Why Not Ohio? Solar Power Heats Up As Costs Drop

[Rick Rowlands]

Oh thats right I forgot! He is running for governor!  I kinda miss the days when he would insult Bob Hagan on a daily basis.

[sfc_oliver]

Why does every irishbobcat post have to end with an insult of our governor?

He probably thinks that one of us might actually change our vote in his favor by attacking the Governor.

[Rick Rowlands]

Why does every irishbobcat post have to end with an insult of our governor?

[Why?Town]

Solar energy is getting cheaper, the longer we wait, the cheaper it will get.

Does Ohio really need to pay more now just to say we're one of the first?

[irishbobcat]

Why Not Ohio? Solar Power Heats Up As Costs Drop

Earlier this year in a Toledo Blade article, Ted Strickland admitted that Ohio has been passive in pursuing more solar energy in Ohio. Now, a story out of Kansas City points out how other states continue to build a growing solar power industry in their area while Ohio stands still....

  Solar power heats up as costs drop, electric rates rise 
  Apr 26, 2010 The Kansas City Star   
Steve Everly

The Midwest gets plenty of sunshine -- more than Germany, which uses more solar power than any other country. Kansas City has the same percentage of annual sunshine as San Antonio, for example, and Dodge City, Kan., has as much as Miami.

And the big cost considerations that for years have held back solar power in the region have changed. The price of solar panels has dropped substantially, and the Midwest's traditionally low electricity prices are on the rise.

Those factors came together recently for Tom Lawler, a Commerce Bank vice president. As coordinator of the bank's sustainability efforts, he has crunched the numbers on solar power for years. But this time he got a big surprise. They made economic sense.

The payback time for a solar panel project had plummeted from 25 years to just 10 years. As a result, Commerce this month is installing photovoltaic panels at its branch at 135th Street and State Line Road in Kansas City.

Solar power has become a viable investment.

A Kansas City greeting card company that later this year will install the largest solar installation in Missouri. Kansas City Power and Light plans to have its first solar power installation up and running next year.

Overall, solar capacity for the first time moved above 2,000 megawatts, enough to power 350,000 homes, convincing many in the industry that solar is at a turning point.

Last year was the best ever for the U.S. solar industry, and 2010 is expected to be even better.



Solar has always been a tough sell in the Midwest, but several trends are helping make it more competitive:
--The cost of photovoltaic panels, which account for just over half of a solar installation, have plummeted 40 percent in the last year, thanks to cheaper prices for silicon and ample manufacturing capacity.

--Available incentives have never been more generous. Federal tax credits or grants are cutting the cost of commercial and residential solar installations by 30 percent. Businesses also can accelerate depreciation of their investment, helping recover their costs faster. Other incentives include the KCP&L rebate for its Missouri customers, which can lower a system's cost an additional 25 percent or so.

--The Midwest's low prices for conventionally generated electricity are going up. KCP&L, for example, will have raised rates about 40 percent in just a few years if its most recent rate request is granted.

--Several states, including Kansas and Missouri, are encouraging use of renewable energy, including requiring utilities to use more. Missouri's law specifically requires some solar use, and both states require utilities to buy excess renewable energy produced by households and businesses.

Why Not Ohio? Why do we continue to let "Passive" Ted Strickland be the leader of solar power and energy in Ohio. Ted Strickland is a dirty coal and dirty nuclear loving governor. He will never commit to improving solar power on a grand scale.