By Art Gallagher, Hat tip to the Linden Forum
Government entities and private enterprises that borrowed to install solar panels expecting the excess energy the panels produce to cover the debt service are in for a rude awakening. An oversupply of solar energy in New Jersey has lead to a 50% reduction in the price of Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC).
Rather than getting the “free” solar panels and free or cheap energy they were promised, taxpayers and businesses are faced with digging into other pockets to make the payments on their panels.
According to Michael Flett, founder of Flett Exchange, LLC, an energy exchange, brokerage and consulting firm located in Jersey City:
The Drop in prices is directly correlated to the potential of an oversupply of SRECs for the 2012 Energy year. There has just been too much solar installed too quickly compared to the mandates put on the electric producers. Electric Producers in New Jersey are required by law under the Renewable Portfolio Standard to purchase 442,000 SRECs from solar owners during the June 2011 to May 2012 time period (energy year 2012). There is currently almost enough solar installed to produce that amount of SRECs. The oversupply is coming from the rate that solar is being installed. In June of 2011 alone there was 40 Mw of solar installed in NJ. This was more than 10% of all the solar ever installed since the inception of the program in 2004. At this rate there may be more than a 100,000 oversupply of energy year 2012 SRECs.
John Burry of TheCountyWatchers, a Union County watchdog blog, saw this problem and many other problems with the solar scam coming a year ago.
Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore says the township has mitigated this risk in their solar program:
Our proposal will not be to put any capital money towards the project. It will be a pure PPA (power purchase agreement) whereas, providers will bid to install and maintain the project on their own dime and will sell us the power back at a much reduced rate from what we pay. The SREC risk will be born by the PPA provider, not the township. This is a main reason why we decided to go down this route vs putting up money ourselves (aside from the fact we can’t spend what we don’t have!).
The couinty on the other hand is thinking about using MCIA money to help the PPA finance the project. They could see an impact.
Township Committeman Gerry Scharfenberger, a former mayor added:
I wish solar, biofuels, wind, plankton, goose crap, etc. all worked so we can let the Middle East self destruct and not have to worry about our energy supply. The fact is, it seems all of these alternative energies have to be subsidized up the wazoo to even have the appearance of being viable. In the meantime, we need cheap, efficient, reliable energy and we need it now if we have any hope of jumpstarting the economy and bringing the cost of government down
Posted: August 4th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Energy | Tags: SRECs | 5 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
“Poop Baby Poop” could replace “Drill Baby Drill” as the mantra for energy independence advocates if a Houston, Texas company is successful converting 60,000 tons of Camden County sludge into a product that replaces coal as a fuel source.
Synagro Technologies Inc was awarded a $28 million grant along with the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority from the Department of Community Affairs to begin turning the poop into power, according to NJSpotlight.
Robert Montenegro, Synagro’s Camden project manager, says poop burns cleaner that coal. The poop is dried and converted to renewable fuel to create energy and power manufacturing operations. The 60,000 tons of poop will replace 6,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon emissions by 17,000 tons. I don’t understand that math. I guess I don’t know shit.
Posted: August 3rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Energy | Tags: Drill Baby Drill, Energy Independence, Poop Baby Poop | 8 Comments »
By Ralph Avalone, President, National Green Energy Council
May 2, 2011 5:00A.M.
I woke up today from the alarm set on my blackberry. A mobile office that uses 300 watts of energy per day. Did you know that? I just learned it recently. Now multiply that energy use by all the Blackberrys in the World and boy are we using more energy than we ever did before.
I jumped in the shower and used more water in ten minutes than most third World families use all year. I brushed my teeth and made sure I shut the water off while I brushed. Every American uses 29 gallons of fresh water per year just brushing their teeth, let alone shaving.
I shaved with a razor that uses a battery to vibrate it to give me a closer shave..oops battery ran out. I replaced it. What do I do with the old battery? Oh that’s right…. don’t throw it in the garbage because 84,000 tons of batteries go to landfills here in America each year. Plus I shut off the water in between strokes. More water saved. Doing my part…..Hope everyone else is.
I walked in to the kitchen to thumb through yesterdays mail. Bills and junk mail. What do I do with all the junk mail? Hmm. Garbage? Oops.. nope. Every American throws away 40 pounds of junk mail in landfills each year. Put it in a pile to bring out to the recycle bin.
