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Bill Gates Never Ran an Energy Company: Solar Isn't Just ‘Cute’, It’s At Grid Parity In 20 States
Bill Gates Never Ran an Energy Company: Solar Is More Than Just ‘Cute’, It’s At Grid Parity In 20 States!
by Jigar Shah, via Huffington Post
Last year, Bill Gates noted in an interview with Alan Murray of the Wall Street Journal that technologies like solar photovoltaics and LED lights were “cute” but could never deal with the bigger issue of climate change and powering the developing world.
And, this week, writer Marc Gunther wrote in his post that “Germany, once the world’s leading market for solar power, is pulling back its subsidies. Q Cells, once the world’s largest solar company, just went bankrupt.’ This isn’t happy news.”
So, I am writing to point out three things:
1. Solar Growth: First, let me make note that I, and others, have just spent the last decade in solar creating the solar services industry which, according to the 2011 National Solar Jobs Census published by the Solar Foundation, grew 6.8 percent between 2010 and 2011.
Plus, the solar industry installed $90 billion of equipment last year...
by Jigar Shah, via Huffington Post
Last year, Bill Gates noted in an interview with Alan Murray of the Wall Street Journal that technologies like solar photovoltaics and LED lights were “cute” but could never deal with the bigger issue of climate change and powering the developing world.
And, this week, writer Marc Gunther wrote in his post that “Germany, once the world’s leading market for solar power, is pulling back its subsidies. Q Cells, once the world’s largest solar company, just went bankrupt.’ This isn’t happy news.”
So, I am writing to point out three things:
1. The solar industry is growing and is significant, but is not going to solve all the ills of carbon;
2. Mistakes are a blessing; and
3. Theory is theory, not a solution
1. Solar Growth: First, let me make note that I, and others, have just spent the last decade in solar creating the solar services industry which, according to the 2011 National Solar Jobs Census published by the Solar Foundation, grew 6.8 percent between 2010 and 2011.
Plus, the solar industry installed $90 billion of equipment last year...
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/04/21/468557/bill-gates-never-ran-an-energy-company-solar-is-more-than-just-cute-grid-parity-20-state/