Perhaps companies are extremely reticent to dump their money into projects that have a poor rate of financial return
(Washington Times) So much for the White House dream of solar selling like hotcakes. The first federal auction run by the Bureau of Land Management to sell chances to build solar power projects on public land went completely bust on Thursday.
Nobody showed to bid.
“We did not have any bidders come to the sale, and we did not received any sealed bids on the sale,†BLM spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo said, Denver Business Journal reported.
Sometime in the future, solar will be a viable addition for energy generation, but right now it cannot survive without massive government subsidies. If you build a 50 megawatt facility, the average delivered power will be around 8 megawatts. Meanwhile, a natural gas facility would deliver around 49 megawatts with a smaller footprint.
(Somehow, plastering the clear-cut landscape with solar panels is supposed to be “sustainable”)
BLM did try and put a good spin on the complete failure, though
“The BLM had received interest in developing the sites, that’s why we moved forward,†Ms. Lacayo said, in the media outlet. “It’s hard to say why we didn’t have any bidders.â€
Specifically, the BLM reported the receipt of nine applications and 27 inquiries and expressions of interest from those in the private sector about the possibility of solar project development on the public land. That’s why they went forth with the auction, the BLM said.
Isn’t that how they’re trying to spin Obamacare? Applications?
I’m actually kind of surprised by this. The chance to get cheap land to build subsidized solar power? But then, the company would probably have to pay to transport the power.
I am all for solar. For individuals and companies who finance themselves. Solar has its purpose and use. Massive regional power is not it.
We need to further double or triple the power output of cells before that becomes viable.
If this gov’t-centric Socialists had pushed more home-based solar projects, this would have had more of an impact, I’d be more impressed if the Stimulus funded new nuclear research or new alternative home-base power generation.
But, future thinking is not part of Socialism. Nor is empowering the individual.