Suniva company of Atlanta GA, just announced 20% efficiency in its labs for PV cells. The first solar cells were outputting at 3% efficiency. So North Carolina has Sencera in Charlotte, Georgia has Suniva in Atlanta and South Carolina has...oh wait solar doesn't work in South Carolina.
This is what Sen. Paul Campbell of Berkeley County SC was quoted as saying two weeks ago! GA has a clean power program that buys at 18.31c a kwh, NC has a state wide program that buys at 15c a kwh and South carolina has..you guessed it no state wide programs, we have the 13th best sun in the nation, its why we live here, but we aren't going to invest in mining our most abundant resource?!.
While hi-tech jobs are being created around us and around the nation South Carolina is sitting on the sidelines. I am thoroughly for oil, natural gas, safe nuclear etc. Just don't exclude the single fastest growing energy segment in the world. I love this State, my kids are native and so is my wife, the rolling hills of the midlands and upstate remind me of England, and Charleston is one of the most picturesque cities in the nation. Columbia has great weather, 310 days of sunshine (senator Campbell) and great people.
I recently did a talk at the IEEE chapter at USC electrical engineering dept. These are some bright, bright kids. Of the ones that expressed interest in solar research and devlopment guess how many are staying in state after graduation...you guessed it, 0, nada, none. That is a depletion of the most important resource we have.
NC state tax credit for solar $2.5million, GA tax credit for solar $500,000 per install, SC tax credit for solar $35,000 over ten years. Call your representative or senator, tell them to bring renewable energy jobs to South Carolina now, we can't all work for Boeing.. yet. (please see earlier post)
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