[PAA-Discuss] Go Solar Petition - better idea!

[Rebelljb at aol.com]

The "stimulus" bill included a provision that would create an electronic  
health records system. It was called the health information technology or  
something like that. Besides the problems inherent in the Internet(Houston's  
municipal courts were shut down because of a computer virus, for one example), a  
lot of people don't want their medical records in a government database.  
Although that has likely been the case with the "Patriot" Act, there has not so  
much been a formalized database of peoples' medical records. This would be  
intrusive, as it may facilitate discrimination.
 
 
In a message dated 3/23/2009 10:53:27 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
rscott77092 at oplink.net writes:

Can  anyone here answer these questions:

1) Of those 70 bills being  considered; how many or which ones create jobs?
2) How many or which ones  only benefit existing corporations with programs
that amount to  subsidies?
3) Are any of them written by or supported by economists? Has  anyone at
Environment Texas acxtually read those bills?

Please read  the article below and ask whether any proposed legislation
does what  Mellish is suggesting.

Randy



> Hi,
>
>  Did you know that more than 70 bills have been filed in the Texas
>  Legislature to promote solar power? I just signed Environment Texas'  Go
> Solar petition. You should too!
>
> Check out this page  at the Environment Texas Web site:
>
>  
http://www.environmenttexas.org/action/clean-energy/go-solar/petition?id4=tafsent
>

--  - - - - - - a real PRODUCTIVE plan:

March 12, 2009
Solar Energy Jobs  Initiative
by Michael Mellish,  Consultant

http://tinyurl.com/d5hhr3

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/03/solar-energy-jobs
-initiative?cmpid=WNL-Friday-March13-2009

In  February, the U.S. Congress passed an ~$800 billion "Stimulus" package
that  the administration said would create 2 million new jobs, stimulate
the  economy and reduce the suffering of those who have already lost their
jobs  in this economic downturn. Critics say that the package has failed in
all  of these measures. Now what?

(snip) The majority of problems in America  are solved when working
Americans have jobs that allow them to pay their  bills, receive employer
supported health care and add value to the American  economy.

The problems in America soar when unemployment rises and  Americans can no
longer pay their bills, loose their health care and become  a drag upon the
economy. (snip)
I propose a Solar Energy Program that  would accelerate the path of
America's progression toward carbon free  renewable energy. This program
would target the conversion of America's  commercial & industrial flat
rooftops into distributed power generating  stations.

The Solar Energy Program would have Congress set aside US $50  billion in
no-interest 15-year loans for the construction of a slew of  250-kW rooftop
power stations. (snip) Note that these are loans, not grants  or giveaways.

The $1 billion should fund at least 1,000 250-kW rooftop  installations in
each state, creating 250 megawatts (MW) of solar power  generating
facilities in each state. This is equivalent to one-half of a  typical
coal-fired power plant so in total, the entire program would create  the
equivalent of 25 new coal-fired power plants. Consider this a serious  down
payment on carbon footprint reduction in the United States.

The  250 kW size is a function of program efficiency (only 1,000 projects
for  each state to manage) and making the projects suitable for as many
state  contractors (solar system designers/installers) as is  practical.
(snip)

To maximize the number of U.S. jobs created, some  basic rules should apply:

All solar modules should be produced from  solar cells manufactured in the
U.S. and solar modules assembled in the  U.S. The goal is to stimulate U.S.
job production, not foreign countries.  (snip)

All inverters should be produced in the U.S. and should have a  warranty
consistent with the federal loan guarantee program (15 years).  (snip)

The application process should be simple but must ensure that  loans only
flow to real projects. (snip)

All projects should have a  clear lien of the federal government to ensure
repayment of the loan.  (snip)

Payment of the federal loan should be made in stages to avoid  help cover
the project costs without having money disappear into failed  or
ill-managed efforts. Some basic ideas would be:

Initial payment  of 10% upon state approval and completion of electrical
design (signed off  by AWJ) and signed PPA. Approval should also require
the solar firm to be  bonded to the full cost of the project ($1 million)
such that in the event  of failure, the bond payoff will allow another firm
to be hired by the  state to complete the project.

Payment of next 50% upon purchase of  U.S. manufactured approved materials
(solar panels, inverters, racking, and  wiring). Invoices must support
proof that money has been  spent.

Final payment of 40% upon acceptance of system, connection to  grid, and
start of electrical generation at full design rate.

The  goal must be to ensure that funds flow smoothly to keep projects
moving,  that state administration of the program is manageable but that
the funds  don't get wasted or lost in failed or poorly managed projects.

The  Solar Program could be passed by Congress and put into operation in  as
little as 90 days in states with existing Solar Programs. Solar  firms
could begin generating rooftop proposals while the states get set up  to
administer the program and there is little doubt that the  first
installations would be underway within six months.

This is a  program that WILL create "Green Jobs" (snip)

Michael Mellish is a  Process & System Consultant with 30 years of
experience in Power  Quality & Energy Management, Substation Automation &
Electrical  Distribution, Off Shore Oil & Gas Platforms, and  Manufacturing
Execution Systems.  Michael is a Graduate of the  University Of Lowell with
a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in  1978.



---------------
Progressive Action Alliance   http://progressiveactionalliance.org/
Discuss mailing list    Discuss at paa-tx.org
To subscribe, unsubscribe, access the archives, or  change your options on 
this list, go  to:
http://paa-tx.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_paa-tx.org

To reply  only to the person posting this note, use "Reply".
To reply so that  everyone on this list receives your note, use "Reply All".
Check the "To:"  field in your message, before sending, to ensure it goes to 
the correct  address.


**************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store?  Make dinner for $10 or 
less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://paa-tx.org/pipermail/discuss_paa-tx.org/attachments/20090323/ce8d4625/attachment.htm>