Quote:
Originally Posted by milomilo
After 5 years, Medicine Hat powers down $12M solar thermal power plant
This is a perfect example of why a carbon tax needs to be the backbone of our climate policy. This project was producing cheap energy (though apparently did go over budget) but now has to shut down because of how cheap natural gas is in Canada. Unless we ensure that burning fossil fuels has a predictable price penalty, then private investors will never be able to invest in clean projects. We will have to use ad hoc government subsidies and initiatives which are guaranteed to cost more than the guy burning gas.
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Just listened to an interview with the City of Medicine Hat official in charge of the project. It was always considered an experiment to evaluate viability of concentrated solar at high latitudes. The conclusion is that the technology only works for a few months in the summer, even in one of Canada's sunniest locations. The analysis states that gas would need to be $22 per GJ for concentrated solar to be considered an alternative. That would require a 1,000% carbon tax