- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Summary
Donald Trump has paused billions in federal clean energy grants, jeopardizing solar projects in Republican-led states like Indiana.
The $7bn Solar for All program, aimed at reducing electricity costs for low-income families, was expected to fund major initiatives, including $117m for Indiana.
Despite bipartisan support for solar, Trump dismissed Biden’s policies as the “Green New Scam.” A federal judge has ordered a temporary unfreezing of funds, but uncertainty remains.
Advocates warn that prolonged legal battles could delay projects for years, threatening investments and energy savings.
Solar is definitely not a panacea. Near as I can tell, no ‘green’ alternative is - they really depend on making use of local conditions and resources in ways that are not compatible with late-stage production-line capitalism.
In my area (US southeast), between weather and tilt-of-earth, the solar models predict about half as much annual energy as an identical installation in California or Arizona. Tack on that our electric rate is also about half California, and rooftop solar is a pretty iffy proposal.
Wind might be better here, if there were any residential/suburban options. Hydro, if you happen to live on a stream. Basically, the useful local resources all require massive scale to utilize, and nobody wants to do that when gas is cheap.
For sure! I’d love to switch to solar (or any alternative carbon-friendly / carbon-neutral energy source) entirely and specifically for the perceived environmental benefits. But I’m also not in a financial position where I can do it when it happens to cost so much more than traditional means. If I had been fortunate enough, like my neighbor, to have been in the position to make the plunge 10 - 15 years ago, it would make perfect sense. But with all the government subsidies being cut, the power company drastically reducing what they pay for the excess energy, and the cost of batteries plus associated equipment being so high, it’s pushing solar back into the territory of being unaffordable for a lot of people. Really sad in so many ways. And yet, I’m still trying to figure out how I might make it work.