Comments on: Appalachian States — Solar Jobs Showdown — INFOGRAPHIC

By: Corey Eckenroth

Corey Eckenroth — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:27:00 +0000

All of the coal plants are becoming gas plants. Coal is on it’s way out the door as we speak. If the Utilities can get guaranteed generation at peak demand without the lag time it takes to get other plants online, it’ll only be a matter of time before distributed generation (wind/solar) overcomes centralized generation. Distributed Gen is the future of our energy network, AKA the beginning of the smart grid, and Elon Musk already realizes this. He is literally spending all of his money to develop it out west, and it is crawling east as we speak (Supercharger network).

By: MrEnergyCzar

MrEnergyCzar — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 00:58:00 +0000

That would be a great showdown, utilities are too invested in long term gas/coal plants, the amount of solar they’d want to do is a very small percentage. They’ll be forced to switch eventually or die.

By: jaymcleod

jaymcleod — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 17:37:00 +0000

The most appropriate measure for Sections 1 and 2 is “per capita” or “per household”, or some other appropriate standardization. The overall number is not relevant for comparison as these states are very different in significant ways – population, land area, or GDP, for instance.

By: Corey Eckenroth

Corey Eckenroth — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Tides are turning which way? Even the Utilities are realizing they need to jump on solar, so much to the point that THEY are offering the incentives now, not just state and fed gov’t. See MN and GA. Both states have just signed huge amounts of MW production into legislation, but all of the incentives are run through the Utilities, which are actively trying to GET AWAY from a finite resource. Coal is a dirty word now, not just a dirty energy source. Nat Gas is a dirty word, but necessary to the development of a better energy network. Fed Ex and UPS, not to mention most of the garbage trucks and mass transit buses, have already switched to it. How long until Musk and his EV network run into the NG network and we have the showdown we’ve all been anticipating?

By: MrEnergyCzar

MrEnergyCzar — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:26:00 +0000

I’m surprised those coal states even allow solar on your home… the coal industry needs to spend a lot more to influence the lawmakers these days… tides are turning.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:21:00 +0000

West Virginia has geothermal resources in its eastern parts. It should get busy and develop those resources, create jobs and sell power to the Eastern Seaboard.

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:16:00 +0000

I like West Virginia´s non-renewable ¨renewable energy standard.¨ I suppose that means slightly less dirty coal.

By: RobS

RobS — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 07:49:00 +0000

Surely the better factoid would be the number of appalachians employed by renewable energy vs in coal mining.