Thanks, Mike, for this insightful history of solar energy policy, and thanks, Debbie, for posting it. I encourage everyone to read it.
I would like to emphasize that in the 1970s and 1980s, solar energy meant largely active and passive solar heating of buildings and hot water. Photovoltaics were something that NASA used in space, but were too expensive for the average homeowner. Some of the first concentrating solar power (CSP) systems were being tested. Commercial wind turbines were all but nonexistent.
With regard to solar energy, there are two components to think about with regard to history repeating itself:
- Renewable electric power - There was little, if any, commercial market in the 1980s, so Reagan technically didn't kill it, but he did delay progress toward commercial systems. Luckily, slower progress has still resulted in a strong wind and PV industry today. CSP, which can inherently incorporate thermal energy storage and could help solve our utility-level storage problem, still languishes.
- Solar thermal energy for buildings - Passive solar heating of buildings and water heating were very popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and Reagan really did kill them. Research and policy priorities have never recovered. This area is important, because it could significantly reduce the size and cost of an eventual all-renewable grid, while enhancing resilience and energy equity and reducing carbon emissions.
To limit whatever damage occurs during the new administration, and to recover from it afterwards, we should consider both components.
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M Keith Sharp
Emeritus Professor
Louisville KY
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