Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Rant

Who woulda' thunk it.

Jan 8, 2015 10:24PM PST
The tea party is pushing for solar power in Florida

A tea party leader and a conservative state lawmaker are behind a petition to make solar panels more profitable in Florida,

you have the Tea Party...and you have your Green Tea Party

Many Republicans remain opposed to solar energy mainly because it's more costly than fossil fuels, according to Americans for Prosperity, a group founded by the billionaire Koch brothers that's often allied with the Tea Party movement.

"We've had disagreements over solar," said Virginia Galloway, director of Americans for Prosperity's chapter in Georgia. Coal and gas both can generate electricity cheaper than solar, and requiring utilities to buy it will boost costs. "We oppose any mandates that would raise utility rates."

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
That's funny.
Jan 9, 2015 1:00AM PST

Our county generates electricity from burning trash and have done so for a couple of decades. They get whatever the utility company pays for fuel elsewhere. One of the things they are wanting to do is bring in trash from other counties because we don't generate enough electricity to make it profitable and there is idle time on the incinerator.

We don't do much solar because of lack of a lot of sun. Do do some wind power and, of course, Niagara Falls. I have heard that a lot of areas of the south (where solar would be great) politicians make it almost impossible to get solar because it would hurt the utility companies.

Reminds me, when I lived in California, LA was asking everyone to conserve water. They wanted to save about 10%. We saved about 25%. Then the water department wanted to raise the rates because they weren't making enough for their fixed costs.

- Collapse -
We had a trash burning plant in my town
Jan 9, 2015 2:28AM PST

They eventually got rid of it sometime after it became known as the "cash" burning power plant. It was never able to generate enough power to pay for itself. That may have had to do with the advent of paper recycling as you can't burn pure garbage, glass or metal. As well, sorting was a huge problem and many items jammed the system. Unfortunately, a few items such as propane tanks made it through far enough to explode. This would close the plant for days while repairs were done. Here's a little of what happened;

http://www.ohioexploration.com/trashpowerplant.htm

They finally blew it up and I don't remember anyone trying to climb the chimneys in an effort to save it.