Time to go to work….First stop 7-11 for coffee… $1.67 for a cup of Joe? I remember when my dad gave me 35 cents to get him a cup at the local donut shop. You know the one about 5 blocks from my house growing up that I never had a problem going for my dad because I didn’t have ninteno ds, video games or a phone at 9 years old to text my friends I was gonna see later on in the day.
My dad didn’t worry about asking me to go for him because back then we didn’t have to worry about people grabbing kids and doing evil things to them. When did it get to be so much to get a cup of coffee? Oh yeah Starbucks trained people to spend five bucks on a cup of crappy joe and everyone else raised prices or is it just that there are so many more people on the Planet that there is not enough crops to supply the coffee? Oh well , gotta spend the money because I cant start a day without my joe!
Oh no.. I forgot a water! I gotta run in and get a bottle of water. I have a lot of phone time today and I’m gonna get dry mouth…. need that water bottle!…. $1.60 for a bottle of water. So that’s about $10.00 per gallon right? And I’m complaining about $4.00 per gallon gasoline. What’s the real heist here? Gas or Water? Mental note: Research population increase and availability of water for a growing World population.
Looked at my watch… only 7:00am to early to start making calls. Bottle of water in place. One of over 350 million that will be bought this year in America. And most tossed into a land fill.
Stopped a light I see a young woman who is at the corner holding a sign that says. Lost my job 11 months ago, lost my husband 8 months ago, lost my house 4 months ago. Please help I need an apartment for me and my unborn baby. I gave her $20. She was 7 months pregnant…Why am I so angry that I just experienced that? That’s right I know why. Because this is America and its supposed to be the greatest country on Earth and the only change I see is the balance of power shifted in the Congress. I see 24 million Americans without jobs, one out of every 10 houses in America has either been lost to foreclosure or is in foreclosure. Change! Give me a break. Still victims of OPEC, big oil and coal.
Speaking of Big Oil…….I should get gas. I have to get to the airport to get on a plane to go to another Tornado zone and see what can be done to use new green technologies to help in the disaster relief areas and I’m going to be too tired to get gas when I get back from the trip, better get it know. $4.01 per gallon. I remember waiting in the odd and even gas lines in the 70’s with my dad. He had two license plates you see, he was in the car business and he could get gas whenever he wanted just not when the pumps ran dry. I remember helping him push the car toward home sometimes with my brother until some neighbors felt bad and helped the rest of the way. We lived three blocks from the gas station. Now hold on a minute!… the sign from the street said $4.01 per gallon and the pump says $4.10 per gallon. What gives? I squint at the road side sign….a little message under the $4.01 per gallon. Cash price only Who carries cash? I carry a card made out of petroleum materials and so does everyone else. Another great plan by big oil…weave the product into everything so that we can never get off it!
Well I’m off. Now I’m going to be late!
Ok in the parking garage. Scrambling to get to the ticket counter…Ok slide my credit card so it can find me…WHAT! I have to pay for a carry on bag now? $25??? Oh well, I need the laptop. Gotta pay! Now the checked luggage $28 Waiting… processing….Ok chosoe a seat. Dear God now I have to pay for a seat? What the hell did I pay for a plane ticket for? How much is it gonna be to fly when the oil runs out? How are we gonna get around. Too deep.. Gotta concentrate. Get this done cause the line in security is gonna make you miss the flight. OK done.. Let’s go.
License..check. no water bottle.check. ( just wasted $1.60) a little bags of my liquids. Check. Did I forget shaving cream? Ok here we go! Im gonna make it! Shoes off, hat off, belt off, laptop out. Scanning bags…good…. walk through new contraption……..Ok, gotta get to my stuff. Why is my heart beating so hard. ” This your bag” says the TSA guard. “Yup” come with me. ” I have to remove all the items of your bags ok sir?” “yup” gotta love what the terrorists did to our travel experience! I’m not complaining. Israels been dealing with it since some numskull decided to set them up surrounded by Muslims that hate their very existence. Would have liked to been in that room to hear how that plan unfolded…
Finally, on the plane. It took me an extra $100 for this flight with the bags, the seat and now my magazine and snack. Not even 8:00am and I just burned $100 on nothing. Unbelievable.
