Nature vs Nurture (Part 7) – Carbon tax re-investment dollars.
Up in smoke.
Is the Solar Power Project in Moree, New South Wales an example of ill-counselled grand statements for publicity sake?
Most of the Australian continent receives in excess of 4 kWh per square metre per day of insolation during the winter months with a region in the north exceeding 6 kWh per day. Our average greatly exceeds those in Europe, Russia and most of North America. Yet, Germany has the highest photovoltaic capacity per capita at 10W/person/capita with Australia producing 2.6 W/person/capita.
On the cusp of plunging into a substantial commitment to solar electricity infrastructure in order to quell our impending sense of doom, we strive through the endless spending of feasibility and projection dollars to find a cheaper way to alleviate a problem which has no cheap or easy solution.
Whilst the financial cost will inevitably initially be high for any of the solar technologies, I do wish for an explanation as to why the Australian Government would choose to spend $923 million dollars raised through the carbon tax scheme on a PV solar plant in Moree which will not offer 24 hour generation of electricity when better technology is available.
Whether financially tentative or ‘ill-counselled once-lawyers’ in scientific posture, our government still appears to be grasping at the ‘quick fixes’ and ‘grand statements’ which lead to another elected term.