Solar subsidies are victim of the State budget crisis

Editor's Note: Scientific American George Musser will be on their experiences in the installation of solar panels in the solar home (formerly 60-second solar). Read his introduction here and see all the posts here.

As if the news coming out of Washington on a climate bill weren't bad enough, the State budget crises are also suck the blood of many local renewable energy programs which are only concerted action that the country now has the climate. In my own State of New Jersey, the check for the purchase of a solar array was temporarily suspended in may as the State was gorroneando for loose change cover a budget gap.It has been reintegrated - in parte.Ahora gives owners only half the money it used to.

The State has also deleted picking funds contributors to put money in Exchange regional carbon trading .This comes from a surcharge on energy from fossil fuels, which amounts to an average of 41 cents in a monthly $ 110 electric bill .the Conservatives have tried to repeal the surcharge in total, which is strange, because a true libre-comercializador you really want to increase the surcharge until he captured the external costs complete the use of fossil energy.

Similar tragedies have played in Arizona, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida and California as solar incentives have been suspended for several reasons.

In many cases, however, subsidies have suffered no budgetary shenanigans but his own pura.Evidentemente popularity the word is out that solar is much.Remains so.In New Jersey and elsewhere, the reduction of subsidies are offset in part by greater market value of tradable credits we received for the solar energy that generamos.También, array prices have fallen by one third over the past years.

So back scale of subsidies, showy, although it has been seen as a tribute to the fact éxito.De solar advocates solar always talks about incentives of Government as a way to start with industry - required only for a time limitado.Si could only say the same of subsidies to fossil fuels.

Photo courtesy of George Musser