Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’By: MIREYA NAVARRO
Summary:
In Oradell, New Jersey, PSE&G installed over 200,000 solar panels on the top of telephone poles just like in the picture above. It cost over $515 million. Oradell chose to install the panels because the state mandated that by 2021, 23 percent of New Jersey's electricity had to come from renewable resources. The only problem was, PSE&G never gave the citizens a choice or even told them they were installing the panels. This made a lot of residents extremely upset. Many residents felt that the panels were ugly and were devaluing their house.
Reflection:
I agree with what PSE&G was trying to do, but not how they went about it. It is a good idea to use renewable energy and solor energy is a good way to achieve this goal. It is cleaner for the environment and the solar panels do not take up very much space. I disagree with PSE&G because they should have informed the citizens before they installed the solar panels. I can relate to this because when I was in a soccer tournament in New Jersey, I saw the panels and I thought they looked wierd. At first I was not even sure what they were. Now I know that they are solar panels and towns are using them to comply with the renewable energy mandate. they are. I would have never expected full towns to be run on only solar power.
Questions:
1. Where did all the money come from to install the solar panels?
2. Why don't more states follow New Jerseys lead?
3. How long will it take for PSE&G to pay this off?
4. How much energy do the solar panels produce?
I agree with Brian in that this is a good idea, yet they should've informed the citizens. The PSE&G did a great thing of activating 200,000 solar panels and advancing our use of renewable energy, but it did cost over $500 million dollars. That's a lot of NJ tax money gone from the citizens, so they should have the right to at least know where a lot of their money is going. Despite this, I think its great that one of our states are taking the liberty to change their dependency on fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a few weeks ago, where I was in New Jersey and I saw a few solar panels on street lights in the highways. However, I think that more solar panels should be on the highway because no one cares about seeing solar panels for only a second on the highway, plus it will take away sunlight in a place where people don't really need excess sunlight.
Questions:
1. Will the investment on solar panels eventually be profitable?
2.Why don't states like Arizona and Nevada, with a lot of sunlight, use solar power as much as New Jersey?
3. Is this a smart decision, considering the amount of rain that occurs in New Jersey?
I think that this is a very good idea. PSE&G was smart to use a renewable resource like solar power to power their buildings. I also think that New Jersey made a smart move by setting a deadline to have 21% of their power from renewable resources. this will help the United States break its dependance on fossil fuels. I do think, however, that the compony should have informed the citizens where their tax money was going.
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1. How much of NJ has converted to renewable energy so far?
2. Is solar power in other countries?
3. Why are solar panels so expensive?
I agree with Maria the town should've "cheecked" how the reisdents felt about this before jsut passing the law. I think that it is a really good idea though to have 23% of their power come from alternative energy sourcres. And more so why do the people seem so upset it seems like such a petty thing to complain about.
ReplyDeletequestions:
1)Why don't more midwestern tates consider solar power?
2) Whaat made the NJ government decide on solar power ( did they look at other options for alterniave energy?)
3)How much money on fossil fuels will this save NJ?
It’s great that they are trying to install solar panels throughout the New Jersey. The residents should not be angry because they are finding alternative energy sources and reducing our exertion of pollution. PSE&G did the right thing by installing solar panels; if the residents were angry then they should think about what other types of renewable energy’s how some can look far more depressing. I have seen these panels on telephone poles before, they have a lot in my aunts town and she lives about 20 minutes into Jersey from Philadelphia. They are actually really neat. Other states have panels on poles or wires along the highway because sometimes when I am on a really long car ride I count them. My three of my neighbors have solar panels on the roofs of their houses; personally I think it looks cool rather than an eye sore. These panels that some people think look ugly could very well be the future source of how American gets most of our electricity and energy if we continue to deplete our fossil fuel so quickly.
ReplyDeleteFour more questions:
1.Who is paying for these solar panels?
2.Why did PSE&G only do this in New Jersey and not other, sunnier states?
3.How much energy/money will this save New Jersey annually?
4.If every state did this how much of our fossil fuels could we replace with this source of energy?
5.Does this fulfill the amount that New Jersey had to fulfill by 2021?