Haz Waste Sites Turned Green Energy

[Vic99]

EPA Screens More Than 66,000 Contaminated Sites for Renewable Energy Potential

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/1453114A4728FA0385257BBE00580004

Unless cost is ridiculous, seems like a good idea in general. Sure, many sites will have some issue, i.e. NIMBY, people worried about electricity rates going up instead of staying flat or going down, but still seems worth expanding on.

I've always thought that if we cannot switch lots of FF to green, we could at least meet any expanding energy needs with renewables going forward. I realize, though, Sierra Club and other outfits have been partly successful at closing some FF plants.

Imagine the potential if they tried for multiple sources on one contaminated site: solar, wind, landfill methane.

 

[Jags]

Vic - there is so much that we could/should do as far as renewables go. I like the idea of utilizing "rotten" property. At least we would get some benefit from it.

 

[Vic99]

Jags, I agree. I'm a big fan. Have a PV system on my roof and, of course, burn wood. I'm not a fan of this president or my govenor in general, but combined they have done quite a bit as far as green energy goes.

 

[Where2]

Unfortunately, where I live, the POCO would simply monopolize on the "free" land, build the infrastructure, and charge me for the energy at the same rate as if the energy came from a FF plant.

 

[firebroad]

Unfortunately, where I live, the POCO would simply monopolize on the "free" land, build the infrastructure, and charge me for the energy at the same rate as if the energy came from a FF plant.

In a sense, Maryland is doing just that. The legislature has given the go ahead to build off-shore wind turbines that BGE and other supplier will be required to use a percentage of. Guess who is footing the bill?

"The bill will require suppliers of electricity in the state to get up to 2.5 percent of their power from offshore wind as early as 2017. And it would offer a successful developer a subsidy of up to $1.7 billion over 20 years — paid for by Maryland's residential and commercial electric ratepayers through slightly higher bills.
To pay for the subsidy, the Public Service Commission could authorize an additional charge of up to $1.50 a month for residential electricity (broken link removed to http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-03-19/news/bs-md-offshore-wind-passage-20130319_1_offshore-wind-development-coalition-wind-energy-wind-farm#). Commercial customers could see a charge of up to 1.5 percent of their electric bills. The higher rates would help assure that the wind energy developer takes in enough money to pay its investors"