'Green' jobs no longer golden in stimulus

[Synicus Maximus]

Source: Washington Times

Noticeably absent from President Obama's latest economic-stimulus package are any further attempts to create jobs through "green" energy projects, reflecting a year in which the administration's original, loudly trumpeted efforts proved largely unfruitful.

The long delays typical with environmentally friendly projects - combined with reports of green stimulus funds being used to create jobs in China and other countries, rather than in the U.S. - appear to have killed the administration's appetite for pushing green projects as an economic cure.

After months of hype about the potential for green energy to stimulate job growth and lead the economy out of a recession, the results turned out to be disappointing, if not dismal. About $92 billion - more than 11 percent - of Mr. Obama's original $814 billion of stimulus funds were targeted for renewable energy projects when the measure was pushed through Congress in early 2009.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/9/green-jobs-no-longer-golden-in-stimulus/

[sandnsea]

1. The Washington Times is crap

On the chance that you're not aware you've chosen a link from a source as crazy as World Nut Daily.

[XOKCowboy]

2. Out here in the high plains I see hundreds of wind mills going up...

Yet nowhere do you see widespread solar heating or photovoltaics on people's houses. Tax incentives for households to install solar would sure help.

[Jack_DeLeon]

4. I agree, need more help to the individuals and not to the corporations...

A poster below mentioned large solar facilities being built, however I would rather more individuals would get breaks on home solar or wind installations instead of corporations. Our economy would be better off if individuals could reduce their electric bills instead of giving cheap energy to companies to resell at full price.

[truedelphi]

8. Yes Plus this household.

We need to decentralize the energy business.

Right now there are these "cute" little wind turbines that could easily be manufactured in this country and then installed by some version of the Youth Conservation Corps. (California has a wonderful program for people eighteen through 23 to do environmental projects like cleaning out city sewer ducts int eh summer so flooding doesn't occur in the fall and winter rainy season.)

I want solar panels and wind turbine son all homes where it is feasible to get at least forty percent of energy from these sources. My home in Northern Calif. would qualify -we usually experience 10 mile an hour winds each afternoon from 4 Pm on, and lots of sun from April 30 to October 15th.

[kristopher]

6. That is where the cost effective projects can be built.

High winds and large scale projects = high revenues and that pays for the projects. As manufacturing ramps up price declines make smaller projects more economically attractive. This is even more true for solar. Out policies should encourage those with deep pockets to build large projects, which gets lots of solar panel manufacturing plants built. That, in turn, will eventually drive down the price of panels to the point where they are the best solution for homes without depending on any subsidies.

[XOKCowboy]

7. Too bad we didn't follow Jimmy Carter's policies back in the 70s...

Imagine 30 years of funded research and tax incentives to develop solar, wind and alternative power sources. Imagine.

[tech9413]

10. Tax incentive or not, solar thermal is brain-dead stupid

You could bypass or supplement your water heater for a few $K and see the payback in a few years. An inventive system could add to heating the house at the same time.

[jillan]

3. Mega Solar Plants are being built in Ariz and Calif - thanks to the stimulus.

Obviously the Washington Times doesn't want to give this administration any credit for this.

[kristopher]

5. That is bullshit.

The investment tax credit of 100% is HUGE for both wind and solar.

[LawnKorn]

9. We need massive spending on clean, renewable energy

The amount offered in the stimulus bill was a only single digit percentage of what is needed if we are to turn our economy around and make headway against the carbon pollution we are spewing into the environment.

A short term tax break for roof top solar panels or subsidizing a pilot wind farm in west Texas just isn't enough. We need a program like the Apollo space program to develop, manufacture and install innovative new technologies in clean, renewable energy.

The solution to global warming will also require caping carbon emissions and employing a system to trade the allowed emissions. This will encourage conservation as well as finding new sources for energy that are not based on fossil fuel. There are a whole host of potential sources such as geothermal, tidal, and ocean temperature deferential that could be tapped as energy sources. There exists a whole host of other sources we do not know about because inadequate funding has been put into research and development.

[OhioChick]

11. Green jobs are already in China and India...

Just did a quick search....and these are over a year and a half old.

Evergreen Solar announces some China plans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3857739

US offshores 22,000 green jobs to India

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3850836