While we in the U.S. will most likely debate and delay any real climate change legislation until we have to go to work in row boats, the “big problem polluter” countries are busy passing legislation and initiatives to become enormous producers of clean energy. One of these countries in particular has just approved a plan that will not only make it a major solar power producer, but also a model of what a government can do positively for the environment when it really has a sincere desire to do so.
20GW Of Solar By 2020…What Do You Got U.S.?
Like China, who also has big plans when it comes to solar power production, India is is shooting for a target of 20GW worth of utility-grade solar power installations by the year 2020. That’s a huge amount of power. For some perspective, 20GW of electricity production is equivalent to more than 100 coal-fired power plants. This amount of clean energy will not only provide a good chunk of India’s overall increasing energy needs, but it will also prevent thousands of tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually.
India’s government is setting aside a $19 billion budget for the project. The money will be used to subsidize building infrastructures, the manufacture of solar panels, give incentives for production and installation, and further solar R&D. The 20GW project will be finished within three phases, the first of which will have completed 1.5 GW of solar power capacity by 2012.
The irony I’m sure would not be lost on you readers if I didn’t mention it, but I have to say that it seems more than a little ridiculous that the two countries the U.S. deems as “the biggest polluters” and “the keys countries” in solving climate change have done more when it comes to actually implementing and passing clean energy initiatives and construction projects in the past 5 years than the U.S. has done in 20. As our government, quite effortlessly and easily, gives out hundreds of billions of dollars for all varieties of ‘band-aid’ solutions and quick fixes to economic and foreign predicaments, the richest country in the world can’t muster up even a fraction of the money other governments like India and China are committing to clean energy or sustainability initiatives. It’s really embarrassing when you think about it, but then again, so is the amount of money in this country from interest groups that goes toward thwarting such commitments from ever seeing the light of day.
The Good: A relatively quick commitment and turnaround for a significant amount of solar power installations. 20GW of solar will eliminate the need for the construction of polluting energy sources i.e. coal-fired power plants.
The Bad: 20GW of solar power for a country of 1 billion+ is still a drop in the bucket. Especially when the other main sources of energy are the dirtiest and most polluting on the planet.
The Bottom-Line: 20GW of clean renewable solar energy within the next decade from a country better known for increasingly contributing to climate change.
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