By: Diane Benjamin
Biden’s war on fossil fuels will be ending. So will the tax rebates and grants for alternative expensive energy.
Did you know most solar panels are made in China? They aren’t using them but are more than willing to export them to countries who think solar can replace fossil fuels: https://www.sunsave.energy/solar-panels-advice/solar-energy/where-are-solar-panels-made
Tomorrow the Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on turning more farm land into a solar farm: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/22a58a25-ab60-11ef-ab4b-005056a89546-71aa7719-c1df-4797-9411-79d5d861f4b4-1735966873.pdf
This isn’t in the Public Interest especially since cheap nuclear energy is much more efficient. It isn’t in the Public Interest to install glass panels that contain hazardous materials on 17 acres either.
In March of 2024 hail destroyed a solar farm in Texas: https://www.newsweek.com/thousands-solar-panels-texas-destroyed-hailstorm-1883546
That story has a link to an X video showing the damage.
In October a hurricane destroyed a solar field in Florida: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/15/watch-drone-video-shows-destruction-pre-milton-tornado-solar-farm/75684180007/
Of course tornadoes do the same thing.
A solar farm in New York caught fire in October: https://wnyt.com/top-stories/crews-battle-large-fire-at-a-solar-farm-in-castleton/
The war on fossil fuels has created hazards and waste that can’t be recycled like turbine blades.
Since progressives in Illinois think they are saving the planet by increasing the cost or energy, I doubt serious questions will be asked tomorrow. How much more farm land will be lost because of ideology?
If you know carbon capture injection wells are a dumb idea they are easy to stop. Quit giving tax breaks to the people invested in building them.
The Sierra Club is urging people to:
Contact your congressman sooner than later so we get them to take out 45Q tax credit.
h/t a reader
With debt of $36 trillion the country needs to stop funding stupid ideas. If great ideas emerge the private sector will fund them.
Wirepoints just did an article on the fact that Illinois is going to see more blackouts because of the dismantling of fossil fuel infrastructure vs solar. They are warning citizens that solar and wind reliability will be the reason for the blackouts. Solar and wind cannot completely replace fossil fuel sources because they are not reliable. Destruction of farmland is not the answer either.
people who own farmland can do what they want with it. It’s called property rights. If they want solar farms on their land, they can lease or sell their land to solar farms and it’s really no one else’s business. Would you want someone coming onto your property and telling you that you can’t build a swimming pool in your yard because it needs to stay lawn and it doesn’t matter what you want?
Tax dollars subsidize them. That means taxpayers get a voice
Landowners get tax breaks and kickbacks from these renewable energy public/private partnerships and projects and getter “ESG scores” and recognition as innovators and paid well to participate. Farmer types will contend they are making use if un tillable/unusable acreage and helping the environment (IFB and Farm orgs are all in clearly) and provide big perks for implementing (calling it saving the economy the planet, schools and better energy sources snd ag research) You know the drill…
We know the players (decades of same playbook & marketing schemes)
Yet inflation and taxes extreme and real firm sustainable jobs few (unless your a U of I or IWU or ISU donor or alumni or family)
Oh how far we have come $$