Radical Noesis - Thinking outside the box

“I just have to share this with you because not many folks share my enthusiasm for renewable energy.

As you know, Mr. Bush signed a new energy bill. I can’t really discuss it because I haven’t read it yet. However, I know that one good thing has already come of it. Due in part to tax incentives brought about by the new policy, Southern California Edison (SCE) signed on with a “pet” company of mine, Stirling Energy, to build the world’s largest solar electricity generator. You heard me correctly; it will be the biggest in the whole darn world. It’s so big, it’s almost new-culee-er big.

http://www.stirlingenergy.com/breaking_news.htm

In reality, the deal is years in the making and the folks at Stirling have been lobbying for these tax incentives for at least that long. It isn’t coincidence, though, that SCE signed the agreement a couple days after Dubya singed the bill. In short, the deal may not have happened without those Bush tax incentives. I commend Stirling for playing the game, against a tough opponent (Bush and the big oil machine), and scoring a point for our side.

I love that this new breed of generator has zero emissions, that it requires no capital investment from the public, and that it will start to generate electricity (and therefore payback on SCE’s investment) long before the facility is finished. I love that it’s modular (add more capacity when needed), and that the best possible location site in the least attractive real estate in the California (Barstow/Victorville). Most of all, I love that barely anyone will know the difference when they flip the light switch. The good guys scored a point and nobody cheered—just fine with me."

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His willingness to find the “silver lining” (this blog post title is his cleverness as well) in non-environmental times like these is inspiring—and really all we can hold onto as we maneuver through a system, and an administration that is often hostile to environmental concerns, are these unheralded victories for alternative sources of energy. We live in times that privilege production and consumption, and this must be addressed at an ideological level. In the meantime, if things can get squeezed through systemic channels, then I can celebrate them too!