Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth

Los Angeles Times ^ | February 5, 2012 | By Julie Cart

[az_gila]

Here's the part that gets me;
“The $2-billion plant....The resulting steam drives an array of turbines capable of generating 370 megawatts, enough to power roughly 140,000 homes during peak hours.”

The average coal-fired power plant has a capacity of 600 MW, a new one being installed in Vietnam is expected to cost $1.2 billion.

At some point in the future we're going to wake up from this fantasy of global warming.

---

The solar number is a peak value. I bet the average output is around a third.

So the "apples to apples" numbers should be -

Coal = 600 MW, Solar =- 120 MW

[GingisK]

It would be very difficult to convince me that deserts need to be preserved. Those places need to be healed with water.

[FreeInWV]

“I really have no problem with the plan itself, but are the power bills from the 140,000 homes going to repay the taxpayers, or does some dem donor own the electric and solar companies and is going to reap the rewards thus trickling back to obama?”

Don’t forget that your electric company will also be forced to pay thru the nose to buy their clean air credits.

[smaug6]

There is a way but it relies upon the original and most evilly insidious form of renewable energy. One that has the greatest true potential, of all the renewable energy forum, to relieve the carbon onslaught upon mother gaia. Can you guess what it is?

[G Larry]

These enviro-nuts have no interest in “sacrificing” or “saving” anything!

They simply want the destruction of America’s industrial base and the depopulation of the planet.

To them there are no acceptable forms of energy.

[bobzeetwin]

There is a way but it relies upon the original and most evilly insidious form of renewable energy. One that has the greatest true potential, of all the renewable energy forum, to relieve the carbon onslaught upon mother gaia. Can you guess what it is?

I give up. Please enlighten me, as I need to get back to more important things. (tending to slow cooking pork, with a homemade bbq sauce)

[smaug6]

Truly you have more important endeavors to pursue. Therefore I will supply the expensive and gaia eating concept of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity
But caution as this technology further consumes mother gaia’s precious land area and may displace and disrupt the land use habits of untold numbers of organisms.

[stboz]

Soylent Green?

[VeniVidiVici]

That unusual collaboration — along with generous federal subsidies and allotments of public land — has sparked a wholesale remodeling of the American desert.

Stupid Watermelons.

[bobzeetwin]

Truly you have more important endeavors to pursue. Therefore I will supply the expensive and gaia eating concept of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity But caution as this technology further consumes mother gaia’s precious land area and may displace and disrupt the land use habits of untold numbers of organisms.

We don't need no stickin' pumps. I am in favor of what you say, but in light of the fact I am a conservative, I am not necessarily concerned with gaia rights anyway. Now, back to my PETA project. (people eating tasty animals) http://bayoffundy.com/about/highest-tides/

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

Right! Not to mention coal probably burns as well day or night, no so much sun at night for the solar - even in a desert.