equity Stake in REC Solar, Embraces Distributed Generation: The move gives REC Solar a cash injection, $225 million in funds available to finance commercial projects, and a streamlined process to deliver solar projects more quickly.,
The largest utility in the U.S. is doubling down on distributed solar by taking an equity stake in commercial solar developer, REC Solar. The companies announced today that Duke will now own a majority stake of REC Solar and that together they will make it easier for commercial customers to go solar. In 2013, Duke Energy invested in Continue reading
If you thought Sabal Trail was a one-off pipeline, think again.
Kinder Morgan wants to build another pipeline conveniently past Elba Island LNG
through Savannah and Jacksonville.
Apparently it’s not actually for methane, but it’s still another
fossil fuel boondoggle among many that local and state governments
and NGOs need to proactively deal with instead of each type one by one.
Chip Harp, Valdosta Today, 9 February 2015, New Nat Gas Pipeline to Fuel Coast, Continue reading
The room was packed as
the Chairman commented on
Dr. Amanda Hall’s proposal
for an
anti-tethering ordinance,
as did
four citizens
(realtor Alan Canup,
veterinarian Jeff Creamer,
LCDP Chairman Tom Hochschild,
and
Carol Kellerman),
plus
Chairman Slaughter again.
Citizen
Frenchie DePasture
commented on trash,
at Tuesday evening’s Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
Mike Allen, Utilities Director until last Friday,
got an offer he couldn’t refuse from Hilton Head, South Carolina
and
a presentation from County Manager Joe Pritchard.
Finance Director Stephanie Black
read from the agenda
about
a budget award (or
passing grade) received by Lowndes County for the ninth year in a row,
as one of 1400 awardees this year.
No rezonings, but Continue reading
South Carolina Sierra Club Chair Susan Corbett summed up
the problem with
the EPA’s carbon rule:
it opposes one poison while promoting others.
We can make a real green clean energy policy
based on conservation, efficiency, solar, and wind energy.
Remember, you can still
send in your own comments directly to EPA.
SC Sierra club, chair at EPA Atlanta hearing, by Elaine Cooper on YouTube 30 July 2014: Continue reading
Looks like Horry County, SC stuck to its
initial three-year offer, both for Lofton, and for millage
to fund his development authority there.
There are things the
newly-renamed Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
could do to let sunshine turn Lofton’s local land legacy green.
Jason M. Rodriguez and Amanda Kelley wrote for Myrtle Beach Online yesterday, Brad Lofton leaving Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation,
Membership to the EDC increased earlier this year, but revenue from the membership decreased by nearly $60,000, impacting the organization’s marketing services and more.
Loton has had many projects succeed, and met some challenges during his time in Horry County.
Earlier this month Continue reading
The NRC “upheld” license denial for the Calvert Cliffs nuke
with its fingers crossed, the very same day
directing staff to look into changing the requirement
by which it just ruled.
A requirement against majority ownership by a foreign firm,
in this case
Électricité de France (EDF),
whose flagship Cattenom reactor
caught on fire a week ago with smoke seen from miles away;
two people died at Cattenom in February.
You can comment on NRC’s proposed changes to let EDF
fire up Calvert Cliffs
online or in person June 19th in Maryland.
The same day
the NRC upheld denial of a license, 11 March 2013,
the same Commission
“directed the staff to provide a fresh assessment on issues relating to FOCD including recommendations on any proposed modifications to guidance or practice on FOCD that may be warranted.”
And the issue with Calvert Cliffs was that very same “foreign ownership, control, or domination (FOCD) of commercial nuclear power plants.”
This explains why Continue reading
Seth Gunning from Atlanta spoke at the Southern Company (SO) meeting 23 May 2012 at Callaway Gardens; he was representing the Georgia Sierra Club with 97 shares. SO CEO Thomas A. Fanning graciously greeted him. Gunning brought up health effects of coal plants. Then he talked about two paths.
The way I see it, Southern Company sits at a crossroads. That one path Southern Company continues to drag its feet on the development of renewable energy economies in the southeast. The other path, Southern Company becomes a leader in creating jobs and economic development in clean energy in the south.
He thanked SO for recently partnering with Santee Cooper in the Palmetto Wind Project in South Carolina. It’s curious how there’s been no news whatever about that.
Then Gunning mentioned another wind project:
The state of Georgia is the only Atlantic state not currently working with the Department of Interior to streamline the permitting processes for offshore wind development.
He was referring to the Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium announced by DoI 8 June 2010. (Not to be confused with Google’s privately-funded Atlantic Wind Connection.) Gunning asked whether the Southern Company would advocate
Continue reading
He may be gone, but he’s still up to his old tricks, and he’s using us for a reference.
Adva Saldinger wrote in The Sun News 8 May 2011, Lofton hits ground running in new post; CEO asking taxpayers for $1.6 million:
The new Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp. president and chief executive is by many accounts aggressive and personable, and he says, ready to take charge and bring much needed jobs to the area quickly.And a pony!Brad Lofton said he will bring 500 jobs in the first 18 months, and an average of 500 jobs each year over the next five to 10 years.
Has anybody verified the jobs Lofton claimed he brought to Lowndes County? Continue reading