CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – We were told to cheer last week for the Vista Sands solar farm. It will be just outside of Plover, and will be the largest solar project in Wisconsin.
What they don’t tell you is that this will be some of the most expensive power in the state.
There are two big problems with solar in our part of the country: snow and battery storage. How much electricity will Vista Sands produce after just a dusting of snow covers the solar panels? None, until they are cleared off. And how do we keep the lights on during cloudy days? Well, a huge volume of batteries are needed which take up even more land to store the energy that’s generated on sunny days. We’re trading off farmland that could be producing corn and soy for more expensive energy.
And you are paying twice for it. Green energy costs more to produce, costs that are passed onto you on your monthly bill. And the equipment – solar panels and wind turbines – are heavily subsidized by our government, that is, your tax dollars.
And there’s a dirty little solar secret. Solar panels have a limited life. Batteries that store the electricity also ware out, just like the batteries in your cellphone or in an electric car. Disposal of solar power material after its useful life is over is an environmental problem that hasn’t been solved. All the technology is dirty and hard to throw out. In other words, it isn’t clean power when you look at the whole picture.
Your Wisconsin Public Service bill will already go up $25 a month starting in January. At this pace, by 2028 my $200 utility bill will rise to $300, to cover the costs of more expensive to produce green energy. Remember, every time you hear from environmentalists cheering that another coal-fired power plant is being turned off… your electric bill is going up.
Chris Conley
Comments