Steck: On-site energy production would be beneficial

I don’t understand why both the state of Delaware and the federal government don’t mandate that all future commercial and industrial buildings be required to provide their own energy with either solar panels, wind devices, geothermal systems or some combination. Why isn’t Delaware and the federal government mandating that rooftops have solar panels all over them or little wind turbines on them and geothermal systems? Even if they can’t generate all their own electricity, surely it would be a considerable amount!

Though on-site residential energy production isn’t mandated, there is a great example of how it voluntarily works in Sussex County! Look at all the houses in Sussex County that have solar panels, how much energy is produced, how much money consumers save and how much electricity providers don’t have to generate. So, why doesn’t the state of Delaware require gas stations, Wawas, hospitals and other medical buildings, and all commercial and industrial buildings do what homeowners are doing voluntarily?

Think of how many recent massive distribution centers, medical and retail buildings, etc., have been built in Delaware over the last 10 years and how little square footage of the rooftops have solar panels! There’s no reason they should not be contributing to their own energy needs with on-site production. They would also save money!

The benefits would be enormous and immediate. Demand for new energy and new, massive energy sources would go down, if not outright disappear. Farmland now being targeted for solar “farms” could remain real farms, producing food. We wouldn’t be fighting each other and government officials about whether and where to build offshore wind farms and oil rigs. The fight about new transmission lines would end. New jobs would be created to produce solar panels and related small-scale energy technology, and to install the equipment; young people and others could get training quickly to meet the need to build, install and service the technology without going into massive debt for an education that might disappear because of artificial intelligence. Environmentally, how many whales, fish, birds and other animals would be saved and land and forests not be disturbed or destroyed by not building energy-generating complexes?

No doubt that Big Energy will say this isn’t feasible, practical or affordable. But it is. They just don’t want to see their businesses — and profits — decline.

And governments can redirect subsidies, tax forgiveness and other big project funding into tax credits for on-site energy installation.

We need to rethink how power is generated and distributed — do it where it’s needed! That should be the guiding principle — and the new catchphrase!

Delaware could lead the country in rethinking power generation and distribution! As Delaware is considering and fighting over offshore energy and powerlines, it’s not too late to rethink and pass laws mandating on-site energy generation. Do it where it’s needed!

Keith Steck

Milton

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.