Archive for September, 2009

BrightSource Debacle in the Desert: Can Solar Power, Conservation, and Sustainability Co-Exist?

Monday, September 21st, 2009

On Thursday, September 17, BrightSource formally announced that they are abandoning efforts to build a solar farm on 5,000 acres of public land in the Mohave desert near Ludlow, California.  Though the announcement ended months of contentious - and at times, bitter - conflict between a well funded and well ...

Thoughts on Thomas Friedman’s Sept 15th Op-Ed on Solar Investment

Friday, September 18th, 2009

In a September 15th NY Time op-ed piece, Thomas Friedman makes that case that innovative solar technology is invented in the US, but only finds manufacturing customers overseas, primarily in China and Germany.  Applied Materials, he writes, is a US company that makes the machinery that produces microchips and another silicon ...

Oregon’s Surprising Solar Industry

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Oregon, ranked 27th by population, is ranked 9th in US solar energy according to the Solar Energy Industry Association.  At the close of 2008, Oregonians had installed 4.8 MW, a 330% increase over 1.1 MW in 2007. Oregon is 7th overall in cumulative US installations with 7.5 megawatts. This is due ...

6 Dangers Facing US Solar Energy

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

All across the West, firefighters are forging through a long hot summer of wildfires.  Along with their boots, helmet, Nomex clothing, fire shelter, and canteen they carry a pocket-sized reference of "Ten Standing Orders" and "Ten Situations that Shout Danger."  A red skull and crossed bones smiles at them from ...