News from the United States Department Of Energy details a $46 million commitment to assist with the safe implementation of solar power into utility systems across the country.
This article, based on a recent publication from energy.gov, might seem surprising at first considering the current administration’s pro-coal stance. However, new solar capacity is being added to the nation’s grid all the time and must be appropriately dealt with. If anything, the proposed funding has more to do with security in dealing with potential cyber threats and mitigating the effects of natural disasters.
There’s a total of 10 projects that are benefiting from this funding. Funding sizes vary from $2 to $10 million. These projects will be funded over the next 3 years.
The details concerning resiliency include real-time system monitoring, dependable communications, and the continual validation of control strategies. The bottom line is that solar power’s incorporation with the grid is still relatively new, so certain steps must be taken to ensure stable integration.
The big picture here is that, while this proposed funding is a necessary and positive idea overall, it still remains a drop in the bucket. Those currently in control in Washington do not seem to care much about promoting the overall growth of solar power. On the other hand, a much larger amount of money should be spent on the expansion of the use of renewable energy all across the country.
So while any governmental solar funding at all can be seen as a positive thing, the inherent political unwillingness to embrace solar power is extremely disappointing. Many energy industry experts have predicted that solar will one day soon become a major source of power for this country and many others around the world. It truly is unfortunate that governmental leaders are attempting to delay the inevitable. The good news is that market forces will guarantee that solar power becomes a dominant source of energy soon.
Political inaction will not do much to prevent our eventual use of the greatest source of power of all, the Sun.
