A mid term election idea for the Democratic Party: GREEN ENERGY

[Harmony Blue]

GOTV for mid terms needs to have some type of uniform message from the Democratic party for voters to turn out from all of the political spectrum. I am surprised that the Democratic party is not united behind the green energy platform given it is a winning strategy in European elections:

*You can tie this into new job creation with green energy initiatives and pin the Republicans as not only obstructionists in job creation, but also anti-environment. Independents and conservative Democrats still tend to be pro environment as well as liberal Republicans. You might even attract political greens into the mix....maybe.

*Forces the Republicans into a corner as they try to attack environmental policy that Ford/ Nixon/Reagan put in place years ago. Ever notice how Republicans are very vocal, and yet vague about "reducing" regulations (especially on CNBC) to promote growth ($$$) in the private sector so we can be like China? It is all talk because no rational Republican politician would dare to try to attack the Clean Air Act or or Clean Water Act directly. Even RCRA (Resources Conservation and Recovery Act) or CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act).

*Net result is water and air quality would improve dramatically in areas deemed as ghost towns. Communities in these desolated areas would re-emerge again.

*Most of the population of the United States is currently clustered on the coast lines as most other human populations on this earth. Green energy ensures that you can built communities well inland to take advantage of solar and wind potential while also mitigating the potential damage that rising sea levels will inflict on infrastructures we have built on the coastlines. It would be a huge for the midwest of the U.S.

\*Cost of living would improve for many which would give them more disposable income to drive spending.

Basically, this is a golden opportunity for the Democratic party to sit in the driver's seat and really propel a victory in the mid terms but also make it the main issue for the next Presidential elections. If you think global climate change and anthropogenic influences will be trivial in the next few years then you will be in for a surprise.

[badtoworse]

1. How will you compete with $4.50 natural gas?

[ChisolmTrailDem]

3. Solar is getting more competitive...

I am in the renewable energy supply industry and, though it's not quite there yet, solar is growing and getting cheaper.

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[badtoworse]

4. Including the cost of storage and / or turbines to generate when the sun's not shining?

These things are needed to keep the grid stable and need to be factored into the total cost.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

10. Yes, though storage may or may not be necessary - especially for large solar plants listed elsewhere

in this thread. Though parity with fossil fuel production is still a ways off, it is getting closer as the demand grows and the still relatively young (technologically speaking) solar energy industry works out the kinks in their production and business models.

[badtoworse]

11. How do you supply solar power at night if you don't have storage?

[ChisolmTrailDem]

25. For small off-grid systems, a battery bank is necessary. For grid-interconnected, power is

generated by the solar system and fed to the grid and credits are given that are then used at night. This has the effect of burning less fossil fuels during the day and night usage would remain the same as it always has been. But at least less fossil fuel pollution is being pumped into the atmosphere overall.

[marions ghost]

2. Should the Dems get behind this?

Bucks County PA:



Austin TX:



Maiden NC (Apple Solar farm):



Pilesgrove NJ:



Pueblo Co, CO:



Long Island, NY:



Salisbury, MA:



Lots of small ones in central NC:
http://www.stratasolar.com/utility/utility-project-spotlight/

[ChisolmTrailDem]

5. Although there are challenges in the manufacturing supply chain and process, yes,

Dems should get behind installations such as these. Although you images depict a lot of land use, which may mean some trees may have had to be cleared, there is no pollution at all from any of the facilities you posted.

I think land usage can be worked out and many of these power plants can be located in areas where the land already served industrial purposes.

[marions ghost]

6. Yes reclaimed land would be good...

How about some defunct Walmarts and parking lots? Some spots where nothing really grows?

Trees are cleared everyday for the worst kinds of sprawl and development. This doesn't look so bad to me.
And the solar arrays are easily removable, unlike nuke plants.

My point is--it's happening, and Dems should get on board I think. (And get off Keystone XL)

I mean to say, Duh-- to the Democrats on this..

[ChisolmTrailDem]

7. "I mean to say, Duh-- to the Democrats on this." Ah, gotcha. Your post

could be construed as being opposed to the way solar land usage could be a negative. They do have a potentially much larger footprint than a fossil fuel plant, but at least they don't pollute any more than it takes to get the components manufactured and distributed.

Edited to add: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of using Walmart store footprints as solar farms! We can dream, can we not?

[marions ghost]

13. Relatively speaking--

these are MUCH more beautiful to me than refinery chimneys, coal tar filled rivers, carved up mountains, nuke plants (shudder), fracking flares, etc etc.

Yes--I would call them relatively beautiful.

Totally with ya We MUST dream. And act on those dreams.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

16. I've heard people say "I'm not sure if I want that on my house. It's just ugly."

I completely disagree. I think they are a simple, beautiful piece of technology not as much for how they look but for the knowledge of what they do and what they mean. And I thought so long before they paid my paycheck.

[marions ghost]

19. One day

a house without solar panels will look odd.

Yeah to me they symbolize--way of the future. They give me hope. When I see them on somebody's house I say a mental "thank you."

Homeowners need incentives to make the leap.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

21. "When I see them on somebody's house I say a mental "thank you." " Indeed, the owner

always comes to my mind when I see a solar installation on a home or business. I was out and about the other day in an area I hadn't been before and noticed a car repair company with 6 bays that had the entire roof covered with enough panels to power their entire business. It's perfect for such a business because they are closed at night so they don't need the power to be generated during the night. Next day, new energy to use to run their different tools, machines, and offices.

