4 ms·

Counties are blocking wind and solar across the US

27 points by thelastgallon 3y ago

phs318u 3y ago
As an outsider and long time observer of the USA, I find it hard to escape the conclusion that a collective madness has gripped your country and you are in a race to 'freedom' yourselves to oblivion.
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- throwaway5959 3y ago
  Where are you from?
  - phs318u 3y ago
    I'm not using a throwaway so you can find out by reading my comment history. I choose not to make it easy for you because this thread is not about my country, and whataboutism misses the point. Yes, my country has significant issues making the kind of inroads with renewable energy policy that we should have. And it's been due to crass politicking.
    - throwaway5959 3y ago
      Insults me for supposedly using a throwaway account then complains about whataboutisms. It was a simple question.
- signatoremo 3y ago
  Well, confirmation bias. You are looking for news that confirm your perspective. Meanwhile renewable energy continues to grow in the US like in most places globally: https://electrek.co/2024/02/27/us-renewables-2023-solar-in-the-lead/ https://electrek.co/2024/02/27/us-renewables-2023-solar-in-t...
  - phs318u 3y ago
    I guess what the parent article alludes to, is increasing political balkanisation, which is what I'm seeing. Not just a tale of two America's, but of many. The consequence is an increasing inability to act in concert for the good of the whole. And it seems to be getting worse. This is just another data point. So while collectively, the renewable energy may be growing, the disparity of its distribution is (to my mind) yet another sign of the eroding viability of your country as a country (rather than as a collection of states or counties).
    - specialist 3y ago
      Like with every where else, it's hard to get a sense of what's going on thru media. eg I live in Seattle. During the BLM / George Flyod related protests, corporate media reported the CHAZ (Capital Hill Autonomous Zone) as an urban war zone. Meanwhile, locals were treating it like a block party, with arts, foods, baby strollers, etc. While the online political slapfight continues to degrade (self radicalization and calls to violence), ever more people are stepping back (the actual doers) or checked out entirely (apathy).
- Brananarchy 3y ago
  As a US citizen, I tend to agree...
pacmanincarnate 3y ago
[dead]
yesco 3y ago
I get that there exist people who hate the noise and shadows of wind turbines. I've even seen some rare cases where the complaints were warranted since it literally caused a strobing effect in their houses throughout the day. I think a ban is a massive overreaction to these complaints, but I get it. I don't get the solar bans, can someone please explain those to me? Even in the cases where it's just a land usage limit, why would anyone even ask for that? There is no way they banned it for no reason, there has to be something that motivated it right? But what about solar power could possibly have bothered anyone?? I'm not expecting Oil companies to be influencing county level politics here so there clearly is a nation wide pattern of individuals proposing these bans for some reason I'm not seeing.
- NikkiA 3y ago
  You know what really causes a strobing effect in my living space? Road Traffic. Day AND night.
  - yesco 3y ago
    Unless you moved in knowing this would happen, I would largely agree that complaints about lights beaming into your house are warranted, and deserving of some attention. Like how it's not unreasonable for the government to put up sound barriers around new highways passing by neighborhoods. I would not agree that the correct remediation is banning cars on the other hand... Meanwhile solar isn't much different than having a bunch of boxes in your backyard, why would people care about this kind of thing? I get that the nitpickers are always gonna pick things, but what exactly are they picking when it comes to solar? Based on the replies so far, it's mostly due to local superstition, which is interesting in it's own way I suppose... but I guess it's more likely the boring answer perrygeo mentioned: that communities simply fear new developments in general, and banning solar is simply a means to an end.
- silverquiet 3y ago
  It's because liberals like green energy and so conservatives must oppose it. It's an identity thing essentially; no more complicated than that. I've got a co-worker who lives in Bandera, TX where this is currently a conflict.
specialist 3y ago
In otherwise good explainers, USA Today buries the lede: Transition to renewable energy is being thwarted by astroturf campaigns underwritten by the usual suspects (eg Koch) and electrical utilities. Obviously. "Utilities are lobbying against the public interest. Here's how to stop it." [2023-02] "In this episode, utility watchdog David Pomerantz discusses all the ways that utilities use ratepayer money to lobby against the clean-energy transition — and what regulators and policy makers can do to stop it." https://www.volts.wtf/p/utilities-are-lobbying-against-the https://www.volts.wtf/p/utilities-are-lobbying-against-the "The right-wing groups behind renewable energy misinformation" [2022-04] "Across the country and the internet, there are hundreds of conservative think tanks, groups, and individuals working to stir up community opposition to renewable energy with misinformation and lies. With virtually no public scrutiny, they have secured state-level policies restricting renewable energy siting in dozens of states." https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-right-wing-groups-behind-renewable https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-right-wing-groups-behind-renewab...
deleted 3y ago
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27 points by thelastgallon 3y ago

