Solar Technology

[Dan Moadus]

I've seen sources that cite the failure rate of new businesses in their first three years around 70%.
Maybe the private sector isn't as reliable as you make it out to be. At least we know the government is going to be around for a while.

You've made our case. As you pointed out, the free market will not permit an inefficient business to stay around long. Inefficient government programs on the other hand, never go out of business.

[sfc_oliver]

Well you guys have picked out a few things that the Government directed and things that worked out. How many directives have been total flops? How about the Billion dollars spent on throwing Frisbees to see if they could be used as flares? Or the billions wasted on the design and production of a flying saucer. Yes we actually had one. It made it to 3 ft high and 35 MPH. Our Government does not wave a magic wand and make things turn into gold. Probably find that there are more failures than success stories.

[Towntalk]

Don't strain your brain too hard Dan. Al Gore did not invent the Internet as my previous post pointed out.

Any blame Congressman or Senitor can claim to have been responsable for any of a zillion and one things by virtue of co-sponsoring a piece of legislation, but that does not say that they invented anything more or less than hot air.

BALDERDASH ... HOGWASH ... PIFFLE to them all!   

[Dan Moadus]

"Is NASA unconstitutional?" Strictly speaking, yes. Though a case could be made that, like providing for the national defense, or the interstate highway system, space exploration is one of those valid endeavors that we can simply not do for our selves, unlike energy exploration and production, which has been accomplished with little government involvement. As for the internet. Depends. I'm trying to remember if Gore invented it before or after he worked for the government.

[Towntalk]

The last time I heard, NASA was a governent agency, and consider all of the things we take for granted that came out of that agency.

And the Internet traces its roots back to the National Science Foundation:

In 1985, the United States' National Science Foundation (NSF) commissioned the construction of the NSFNET, a university 56 kilobit/second network backbone using computers called "fuzzballs" by their inventor, David L. Mills. The following year, NSF sponsored the conversion to a higher-speed 1.5 megabit/second network. A key decision to use the DARPA TCP/IP protocols was made by Dennis Jennings, then in charge of the Supercomputer program at NSF.
The opening of the network to commercial interests began in 1988. The US Federal Networking Council approved the interconnection of the NSFNET to the commercial MCI Mail system in that year and the link was made in the summer of 1989. Other commercial electronic e-mail services were soon connected, including OnTyme, Telemail and Compuserve. In that same year, three commercial Internet service providers (ISPs) were created: UUNET, PSINet and CERFNET. Important, separate networks that offered gateways into, then later merged with, the Internet include Usenet and BITNET. Various other commercial and educational networks, such as Telenet, Tymnet, Compuserve and JANET were interconnected with the growing Internet. Telenet (later called Sprintnet) was a large privately funded national computer network with free dial-up access in cities throughout the U.S. that had been in operation since the 1970s. This network was eventually interconnected with the others in the 1980s as the TCP/IP protocol became increasingly popular. The ability of TCP/IP to work over virtually any pre-existing communication networks allowed for a great ease of growth, although the rapid growth of the Internet was due primarily to the availability of an array of standardized commercial routers from many companies, the availability of commercial Ethernet equipment for local-area networking, and the widespread implementation and rigorous standardization of TCP/IP on UNIX and virtually every other common operating system.

Is NASA unconstitutional?

And what about the internet?

[sfc_oliver]

 

I really believe you are smarter than that.

[sfc_oliver]

As I have said several times. I want science and not Politics to direct the energy needs for the future. Politics, as we see in this now passed bill adds to big government and more monies we don't have. that's what I mean.

"Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration for solar technology. Requires the Secretary to provide awards"

Scientists are working on many different forms of renewable clean energy. This Bill pushes solar only. So will there be more programs with rewards and more Bureaucrats for wind and mabe wave energy? What if something completely new comes up, Another program? Who is paying for these rewards? These people aren't working for free, why reward someone for performing their chosen profession.

[Dan Moadus]

Rusty,
Where in the Constitution does it define that it is the Federal government's responsibility to foster development in any type of energy much less solar. Just the fact that someone feels it necessary to fund this type of activity indicates that these alternative energy sources are not ready to stand on their own yet.

Plus, it is simply better to leave it to private enterprise. As an example look at the history of the airplane. When the government decided that powered flight was possible, it funded Dr. Samuel Langley (Director of the Smithsonian Institute) to design and build an airplane. But look who flew first. Two privateers who owned a bicycle shop. There is a good lesson in this.

[Towntalk]

H.R. 3585 as amended passed the House Yea = 310; Nay = 106; Not Voting = 16

Breakdown:

Democrats:

Yea = 247
Nay = 0
Not Voting = 8

Republicans:

Yea = 63
Nay = 106
Not Voting = 8

[sfc_oliver]

So once again bureaucrats want to tell science what is the next best energy source. What is so difficult with allowing science to work on  its own at it's pace. Again with the bigger Government and more money we don't have to spend on something that we may or may not need to spend it on.

[Towntalk]

Bill presently on floor of House of Representatives for debate and vote - 10/22/09 11:45 AM.

H.R. 3585 –  Solar Technology Roadmap Act

Solar Technology Roadmap Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration for solar technology. Requires the Secretary to provide awards to: (1) academic institutions, national laboratories, government research agencies, nonprofit organizations, industrial entities, or consortia thereof for research, development, and demonstration activities; and (2) industry-led consortia for research, development, and demonstration of advanced techniques for manufacturing a variety of solar energy products.
Directs the Secretary to establish and provide support for a Solar Technology Roadmap Committee, which shall develop a Solar Technology Roadmap that: (1) presents the best current estimate of the near-, mid-, and long-term research, development, and demonstration needs in solar technology; and (2) provides guidance to the solar technology research, development, and demonstration activities supported by the federal government for meeting national priorities in energy security, U.S. competitiveness, climate change mitigation, and energy diversification.
Declares it to be U.S. policy that at least 75% of funding for Department of Energy (DOE) solar technology research, development, and demonstration activities after FY2014 support Roadmap activities. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to coordinate federal interagency activities identified in and related to the Roadmap.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide grants for demonstration projects to support the development of solar energy production, consistent with the Roadmap; (2) transmit to Congress the results of a study that analyzes the performance of photovoltaic installations in the United States; (3) award multiyear grants for research, development, and demonstration activities to create innovative and practical approaches to increase reuse and recycling of photovoltaic devices; and (4) establish an initiative to develop a comprehensive physical property database of materials for use in photovoltaic devices.
Cost Estimate

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/106xx/doc10657/hr3585.pdf