| Copyright (c) 2008 Paul Calhoun
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| | stopped in the US Senate. Southern Co.,
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| The US currently has about 700 megawatts
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| | American Electric Power Co. and other
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| of installed solar panel electricity
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| | coal fired producers hired top Washington
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| generation connected to the grid,
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| | lobbyists, including Rudy Giuliani's
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| according to research by the consulting
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| | firm, to help defeat a measure that would
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| firm, Navigant. This represents less than
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| | force them to boost electricity generated
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| 1% of all the electricity generated in
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| | by wind, solar and other forms of
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| the US.
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| | renewable energy to 15 percent of the
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| Each state controls the speed of solar
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| | U.S. total by 2020. That's up from less
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| adoption by heir independent policies. If
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| | than 2 percent today, and is a move the
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| these policies remain nchanged,
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| | industry says would cost at least $67
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| generation from solar panels in the US,
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| | billion. Southern Co. has spent $7.26
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| both commercial and residential
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| | million this year lobbying Congress, more
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| generators are expected to grow to 6,000
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| | than Exxon Mobil Corp. or General Motors
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| megawatts by the year 2015.
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| | Corp., according to the Washington-based
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| Three thousand of the 6,000 megawatts
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| | Center for Responsive Politics. It hired
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| will be generated in California. The
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| | such firms as Bracewell & Giuliani LLP,
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| incentive programs of California are the
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| | where Republican presidential
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| gold standard among supporters of solar
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| | front-runner Giuliani is a partner. The
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| power. Growth in the home solar-power
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| | bill would require utilities to obtain
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| market will not take off until more
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| | 2.75 percent of their power from
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| states adopt favorable net metering
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| | renewable sources starting in 2010,
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| rules. The relaxed solar implementation
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| | ramping that up to 15 percent by 2020.
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| can offset the cost of installing
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| | Almost one-quarter of the mandate could
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| renewable power system and capture
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| | be met by improving efficiency. Companies
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| electricity that is being loss from the
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| | that fail to meet the standard would have
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| potential solar generation. The Navigant
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| | to pay a penalty to the federal
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| report estimates that an additional 3,000
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| | government. The cooperative of Southern
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| megawatts of solar panel electricity
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| | Co and other generating companies
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| could be available in the next eight
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| | consider this too high of a barrier and
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| years if the states with solar
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| | appear to have succeeded to remove the
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| implementation limitations lifted their
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| | renewable fuel section from the bill
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| caps.
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| | going to President Bush.
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| There are eight states that have no
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| | The average homeowner does not have a
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| net-metering rules. These states are
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| | vote in adopting renewable fuels
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| South Dakota, Kansas, Mississippi,
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| | electrical generation standards. The
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| Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Arizona and
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| | battle is being conducted by the state
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| my own state, South Carolina. A list
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| | and federal government and powerful
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| compiled by New Energy Source lists
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| | electrical generating companies. The
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| California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
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| | problem is that the average homeowner
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| Maryland receiving the highest scores for
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| | will be the big loser in this struggle.
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| solar adaptation with the remaining
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| | Our major recourse is to write our state
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| states of lower scores because of
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| | and federal representative to adopt
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| restrictive laws.
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| | measure that we can utilize the potential
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| As of September 2007, 39 states had
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| | cost savings and reduces pollution of
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| adopted some measures of rules to
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| | solar generated electricity.
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| compensate consumers for sending
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| | Our letters to our government
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| self-generated renewable power to the
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| | representatives should ask for means to:
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| grid. There is a lot behind the scenes
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| | * Encourage greater renewable-energy
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| that the states and power generation
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| | generation
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| companies are willing to wage a serious
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| | * Promote customer-sited distributed
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| fight to preclude Federal mandates to
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| | generation (wind and solar fuels)
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| push solar renewable energy.
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| | * Reduce demand on an ever increasingly
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| In my state of South Carolina, the Santee
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| | strained grid
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| Electrical Cooperative, which is owned by
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| | * Reward investment in renewable
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| the state of South Carolina, is proposing
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| | technologies
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| a $998 million dollar coal burning
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| | * Facilitate energy independence
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| generators. The site has been put on hold
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| | * Improve air quality and public health
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| by the federal government for a deeper
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| | * Promote in-state economic development.
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| study of the environmental impact.
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| | Most states that have revised their
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| Meanwhile, Santee continues the fight
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| | interconnection and net-metering policies
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| with their commissioned study. Their
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| | have done so in pursuit of these same
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| study concludes "$900 million in economic
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| | goals.
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| output, $500 million in earnings and
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| | I have a BS and MS in Metallurgical
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| 9,300 jobs for South Carolinians"
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| | Engineering. Thirty six years spent in
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| Unfortunately; Santee made no attempt to
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| | the development of semiconductors.
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| study the environmental impact or what a
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| | Business experience in start up business
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| combination of renewable/nonrenewable
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| | plan. Currently, an oyster farmer and
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| future actions would mean to the state.
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| | interested in helping the environment by
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| The federal renewable fuels bill has been
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| | deploying solar energy.
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