As an outsider and long time observer of the USA, I find it hard to escape the conclusion that a collective madness has gripped your country and you are in a race to 'freedom' yourselves to oblivion.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
throwaway5959 3y ago
Where are you from?
- phs318u 3y ago
  I'm not using a throwaway so you can find out by reading my comment history. I choose not to make it easy for you because this thread is not about my country, and whataboutism misses the point. Yes, my country has significant issues making the kind of inroads with renewable energy policy that we should have. And it's been due to crass politicking.
  - throwaway5959 3y ago
    Insults me for supposedly using a throwaway account then complains about whataboutisms. It was a simple question.
signatoremo 3y ago
Well, confirmation bias. You are looking for news that confirm your perspective. Meanwhile renewable energy continues to grow in the US like in most places globally: https://electrek.co/2024/02/27/us-renewables-2023-solar-in-the-lead/ https://electrek.co/2024/02/27/us-renewables-2023-solar-in-t...
- phs318u 3y ago
  I guess what the parent article alludes to, is increasing political balkanisation, which is what I'm seeing. Not just a tale of two America's, but of many. The consequence is an increasing inability to act in concert for the good of the whole. And it seems to be getting worse. This is just another data point. So while collectively, the renewable energy may be growing, the disparity of its distribution is (to my mind) yet another sign of the eroding viability of your country as a country (rather than as a collection of states or counties).
  - specialist 3y ago
    Like with every where else, it's hard to get a sense of what's going on thru media. eg I live in Seattle. During the BLM / George Flyod related protests, corporate media reported the CHAZ (Capital Hill Autonomous Zone) as an urban war zone. Meanwhile, locals were treating it like a block party, with arts, foods, baby strollers, etc. While the online political slapfight continues to degrade (self radicalization and calls to violence), ever more people are stepping back (the actual doers) or checked out entirely (apathy).
Brananarchy 3y ago
As a US citizen, I tend to agree...

pacmanincarnate 3y ago

[dead]

yesco 3y ago

I get that there exist people who hate the noise and shadows of wind turbines. I've even seen some rare cases where the complaints were warranted since it literally caused a strobing effect in their houses throughout the day. I think a ban is a massive overreaction to these complaints, but I get it. I don't get the solar bans, can someone please explain those to me? Even in the cases where it's just a land usage limit, why would anyone even ask for that? There is no way they banned it for no reason, there has to be something that motivated it right? But what about solar power could possibly have bothered anyone?? I'm not expecting Oil companies to be influencing county level politics here so there clearly is a nation wide pattern of individuals proposing these bans for some reason I'm not seeing.

NikkiA 3y ago
You know what really causes a strobing effect in my living space? Road Traffic. Day AND night.
- yesco 3y ago
  Unless you moved in knowing this would happen, I would largely agree that complaints about lights beaming into your house are warranted, and deserving of some attention. Like how it's not unreasonable for the government to put up sound barriers around new highways passing by neighborhoods. I would not agree that the correct remediation is banning cars on the other hand... Meanwhile solar isn't much different than having a bunch of boxes in your backyard, why would people care about this kind of thing? I get that the nitpickers are always gonna pick things, but what exactly are they picking when it comes to solar? Based on the replies so far, it's mostly due to local superstition, which is interesting in it's own way I suppose... but I guess it's more likely the boring answer perrygeo mentioned: that communities simply fear new developments in general, and banning solar is simply a means to an end.
silverquiet 3y ago
It's because liberals like green energy and so conservatives must oppose it. It's an identity thing essentially; no more complicated than that. I've got a co-worker who lives in Bandera, TX where this is currently a conflict.

specialist 3y ago

In otherwise good explainers, USA Today buries the lede: Transition to renewable energy is being thwarted by astroturf campaigns underwritten by the usual suspects (eg Koch) and electrical utilities. Obviously. "Utilities are lobbying against the public interest. Here's how to stop it." [2023-02] "In this episode, utility watchdog David Pomerantz discusses all the ways that utilities use ratepayer money to lobby against the clean-energy transition — and what regulators and policy makers can do to stop it." https://www.volts.wtf/p/utilities-are-lobbying-against-the https://www.volts.wtf/p/utilities-are-lobbying-against-the "The right-wing groups behind renewable energy misinformation" [2022-04] "Across the country and the internet, there are hundreds of conservative think tanks, groups, and individuals working to stir up community opposition to renewable energy with misinformation and lies. With virtually no public scrutiny, they have secured state-level policies restricting renewable energy siting in dozens of states." https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-right-wing-groups-behind-renewable https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-right-wing-groups-behind-renewab...

deleted 3y ago

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