American solar farms • Hacker News Board

Re: American solar farms

#41

Post by ishtanbul » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 12:55 PM UTC

hwillis wrote: post #14

jibal wrote: post #4

This will change under the policies of the current U.S. administration.

Pretty unlikely. Solar is built on cheap land with low demand, and if the land isn't sold then the power is free so why wouldn't you sell it? No matter how high the taxes are, free money is free money. Aside from making it totally illegal it is very hard to reduce the incentive to sell power. On top of that the subsidies for solar installations are mostly frontloaded, since the costs are frontloaded. Annual tax break…

I work in the industry. Removing the tax breaks is having a material impact because we look at after tax cash flow. Next year installations are going to reduce meaningfully.

Re: American solar farms

#42

Post by criley2 » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 12:55 PM UTC

UltraSane wrote: post #15

jibal wrote: post #4

This will change under the policies of the current U.S. administration.

Federal funding for solar farms will stop but private funding will continue because solar electricity is the the cheapest source right now.

It's more than just funding. There's a lot of regulatory hurdles and desire to use federal lands that will also be killed.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/trump-offici...

>The following month, the president said his administration would not approve solar or wind power projects. “We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar,” he posted on Truth Social. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!”

Realisitically, solar is dead in America and China is the undisputed worlds #1 solar superpower. The US might hook up a few little projects here or there, but functionally the US is in full retreat on solar, cedeing the industry and technology to China.

Re: American solar farms

#43

Post by physicles » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 12:56 PM UTC

trimethylpurine wrote: post #30

squigz wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"My experience is that people whose homes have burned down are unhappy that their homes burned down. It is also my experience that this is a fringe opinion" Like what?

Seeing them feels dystopian. I actually don't think that opinion is so fringe. There were lots of environmental protesters when the solar farm near us went up. The valley was rich in low shrubs and wildlife, and even some forest was leveled. A multi billion dollar energy company destroyed it to pick up their share of the free government funding while powering less than 2% of homes. Sure, it's better than a gas refine…

What do you propose instead?

Re: American solar farms

#44

Post by UltraSane » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:02 PM UTC

criley2 wrote: post #42

UltraSane wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Federal funding for solar farms will stop but private funding will continue because solar electricity is the the cheapest source right now.

It's more than just funding. There's a lot of regulatory hurdles and desire to use federal lands that will also be killed. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/trump-offici... >The following month, the president said his administration would not approve solar or wind power projects. “We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar,” he posted on Truth Social. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!…

The federal government doesn't have to approve solar farms built on private land. Solar is far from dead in the US and there is tons of private land solar farms can and will be built on.

Re: American solar farms

#45

Post by dzonga » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:02 PM UTC

the sad thing about this data is how politicized clean energy has become.

the blue states have a lot of energy solar - while the red ones are sparse. the red ones get a lot of sun while the blue ones don't.

Re: American solar farms

#46

Post by rapind » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:03 PM UTC

dzonga wrote: post #45

the sad thing about this data is how politicized clean energy has become. the blue states have a lot of energy solar - while the red ones are sparse. the red ones get a lot of sun while the blue ones don't.

[flagged]

Re: American solar farms

#47

Post by FrustratedMonky » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:05 PM UTC

rapind wrote: post #46

dzonga wrote: post #45

the sad thing about this data is how politicized clean energy has become. the blue states have a lot of energy solar - while the red ones are sparse. the red ones get a lot of sun while the blue ones don't.

[flagged]

What is the argument against it? I've never heard any logical reasons beyond hating the Left.

It's like hating bikers, why? The same people that have pickup trucks and swerve to intimidate bikers, seem to hate solar energy. But why?

Re: American solar farms

#48

Post by joshstrange » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:05 PM UTC

Forgeties79 wrote: post #34

hwillis wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty unlikely. Solar is built on cheap land with low demand, and if the land isn't sold then the power is free so why wouldn't you sell it? No matter how high the taxes are, free money is free money. Aside from making it totally illegal it is very hard to reduce the incentive to sell power. On top of that the subsidies for solar installations are mostly frontloaded, since the costs are frontloaded. Annual tax break…

You are right it makes sense but that hasn’t stopped them from gutting all sorts of sensible programs both energy-related and otherwise regardless of the stage of investment/development. Have we forgotten about Musk and his mob already? This administration is openly touting “beautiful clean coal” (doesn’t exist) for powering servers. Renewables are yet another front where people are divided based on politics. It has…

> I still have family members convinced that offshore wind power is mass-killing whales because of Carlson

And if they are anything like the people I've talked to, they never once cared about whales (or any sea life) before this. Same with the "wind turbines kills birds" or even "trans women are ruining women's sports". Ahh yes, a whole list of things you've never cared about, made fun of, or derided in the past but now suddenly care about because of some talking head. It's exhausting.

Re: American solar farms

#49

Post by FrustratedMonky » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:07 PM UTC

ishtanbul wrote: post #41

hwillis wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty unlikely. Solar is built on cheap land with low demand, and if the land isn't sold then the power is free so why wouldn't you sell it? No matter how high the taxes are, free money is free money. Aside from making it totally illegal it is very hard to reduce the incentive to sell power. On top of that the subsidies for solar installations are mostly frontloaded, since the costs are frontloaded. Annual tax break…

I work in the industry. Removing the tax breaks is having a material impact because we look at after tax cash flow. Next year installations are going to reduce meaningfully.

The articles about Solar cost reaching parity with Fossil. Is that before or after taxes?

Re: American solar farms

#50

Post by chasd00 » Mon, Oct 13, 2025, 1:07 PM UTC

dzonga wrote: post #45

the sad thing about this data is how politicized clean energy has become. the blue states have a lot of energy solar - while the red ones are sparse. the red ones get a lot of sun while the blue ones don't.

Texas is about as red as it gets and leads the nation in renewable energy including solar. Red or blue, if the gov can setup a situation where renewable energy is profitable then nature will take its course.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-tops-us-states...