[marions ghost]

23. Ah some people get it....

SMART car repair company. I'd probably think of taking my car to them-- if it made sense otherwise.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

24. I'm planning to arrange a appointment with them to talk about it, if they're willing. I think it's

a great subject for an article. I'm especially interested in what their monthly electric bill is vs. what it used to or would be without their array.

[marions ghost]

27. Great idea

---makin it real

[RobertEarl]

8. $3 dollar a gallon max price is a winner

Coupled with renewables, if we want to win over the young and independents we need to put a ceiling on gas prices.

The fact that gas prices move up fast and come down slow is causing most people grief. Like Clinton claimed and was successful doing, we need to feel their pain and react.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

12. "gas prices move up fast and come down slow" ... there's a reason for that and it has

to do with the fundamental laws of supply and demand. Oil producers can no longer keep up with demand and haven't been able to for many years. That means bulk buyers are willing to bid higher prices in order to secure supplies. That, of course, is passed on to the consumer. But this will change with time, and not for the better.

[RobertEarl]

17. No.

It has to do with profits and price gouging.

Exxon's profits have never been higher.

There is no free market on gas. It is tightly controlled by a few.

The price swings and gouging are hurting the mass majority of the people and if we show that we care and will do something to end the ripoffs, we will win millions of new voters.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

20. The demand and supply numbers are on EIA.gov. No is the wrong answer, though there is

bound to be some nefarious shenanigans on top of what I said. That's the evil side of human nature.

[RobertEarl]

22. Right

That is why our program of controlling the human evil is a winner.

Demand in the US is dropping. We are actually exporting gas these days. There are thousands of capped wells in the US which if the owners knew they could be getting a certain price would be opened up and producing.

This is a matter of taking over control of an already controlled market. It would be a great benefit to all of the 99%. And win millions of votes.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

28. The U.S. is not the only country in the world. Demand may be dropping here (I'll check the stats)

but that does not mean it's dropping on the rest of the planet. Also, despite demand in the U.S. dropping, the EIA numbers still show that every barrel of oil/gasoline produced is gobbled-up and some are left out who cannot win the bids.

[RobertEarl]

33. It is a controlled market

The people in control are people like the Koch's.

Instead of them controlling the market, the US needs to be in control.

It is in a sense like the idea that allows us to establish a minimum wage.

But hey, you don't want to help poor people and win millions of new voters, you certainly will not see the wisdom.

[Spider Jerusalem]

34. Yes, it's supply and demand.

Conventional oil production has been essentially flat since 2005. There's no margin for increasing production of conventional oil. Gains in production capacity come from unconventional oil: tar sands, oil shale, hydraulic fracturing. The floor price on unconventional oil to make it an economically viable resource to extract is $80/bbl or so.

And clearly you don't understand how supply and demand actually work. There's a limited quantity of oil, yet demand is high. Assuming relatively fixed production costs (not a safe estimate), profit increases as a result of increased demand driving up price. This is what really caused the 2008 financial crash, by the way; conventional oil production peaked c. 2004/2005, the price of oil rose to $140 a barrel, a lot of people with subprime mortgages suddenly were faced with the choice of putting gas in the tank and food on the table or paying the mortgage and defaulted, with consequences you're probably aware of.

[brooklynite]

9. In case you haven't noticed, this isn't Europe...

...and energy (other than gas prices) isn't a burning issue to the average voter.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

14. If someone told me straight out that they aren't worried about energy issues, I would tell them...

[brooklynite]

26. Issue is not "are they worried"....it's "are they worried ENOUGH"

If you give people a list of issue and asked yes/no, many might say "yes", but it's probably a LOWER priority than jobs, income, health care, social issues, etc.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

29. Oh, yes, for sure, brooklynite. Too many other immediate issues affecting our lives that

it is indeed hard for people to think about energy or climate change issues while we're just trying to survive the issues you listed.

We will always have social issues, I think. But until we resolve in an equitable way the other issues you listed, energy and climate change will remain a low priority, unfortunately.

[Harmony Blue]

30. Green energy means immense job opportunities

which American voters do care about. Also these jobs would stay HERE on our soil. And European countries are way ahead of us now when it comes to planning for the future. Yes it is time to start asking questions and pressing the issue of Green Energy. Lets be proactive for once instead of reactive.

[msongs]

15. democratic party leadership has no vision to speak of. our party should call for a 10 year plan to

put solar on every rooftop in america not be selling out to corporate solar farms

[marions ghost]

18. Do you think it's either/or?

Gonna need all the solar and wind we can get. Homes and larger power plants. And a strong plan for energy conservation in every direction. (Meanwhile tidal and wave power show promise too but are not as developed as wind and solar).

[bcool]

31. First $0 electric bill!

I just got my first full month's electric bill today since my solar panels were installed - $0!

Well, actually $8...I have to pay for the privilege of being connected to the grid

We generated 47kWh more than we used, so we got a tiny credit - we only get credited at the wholesale cost of electricity, which is about 1/4 the rate they bill it at.

Take that, evil utility!!

[Harmony Blue]

32. Awesome

I was told that even poor countries like Greece are making a mad dash for solar energy.

[marions ghost]

37. congratulations +++++

Welcome to DU.

[Corruption Inc]

35. How about justice? You know, put war criminals and torturers on trial.

That would unite 70% of the country, along with universal health care.

People are already going green without the government's pro-corporate propaganda that never stops.

[Harmony Blue]

36. That is good as well (putting torturers on trial, UHC) it doesn't have to be one issue

but Green energy to me is something that can really attract voters due to the job creation alone.