Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

NYSEIA calls for support for solar

The New York Solar Energy Industries Association has called on the state and federal governments in the US to focus future fundings and technical support on solar energy.

More than 100 nuclear plants are located countrywide in the US. Image: Flickr/emdot

The New York Solar Energy Industries Association, NYSEIA for short, believes that in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan, it is all the more pertinent to channel resources and time into solar energy. NYSEIA's executive director Gail Markels stated that while the nuclear crisis is a tragic situation, it is an eye-opener that should lead governments to re-think their position on nuclear energy. NYSEIA also pointed out that the solar sector created at least three times as many jobs compared to nuclear for every Megawatt installed in the US. These statistics are supported by a national study that was undertaken.

NYSEIA's president Ron Kamen added, “While solar may look like it costs more initially, the reality is that nuclear has many hidden costs that only come out when there is a catastrophe. The nuclear industry relies on the US government for liability insurance in the case of a catastrophic failure. They don’t properly account for the cost of storing the radioactive waste for more than 100,000 years. And there is no amount of money that can pay for the loss of human lives where there is a problem.”

The US has more than 100 nuclear plants located in approximately 32 states, including New York. NYSEIA argued that in cities within the country, in congested urban areas, nuclear plants would be difficult to develop whereas solar energy can easily be deployed.