Forget Desert Solar Farms: We Can Get More Than Enough Solar Energy From Cities

There’s plenty of sunshine for solar panels right here where we need it.

Forget Desert Solar Farms: We Can Get More Than Enough Solar Energy From Cities,

Adele Peters, Fast Company, 8 May 2015, Using California’s rooftops, parking lots, and other developed land, the state could power itself up to five times over….

“I questioned whether we have a constraint on land,” says researcher Rebecca Hernandez. “It was striking to me that there seemed to be sort of this mismatch of available places to put solar. I wanted to really understand how much land do we have, how much land is available, all these land dynamics that really were not quantified before, and sort of paint a better picture.”…

By building in and near cities, we could also add new solar power more quickly, Continue reading →

Videos: Doublewide, Commercial, Professional, Residential, Landscape, Stormwater, Suburban, Agriculture, Schools, and Moody @ GLPC 2015-05-26

The Planning Commission said at its 26 May 2015 meeting that it needed at least a month more to review Lowndes County’s proposed changes to the Moody Activity Zoning (MAZ) Districts, which is why the County Commission is pushing back the schedule on that.

Another big item is REZ-2015-11 The Orchard at Stone Creek, yet another subdivision on Old US 41 N, this one due west of Nelson Hill on Val Del.

Here’s the agenda. Below are links to each of the LAKE videos of the agenda items, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Water, septic, sewer, utilties, Lowndes Middle School @ LCC 2015-06-08

What are these complicated Moody Activity Zoning Districts amendments to the land development code that involve many maps and tables that county staff are not showing the public, even though one of the stated reasons is residential dwellings and family ties land divisions?

300x346 2379 Copeland Road, Parcel 0165 012, in Lowndes Middle School, by John S. Quarterman, 8 June 2015 What has Lowndes Middle School done for water and sewer until now, when it’s finally asking to connect to Valdosta utilities because Lowndes County utilities are too far away? Plus two water well and septic rezonings on Mt. Zion Rd and Touchton Rd, and water and sewer for 24 acres of The Orchard at Stone Creek, Tillman Crossing Rd. And Utility Relocation for the Replacement of Franks Creek Bridge on Morven Road.

Many bids, including for Paving on Coppage Road; staff recommends the Scruggs bid.

Here’s the agenda, which this time (unlike last) at least does have the one- or two-page agenda item sheets, but is still lacking the rest of the board packet.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 8,2015, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

USA Freedom Act Passes: What We Celebrate, What We Mourn, and Where We Go From Here | Electronic Frontier Foundation

Susanne Posel, The US Independent, November 18, 2014, Facebook, Google: USA Freedom Act Will Restore Customer Confidence,

The Obama administration “strongly supports” SB 2685, the USA Freedom Act (USFA) championed by Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) and co-sponsored by:
  • Mike Lee
  • Dick Durbin
  • Dean Heller
  • Al Franken
  • Ted Cruz
  • Richard Blumenthal
  • Tom Udal
  • Chris Coons
  • Martin Heinrich
  • Ed Markey
  • Mazie Hirono
  • Amy Klobuchar
  • Sheldon Whitehouse
  • Chuck Schumer

And it did finally pass, after numerous attempts to water down its NSA restrictions still farther.

Now here’s the rub: Continue reading →

Building and billboard locations @ ZBOA 2015-06-02

Today at 2:30 PM, Fairway is back with a new billboard request. Also in the county, a building location variance. Since Laverne Gaskins declined to be reappointed, there’s a new ZBOA member. John Hogan III, who ran for Valdosta City Council in 2015, was appointed to ZBOA by that Council 7 May 2015. Continue reading →

Videos: Billboard and building locations @ ZBOA 2015-05-05

Last month, Unscheduled: Laverne Gaskins announced she did not want to be reappointed to ZBOA. Fairway got to put its billboard back up at the new overpass, but only at 50 feet high. Plus in the county, a building location variance and a Family Ties variance were both approved unanimously. They meet again today at 2:30PM. Continue reading →

Award to Superintendent of Valdosta Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

Some good news about Valdosta wastewater.

City of Valdosta PR, 29 May 2015, Henderson Wins TopOp Award,

Harold Henderson (left) was honored at the May 21 City Council meeting by Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Keith Martin for recently being selected as the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) TopOp for District 7, which represents over 300 wastewater plant operators in the southwest and south-central Georgia region. Henderson, who has worked as an operator at the Mud Creek Plant for over 12 years, was recognized for Continue reading →

Videos: GEFA, road abandonment, bids, and water @ LCC 2015-05-26

The County Manager said it’s “in the hands of the clerk, if you’d like to look at it” for at least two documents, so not only did the agenda on the web lack even the one-sheet agenda item writeups, Commissioners weren’t provided copies of contracts they were being asked to approve. They vote this same evening, and the Planning Commission also meets 5:30 PM Tuesday.

The GEFA Loan Modification turns out to be about Continue reading →

Shareholders demand Southern Company stop supporting climate change denial 2015-05-27

It’s not just us gnats anymore, Southern Company now has yellowflies giving it the business about converting from fossil fuels to renewable energy. That’s smart business, since SO called out solar power in its own 2014 Annual Report for increased revenues in both 2013 and 2014. Tomorrow at Callaway Gardens, stockholders including me will vote.

Dave Williams, Atlanta Business Chronicle, 15 May 2015, Southern shareholders to consider ‘green’ vote, Continue reading →

Remember the troops by enlisting solar power to prevent wars

This Memorial Day let’s honor those who have served and those who have fallen by getting on with removing one of the major causes of war: fossil fuels. The U.S. military is putting its money where its mouth is in buying solar power. Especially now that HB 57 is law and enables solar financing, the rest of us can do the same. And that will prevent casualties and prevent wars.

WTOC Staff, 15 May 2015, Ft. Stewart breaks ground on renewable energy solar project,

There will be nearly 140,000 solar panels covering about 200 acres. Georgia Power owns and operates the solar panels, and all of the energy generated will go to Georgia Power to be equally distributed to people across the region who use Georgia Power, including MidCoast Regional Airport, Fort Stewart, and any other residential customers.

“Let me put a little bit into perspective; so the Army is the largest utility consumer in the United States, we buy more utility services than anyone else, even WalMart,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Richard Kidd said.

Why is the U.S. military doing this? Continue reading →