Oops gotta turn the phone off. It will make the plane crash somehow. OK stewardess message. No smoking! Really??? Remember when there was a smoking section on every flight? Now you cant even smoke outside in Disnelyland. What a different World….. Ok one last scan of the plane to try to see if I can identify a potential terrorist.. scanning….Is there an air marshal on this flight? Who might he be?
Why is my heart racing again. Wait a minute. That guy looks strange. Is he? Maybe? Wait a minute I can take him. Let me plan my reaction if he decides to take over the plane. Oh yeah got it. I just run up to him take as many bullets as I can to give another guy the chance to take him down? Really that’s the plan? I need a better one. I know, if my phone being on can make the plane crash somehow then maybe while its off I can crush him in the temple and take the plane back. Yeah that’s it! plan handled.
Uh oh! Too much coffee. Gotta go. Wow tiny in here. Wheres the button? Here we go? Wait a minute where does that blue water I just flushed go? Oh yeah it just falls out of the bottom of the plane. Another room I would have liked to be in when the government said ok you can do that!
Gotta get some sleep. Its gonna be a long day in the trenches. Why is this seat that cost me $15 so small? Am I getting fat? That’s it no more peanuts!
Landed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Time to get in the trenches…….
It’s a war zone… Houses gone. Porches left behind. Debris in trees..Wait a minute… I have been here before….9-14-01 New York City? No………..People running around.. No one knows who’s in charge.. The gulf coast .. Deep Horizon spill???? No…….Why does this all feel so familiar? Hurricane Gustav? No… people crying.. sorting through what’s left of their belongings…posted signs of the missing..radio playing “this is the worst tornado season in the last 50 years”………. Worst season…..worst hurricane in 100 years. I’ve got it! HURRICANE KATRINA! Leaders who can’t lead, no one knows who’s in charge…people crying…. Americans without power, food, water and shelter. Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God damn it! Nothings changed! Its all the same.
The politicians fight over partisan garbage and my America bleeds….
Soldiers die on foreign lands for oil that doesn’t come back here or lower the price or lower our dependence.
Unemployed families who were already suffering now have lost everything…..
Green companies that could have deployed life saving technologies to this disaster zone still haven’t been funded…. Still haven’t scraped the money together to be a registered government contractor. Regulatory crap! Political red tape! Bureaucratic horseshit!
People in lines to get permits to go see if any of their belonging are salvageable. Dead loved ones in morgues that won’t let people in because they made a mistake in false identifying a body and now these people who lost everything including a loved one can’t get closure. I AM ANGRY!!!!
And where is our beloved catalyst for change. Oh that’s right he’s in Ireland speaking about the strong partnership between our countries. REALLY? Get back here president Obama! Come back and give us the CHANGE you promised! Because all I’m seeing is the same old heartache I saw in 2005 under another president. You know the one who you bashed for his administration! Well you got the job, now do the work or I can guarantee you that come next November every American will show you what change really means, when you change your address to someplace other than 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
And by the way, my offer to walk across the street so I can give you a few tips on how to help America get back on the path of prosperity and greatness again still stands. Only call me ahead of time because the price of coffee is ridiculous!
You’ll have to make an appointment though, because while you’re sitting in your shiny white house that the sweat of our forefathers built and was built brick by brick by the best workforce in the World, I’ll be the one in the trenches helping any way I can to make America great again. I’ve gotta go. There is an American crying and I need to give them a shoulder to cry on!
I may not be able to go in the battlefield in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya, but I can make sure that someday soon our soldiers won’t be sent to foreign lands to fight for God Damn oil!
Nothings changed… Just the talking head.
Posted: May 30th, 2011 | Author: admin | Filed under: Energy, Global Warming | Tags: Green Energy Council, Ralph Avalone | 4 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
In an email to Americans For Prosperity-NJ activists, Steve Lonegan delivered strong praise to the Governor, his former primary opponent:
Today, Governor Christie dealt Cap & Trade a death blow – one that could well signal not just the end of RGGI but the end to any effort to implement a job-destroying Cap & Trade energy tax in America.
