How America Is Seeing A Resurgence In Large Scale Solar Production
The future is always an exciting prospect. On a macro scale, human and technological advancements can see a net positive result of progress, knowledge, and humanitarian enlightenment across not just one country, but the entire globe.
But when it comes to energy production, it’s easy for the debate between clean and fossil-fuel energy to seem much more grim. That’s because renewables are trying to solve a problem, and fossil fuel profits are trying to perpetuate it.
Nevertheless, there’s reason to look on the bright side. Solar energy may have seemed like a fever dream in the 90s, but today, over 100 cities are almost entirely powered by solar energy. That’s significant progress, and the good news doesn’t stop there. Solar energy capacity has increased by 60% in the past 5 years, and the US and China account for two-thirds of global growth in solar power.
As one of the two biggest leaders in the race to adopt cheaper/cleaner renewable energy, the US government is, despite words to the contrary, seeking to get a step ahead China with the recently approved 3,000-ache solar farm in Palm Springs, California. The new solar farm will produce 450 MW of energy – enough to power 117,000 homes.
America used to have the largest solar farm in the world, which produces enough energy to power 250,000 homes, but large solar farm construction has given way to residential solar growth as other countries began to outpace America’s large-scale solar development.
Currently, America’s largest solar farms only rank 9th and the 10th largest in the world, but large solar farms are experiencing a resurgence. Thanks to community solar programs, large solar farms are being used to power entire communities at discounted prices that can’t afford individual panels on each of their homes. And large solar farms aren’t reserved only for the sunniest states – a project in Iowa recently began development of three large solar farms that will account for 750 megawatts for the state alone.
With the resurgence of large-scale solar development in America, we can look to the future for the potential for success while simultaneously recognizing the status-quo’s penchant for failure.
But no matter if you the glass half full or half empty, there’s no mistaking that the future of solar energy is bright.
Article Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/energy/reference/fossil-fuels/
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-approves-first-solar-mega-121904204.html
https://time.com/5128572/donald-trump-clean-energy-research/
https://www.seia.org/solar-industry-research-data
https://www.seia.org/initiatives/community-solar
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