Letters: Solar energy makes sense in Pennsylvania; ‘Rules’ damage real work in state legislature
Solar energy makes sense in Pennsylvania
Thanks to the CDT for the great article about sustainability projects right here in central Pennsylvania. I’ve worked in solar energy engineering for 42 years, and there are some important lessons that Pennsylvanians need to know.
First is that we get abundant sunlight. All one has to do is look around at the verdant forests and agricultural land. Plus we have many years of measured solar radiation data so that we can make reliable calculations of annual performance and cost savings.
Second is that solar system efficiency of 15-20% is fine. When we speak of solar electric systems, efficiency is the ratio of the useful electricity that the system generates divided by the received solar radiation. What is the efficiency that plants convert solar into plant matter? It’s about 1-3%. Solar electricity is plenty efficient.
What matters more than efficiency is the cost of the electricity produced. Solar panels have become so inexpensive that the electricity they produce is now less expensive than utility electricity. It also matters that solar electricity produces more jobs and much less pollution.
In summary, Pennsylvania gets plenty of sunshine, efficiency is not that important, and solar electric systems produce less costly electricity than conventional sources.
‘Rules’ damage real work in state legislature
If dysfunction were measured in fire alarms, Pennsylvania’s legislature would rightly be a five-alarm fire.
Pennsylvania’s legislature, among the largest and highest paid in the country, does appallingly little lawmaking, even when the issue before them is a certified no-brainer!
Our “full-time” legislators in the House met 69 days, and Senate members only 52 days, in the last calendar year.
At the beginning of every legislative session, the two bodies of our bloated, dysfunctional, do-nothing legislature vote on “the rules.” In so doing, members cede power to bring bills to the floor to the legislative leaders, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, and to their hand-picked committee chairs. Republicans in our highly gerrymandered state have complete control of what’s sent to the floor.
These same Republicans enthusiastically established and voted for expanded vote-by-mail rules, and then, after the election, claimed the expansion was unconstitutional, and mail-in-votes were illegal.
Of the 6% of bills passed last year, 85% were Republican-sponsored, but not just Democratic-leaning bills languish in committee: Consider that 18 cities in Pennsylvania have water system lead levels as high, or higher, than in Flint, Michigan, and yet not one of four bipartisan bills has made it out of committee in the last four sessions. Our children’s brains — our future — are jeopardized, and no bill to protect them has made it out of committee!
Our “leaders,” beholden to donors not voters, pass “Banana Split Day,” while “the rules” ensnare important legislative solutions in committee!
New way to see film festival
For 16 years, the Moshannon Group of the Sierra Club has been proud to present the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival to central Pennsylvanians. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has led to cancellation of our annual live event at The State Theater in 2020.
We are pleased to announce that this year, the spectacular movie event is going virtual and readers can watch it now from the comfort of their own homes. Visit the following website to see details on each of two programs (watch both) and to purchase tickets: https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=wt-160360
We are also pleased to be sponsoring a Virtual Solar Tour on Jan. 7 with worker-owned Envinity, along with other local environmental organizations and church groups. The event is free and will visit five solarized buildings as well as talk with the owners. A panel discussion with solar experts will follow.
Gather with us virtually on Jan. 7 from 7-9 p.m. Please register at: https://bit.ly/SIERRAENV