$467 Million in Stimulus Money Released for Solar Power & Geothermal
photo: David Blaikie via flickr.
Solar power and geothermal power have finally gotten their portion of money allocated in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, to the tune of $467 million. President Obama announced this by touting the usual rhetoric of decreasing dependency on foreign oil and putting people back to work in through green energy jobs. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu too talked up green jobs, plus the role renewable energy can play in combatting climate change Frankly, absolutely nothing new or novel was said, but it is great that solar and geothermal have finally been shown some federal stimulus love. This is how all that money is being divided up:Geothermal to Get Most of the FundingAll told geothermal is getting $350 million: $140 million is going toward Geothermal Demonstration Projects; $80 million towards Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technology Research and Development; $100 million towards Innovative Exploration Techniques; $30 million towards a National Geothermal Data System, Resource Assessment, and Classification System.
Solar Power Gets One-Third of GeothermalSolar power has been allocated $117.6 million: $51.5 million for Photovoltaic Technology Development; $40.5 for Solar Energy Deployment ("Projects in this area will focus on non-technical barriers to solar energy deployment, including grid connection, market barriers to solar energy adoption in cities, and the shortage of trained solar energy installers."); Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development brings up the rear with $25.6 million.
More: Department of EnergySolar PowerPhoenix Area Concentrating Solar Power Plant "On Line" in 20111.3 Gigawatts of Solar Thermal Power in California to be Developed by PG&E; and BrightSource Geothermal PowerEnhanced Geothermal Systems Research Awarded $43.1 Million by US Department of EnergyGoogle Gets Behind Geothermal, Invests Over $10 Million in Research $84 Million Investment in Geothermal Power Announced by Department of Energy
