Watch this CNN news report about a ranch somewhere in Florida that reporter Grant Boxleitner touts as “a future city of 49,000” — as though they had contractual agreements with that many people to show up (and/or procreate to that number) — to be entirely powered by solar energy. You’ll quickly see it’s just more “green” propaganda: a very nice computer mock-up of what the city would look like; Florida Power & Light saying they’ll build a $300-million dollar, 75-megawatt power plant on a 400-acre sod farm to power the city; and FP&L saying the plant will cost customers about 31 cents per month(?!). Boxleitner, reporting from the ranch’s desolate, undeveloped grounds:
“And while the solar energy plant here at Babcock Ranch is certainly a bold step, it’s likely to be the first construction project here on the property. (The owners) say the recession has delayed the project, and it could be at least another year before any work is done on the new city.”
You mean with all the federal stimulus funds, healthy green investment, massive incentives and subsidies for renewables, and the enormous promise of green technology and jobs — you still can’t get this thing built?
There ought to be a law — or at least a journalistic principle — against reporting based on dreams illustrated with SimCity.
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There are two interesting statements in the above:
"It is the developer’s plan to make it run on solar energy even during the night."
"It is also estimated that at least 20,000 permanent jobs will be created."
How do you run on solar energy at night? The author wasn't talking about solar derived energy, energy stored from solar, but "… even during the night".
Kia Motors is building a plant in Georgia that may result in 5500 jobs. A new auto plant is the largest industrial undertaking you will see outside of nat'l defense. States fight tooth and nail over company relos that result in a few hundred jobs.
And this undertaking of a solar power plant is going to create 20,000 jobs? Making what?
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