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I'm more cynical about California than most, but these policies are a positive force for environmental change and history has shown they aren't empty promises.

by dahdum 8y ago

I'm more cynical about California than most, but these policies are a positive force for environmental change and history has shown they aren't empty promises. Like all policy change, it will create winners and losers. While it's unfortunate Navajo Nation may be the latter, it shouldn't mean we stop moving forward.

rm_-rf_slash 8y ago
Or another way of putting it, the Navajo Nation may lose in the short term, but without these transitions, they and everybody else could end up losing much more over a far longer timescale. I do, however, believe that green power policy should include assistance to the people and communities affected negatively by decarbonization, as the pain to those folks is much higher than it is to wealthy Californians who merely pay slightly higher taxes to get the new energy production and efficiency measures installed.
- reaperducer 8y ago
  assistance to the people and communities affected negatively by decarbonization The utilities could just build the new power plants where the old ones were. Same result, without an overt handout.
  - philipkglass 8y ago
    The Navajo Nation has excellent solar resources. And new solar projects are being built on the reservation: https://tucson.com/business/tribally-owned-solar-power-plant-beats-skeptics-odds-on-navajo/article_9dcbd829-9134-552b-a305-242cdb673d0a.html https://tucson.com/business/tribally-owned-solar-power-plant... http://ktar.com/story/2189238/navajo-nation-kayenta-solar-renewable-energy-expansion/ http://ktar.com/story/2189238/navajo-nation-kayenta-solar-re... https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2018/01/26/navajos-srp-to-double-solar-energy-plant-ink-big.html https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2018/01/26/navajos-... You wouldn't be able to replace the annual energy output of the Navajo Generating Station just with solar farms built on former NGS land, of course, because coal can be turned into electricity in a much smaller area. But if you consider the 44,000 acre leased area of the Kayenta Mine that supplies NGS with coal, you could actually get more annual energy production from the same area by switching to solar.
reaperducer 8y ago
Like all policy change, it will create winners and losers Translation: It sucks to be poor. And an indian. Where did I park my Tesla?

by dahdum 8y ago

rm_-rf_slash 8y ago

Or another way of putting it, the Navajo Nation may lose in the short term, but without these transitions, they and everybody else could end up losing much more over a far longer timescale. I do, however, believe that green power policy should include assistance to the people and communities affected negatively by decarbonization, as the pain to those folks is much higher than it is to wealthy Californians who merely pay slightly higher taxes to get the new energy production and efficiency measures installed.

reaperducer 8y ago
assistance to the people and communities affected negatively by decarbonization The utilities could just build the new power plants where the old ones were. Same result, without an overt handout.
- philipkglass 8y ago
  The Navajo Nation has excellent solar resources. And new solar projects are being built on the reservation: https://tucson.com/business/tribally-owned-solar-power-plant-beats-skeptics-odds-on-navajo/article_9dcbd829-9134-552b-a305-242cdb673d0a.html https://tucson.com/business/tribally-owned-solar-power-plant... http://ktar.com/story/2189238/navajo-nation-kayenta-solar-renewable-energy-expansion/ http://ktar.com/story/2189238/navajo-nation-kayenta-solar-re... https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2018/01/26/navajos-srp-to-double-solar-energy-plant-ink-big.html https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2018/01/26/navajos-... You wouldn't be able to replace the annual energy output of the Navajo Generating Station just with solar farms built on former NGS land, of course, because coal can be turned into electricity in a much smaller area. But if you consider the 44,000 acre leased area of the Kayenta Mine that supplies NGS with coal, you could actually get more annual energy production from the same area by switching to solar.

reaperducer 8y ago

Like all policy change, it will create winners and losers Translation: It sucks to be poor. And an indian. Where did I park my Tesla?