At a press conference today at the statehouse in Trenton, Governor Christie announced his decision to use his executive authority to withdraw New Jersey from the ten-state scheme.
“RGGI is nothing more than a tax on electricity, a tax on our residents and on businesses with no discernible effect on our environment,” Christie said. “We remain completely committed to the idea that we have a responsibility to make the environment of our state and world better. We’re not going to do it by participating in gimmicky programs that don’t work.”
Governor Christie deserves enormous credit for taking this stand on behalf of our state. The Governor easily could have succumbed to mounting pressure from the left and its many environmental special interest groups.
Instead, Governor Christie stood tall knowing that this was the right thing to do for New Jersey and our state’s future economic prosperity.
Governor Christie will no doubt come under attack from the left for his decision and you and I need to lend him our support.
I urge you to call Governor Christie now at 609-292-6000 to thank him for taking this stand on behalf of New Jersey!
Additionally, a tremendous debt of gratitude goes out to those legislators who have sponsored the repeal effort – in particular, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R-24), Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-25), Senator Mike Doherty (R-23) and Sen. Steve Oroho (R-24), primary sponsors of the repeal bills in the legislature. These legislators were the first to step up and lead the fight against RGGI and they, too, deserve our thanks and appreciation.
Today’s victory is also a credit to you, our valued AFP citizen activist. Over the past year, many of you have contacted your legislators, signed petitions, written letters to the editor or joined us at numerous press conferences and rallies around the state.
Thanks to your dedication, Cap & Trade is one giant step closer to being tossed on the ash heap of history!
Posted: May 26th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Energy, Global Warming, Steve Lonegan | Tags: Chris Christie, RGGI, Steve Longan | 1 Comment »
By Chris Fotache, Right In Jersey
On Feb 8th, Gov. Chris Christie both vetoed the liquified natural gas project off the coast of New Jersey, and enacted a law to allow wind turbines on Atlantic City piers.
I’m not even gonna go into killing the LNG project, and the savings in heating costs that he refused. But why is he so adamant to get more wind turbines at the Jersey Shore? Residents have recently strongly opposed windmills in Union Beach and in Sea Girt, this last one prompting legislation to restrict building of turbines near residential areas.
It’s very trendy to advocate wind turbines to save the planet, when it’s not in your neighborhood. But what happens when wind mills COME to your backyard? Michele Francese lives in Ocean Gate, NJ, near one of the first New Jersey wind turbines. Here’s what she tells us:
I live directly across from a wind turbine in Ocean Gate. It has completely destroyed the quality of life that we once enjoyed in our quiet little town. Not only is the noise deafening at times, the reflection in our windows makes you feel like you have a disco ball spinning from your ceiling. I’m all for green energy, but more studies must be done before any more are located in residential neighborhoods. Unfortunately, another one is being constructed as we speak in Ocean Gate. I’m very disappointed that what could have been a positive thing has become an albatross around my neck. The concept is great but the result has failed terribly.
Andrew Walden just wrote a great article for the American Thinker, titled Wind Energy’s Ghost. There, he discusses all the failed wind project throughout the US, including the abandoned farms in Hawaii and California. Most of them have been abandoned. Hundreds of wind turbines lay unused because keeping them up cost more than the energy they produced. Wind turbines have to run all the time to keep the oil running, so if they get wind 20% of the day (which would be a very big number), they actually have to use energy from the power grid the rest of the 80%.
Ben Lieberman, a senior policy analyst focusing on energy and the environment asked the key question:
If wind power made sense, why would it need a government subsidy in the first place? It’s a bubble which bursts as soon as the government subsidies end.
Walden describes the reality of the wind industry:
The new paradigm created by the generation of 1968 is more political and less economy. Without government intervention, utilities normally avoid wind energy. Wind’s erratic power feed destabilizes power grids and forces engineers to stand by, always ready to fire up traditional generators.
So as all evidence points to wind turbines being non efficient and destined for failure, while residents near such windmills complain about lost property value and decreased quality of life, why do politicians keep pushing these bad policies?
Posted: February 13th, 2011 | Author: admin | Filed under: Energy, Wind Turbines | Tags: Chris Fotache, Wind Turbines | 1 Comment »
