As the price of oil continues to raise and the new unrest in Egypt puts further price pressure on this fossil fuel, I can’t help thinking that the discussion for renewable energy sources won’t start creeping back into our regular lexicon.
Over the last month, the Patrick Administration has struggled to find some answers to the Evergreen Solar dilemma, while providing incentives to homeowners for solar thermal through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center(MassCEC). This juxtaposition surely has consumers scratching their heads.
While the consumer may not know where to hang their hat, there are 41 municipal electric utilities, who are working with consultants to create renewable energy strategies. One such community is Concord. Concord’s plan as four components. It is that community’s goal to generate 30% of its energy needs through renewable source by 2020. Ambition, yes, but it is a start. There are various Federal and State incentives to help bring the cost of renewable energy more in line with those of traditional fossil fuels.
Other example of a municipality getting serious about the renewable energy goals is Springfield, MA. Springfield is working with the Western Massachusetts Electric Co. to build a 4.2 megawatt solar farm on a capped landfill. This project will be the state’s largest project to date with 17,000 solar panels. The use of capped landfills for solar arrays makes a great deal of sense for cities and towns because this is difficult land to develop and it can bring additional dollars into the community.
Over the last two years, we have been lulled into a false sense of reality about oil prices and now that the economy is starting to find some stable footing, those prices are going to up and we need to get serious about our dependence on fossil fuels. Municipalities are leading by example, let’s hope that their good work carries over to the homeowners.
Kevin Price, CEO Renewablesales 