Almost funny, if not so sad - 2 year moratorium on solar on public lands

[AlternativeEnergy.com]

The New York Times reports today that the Bureau of Land Management, a part of the US Department of Interior has placed a 2 year moratorium on solar projects on public lands.

They are looking to study the environmental impact!

The bureau says they have received applications to cover a million acres that would power 20 million homes.

Excerpt from BLM website:

Solar radiation levels in the Southwest are some of the best in the world. A significant number of acres administered by the BLM in Arizona, southern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah register levels of solar radiation suitable for utility-scale solar power plant development using current technology. The need for clean, affordable domestic energy supplies is renewing interest in using solar energy to produce electricity. Solar energy can supplement other resources to serve the country's need for energy and help sustain continued economic development.

What do you think?

[Marisha & Bob]

We also thought that this was a joke. Need to look closer who is running that Bureau and follow the money, perhaps. It shows how much work players in solar and overall alternative energy sector need to do to educate** those 'in power' making such decisions. Otherwise more of this, or ethanol-type policy and legislative debacles are in the offing. How can an effective on-going dialogue to engage between the industry players, scientists and bureaucrats be created?

[John L. McNeil]

Remember all this in November, when we get a chance to "flush" our political toilet, hopefully ending the grip of the oil lobby. We must take advantage of the kinds of technology that put a man on the moon, then overcome the political grip of the petroleum industry and move forward in our own interests. The technology really isn't rocket science, just politically dicey!! A moratorium on development of SOLAR ENERGY?? I feel as though I'm watching Howdy Doody with my grandkids on a saturday morning!

[Marisha & Bob]

Seems to be some backtracking on the Moratorium -- but need to keep watching in the next months to make sure that this is not a whitewash press release to divert attention from other deeds and policies.
The New York Times reports today:
July 3, 2008
U.S. Lifts Moratorium on New Solar Projects
By DAN FROSCH
DENVER - Under increasing public pressure over its decision to temporarily
halt all new solar development on public land, the Bureau of Land Management
said Wednesday that it was lifting the freeze, barely a month after it was
put into effect.
The bureau had announced on May 29 that it was no longer processing new
applications to build solar power plants on land it oversees in six Western
states after federal officials said they needed first to study the
environmental effects of solar energy, a process that would take two years.
But amid concerns from the solar power industry, members of Congress and the
general public that the freeze would stymie solar development during a
particularly critical time for energy policy, the bureau abruptly
reconsidered.

[AlternativeEnergy.com]

According to the NY Times, Today, July 3, the moratorium was lifted.

[Marisha & Bob]

Thanks to the journalists at NYT, doing their job in contrast to other times in past years and getting the story on this out in time for public response.

[ved22]

At last public opinion wins over politiking...

Politicians are same in whichever part of the world they are ....

[Jay]

BLM SHOULD ALSO LIFT THE PATTENT MORTORIUM SO THAT SMALL MINERS CAN DISCOVER VITAL MINERALS THAT WE NEED TO FUEL OUR GREEN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY THE BLM PUT A MORTORIUM ON PATTENTING MINING CLAINS TEN YEARS AGO. NOW WE ARE TEN YEARS BEHIND IN OUR ABILITY TO BRING THESE VITAL RARE EARTH RESOURCES TO MARKET. THE IRANIANS ARE RUNNING 5,000 CENTRIFUGES WHILE WE ARE DISALLOWING ANY SMALL PROSPECTING ON PUBLIC LANDS. (MIGHT TEAR UP THE ENVIROMENT) BLM
HAS GOT ENVIRMNENTALIST EMBEDDED IN THE ORGANIZATION SO FAR NOW YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE ON PUBLIC LANDS WITH OUT SOME KIND OF EXPENSIVE STUDY. AND NOT ONLY THAT IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND A DESERT TORTIS,SPOTTED OWL,SUCKER FISH OR EVEN A JUMPING MOUSE WATCH OUT THEY WILL COME AFTER YOU WITH ARMED RANGES ON HORSEBACK. (SEE YOU TUBE VIDEO RAINBOW GATHERING 2008) HARRAS INTIMIDATE STALL AND STUDY,STUDY,STUDY. IF THERE IS WATER INVOLVED FORGET IT THE
EPA AND ARMY CORE OF ENGINEERS IS JUST AS BAD. GOVERMENT IS TOO BIG AND ALL THOSE JOBS COME WITH BENIFITS UNLIKE EVERYONE ELSE THEY CAN'T BE FIRED. IF YOU TRY TO SUE THEM BECAUSE YOU BEEN WRONGED THEY GET COUNSEL AND TAX PAYERS FOOT THE BILL. THIS IS OUT OF HAND THE GOVERMENT NEEDS TO RE-THINK ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS AND POLICIES WE CAN'T SAVE ENERGY WITH THE CURRENT RULE SYSTEM WE'DS HAVE TO SPEND A YEAR STUDY ON HOW TO SAVE A DIME AND IT COST A MILLION BUCKS AND GUARNTEE TEN OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS. LOW LIFE SCUM SUCKING BOTTOM FEEDERS ALL OF THEM BLM SUCKS!!!!

[Jay]

NO SOLAR ON BLM LAND. ACTUALLY WILD LIFE ON BLM WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE SHADE OF THE ARRAY. THE RABBIT POPULATION WOULD IMEADIATELY QUADRUPLE THAT IS UNTILL THEY ALL GOT TULUREMIA
AND ALL DIED THEN THE SCAVENGER POPULATION WOULD BOOM THOSE POPULATIONS WOULD DISPLACE THE OTHER BIRDS THAT MIGRATE THROUGH THROWING OFF MIGRATION PATTERNS WORLDWIDE AND THEN
BIRDS WOULD FLY INTO JET ENGINES AND PLANES WOULD CRASH AND PEOPLE MIGHT GET HURT SO WE CAN'T HAVE SOLAR ON BLM. NO NO NO WE MUST STUDY WHAT EFFECTS THE SHADE MIGHT HAVE ON THE DESERT COULD PLANTS START TO GROW IN THE SHADE AND WOULDN'T THEY NEED MORE WATER TO GROW AND WOULDN'T THE GROWING PLANTS INTERFEER WITH THE SOLAR TRACKING MECHANISMS AND SNAR THE ENERGY OUTPUT GRINDING IT TO A HALT. CAUSING WIDESPREAD OUTAGES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH
BLA BLA BLA GO STUDY THAT BLM SUCK THIS