On the Cusp of a Green Revolution

The lead story in The New York Times this morning, “Rich Subsidies Powering Solar and Wind Projects,” shows the benefits of some of the Obama-era incentives included in the initial stimulus program.

Long derided as a political slush fund, this program has provided amazing benefits to approximately 15 major solar and wind projects, creating construction jobs and an industry poised to return major benefits to its investors.

While a “gold-rush mentality” may have ensued, the article correctly notes that many other industries received subsidies in their infancy and even to this day, including automobile, aviation, and oil and gas companies.

The project by NRG Energy seems particularly impressive — it is building nearly a million solar panels in the desert to supply electricity for up to 100,000 homes. In addition to federal subsidies, it is also benefiting from a 25-year utility contract to purchase the energy from Pacific Gas & Electric at a megawatt-hour rate nearly double that of conventional energy. This, too, represents a built-in benefit to the industry that should be commended not condemned.

This article, despite its taxpayer-heavy rhetoric, encourages me about the state of clean energy in our country and gives me hope that we may indeed benefit from American ingenuity and resourcefulness in this area.