Thu 23 Apr 2009
Nuclear goes Solar with economic stimulus package
Posted by Susan under Life at Home , Good Things about HomeschoolingChicago really hit the Big Time with government financial incentives. Chicago has done well via Springfield too.
[Emil] Jones [highly pensioned former IL Senate leader], 72, is an unabashedly old-school politician. A former sewer inspector for the city of Chicago, Jones has relatives on the state payroll, steers state grants to favorite organizations and uses his clout to punish enemies and bury GOP legislation.
Pat sent this press release below from that nuclear power plant down the road. Great news for us would be if Exelon stock was jumpin’ yesterday, but it’s not. If it follows any other governmental ‘incentive’ news in the last few months, it’ll drop like a rock.
April 22, 2009 - Exelon and SunPower to Develop Nation’s Largest Urban Solar Power Plant
Exelon plans to lease 39 acres of the West Pullman Industrial Redevelopment Area from the City of Chicago for the project. The former industrial site is a “brownfield” property that will be redeveloped for productive reuse. Exelon Generation will own and operate the plant and market the electricity and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) it generates. SunPower, a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, will design, manufacture and install the solar system.
“With nearly 2,000 megawatts of renewable power in our energy portfolio, including hydro-electricity, wind, landfill gas and solar, Exelon is investing aggressively but wisely in renewables as part of our comprehensive environmental strategy, Exelon 2020,” said Exelon Chairman and CEO John W. Rowe. “As a provider of electrical service in urban areas, we understand the importance of finding urban locations for renewable energy and we are pleased to bring the largest urban solar installation to West Pullman, helping to revitalize an area where industry once thrived.”
I don’t know where our bread ‘n butter will be after next month, but it will be primarily nuclear power related. (I could always teach in the schools, I suppose. That would be as ironic as finally benefiting from nuclear powered stock gains.) Maybe he’ll even work in France; where they love their nuclear plants.
I’d better mind my p’s and q’s. I’m hoping we can plan a couple more homeschool field trips in the simulator before he’s outa there.
Chicago Trib has this to add about Chicago’s sunshine:
"Chicago has better sun than Germany," Blunden said. "And Germany is the largest solar market in the world today." The economic stimulus package made funds available for more solar power projects. The Energy Department can guarantee the loans used to pay for construction. So Exelon can explore renewable energy, even though the parent of Chicago utility Commonwealth Edison Co. has staked its future on expanding its fleet of 17 nuclear reactors. "We’re a nuclear company," said O’Neill. "But we know which way the wind blows, no pun intended. Nothing is off the table."
In front of the Exelon Pavilion before a Bow-dacious String Band performance at Millennium Park
There’s always the political gains in funding Illinois ethanol plants too.
Obama to Back Ailing Ethanol Makers, Follow Failed Bush Policy
Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) — President-elect Barack Obama plans to support unprofitable U.S. ethanol producers and pursue the same policies that failed George W. Bush.Obama, the Democratic senator from Illinois, the second- biggest corn-growing state, will maintain Bush’s goal requiring fuel producers use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels in 2022, said Heather Zichal, the campaign’s senior energy adviser. The ethanol industry, which loses about 66 cents a gallon at current prices, will receive at least as much support as from the current administration, including tax credits to spur consumption, she said.
Failed Bush policies continued….
April 24th, 2009 at 4:00 am
It’s a little odd that the windy city is gonna be using solar power. lol. But I think this is great. I’d prefer solar power over stuff like nuclear plants any day.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:11 am
So true about the Windy City. We’ve had some cold blasts coming at us on Michigan Avenue.
There are hundreds of wind turbines to the north and west of us. The wind is serving them well today, but since they’re a comparatively small power source, and even more importantly, the wind isn’t always cooperating, they have to be backed up with a reliable source. The reliable source is either coal or nuclear powered. (As I understand it from my husband.) So we have wind or solar power primary sources AND coal or nuclear power backups for each one of those grids.
We live about 15 miles from the nuclear plant where my husband works. He’s been involved in operations for over 20 years. He worked with the security dept to enable emergency plans for any wackos or disasters that could occur.
Nuclear power plants are the least of my worries. When the political games stop in deciding where to store the nuclear waste, that will be a rare,brave move by our politicians. The waste exists because nuclear power plants have existed for decades. The problem won’t go away, but politicians know that they can put off important decisions like that.
April 26th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
from your post–
“”"Obama, the Democratic senator from Illinois, the second- biggest corn-growing state, will maintain Bush’s goal requiring fuel producers use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels in 2022…”"”
I am reading more and more about the impact of putting so much corn into fuel production, and its impact on world food supplies. Is any of that true, or is just a political agenda to end biofuels? Are we adding to world hunger by using corn for fuel, or is it good? It has to be better than nuclear fuel.
You should stock up on idodine pills for that nuclear plant near you. Scary stuff.
April 27th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Wiki has some more ethanol information, with citations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Food_versus_fuel_debate
Ethanol production doesn’t sound very energy efficient.
There was a lot learned from the Three Mile Island scare, and as I said,nuclear power plant accidents are the least of my worries. We have 2- 15 year olds driving with permits now.
Pat worked with the nuclear powered Navy fleets before working in the nuclear power industry, and if many don’t know how much nuclear power is used in the country, no news in this case, can be considered good news.