Reading about the debate over the proposed new gas fired power plant in Marlboro a few questions came to mind.

The opponents say it’s unnecessary as we’ll be replacing it with renewable energy. In their argument I never saw anything saying how many solar panels it will take to replace the 500 megawatts this plant would produce. This is less than half the energy Central Hudson needs on peak days in the summer and winter and Central Hudson is the smallest utility in the state.

Add to this the closing of Indian Point by 2023 I’m wondering how many acres or square miles will be covered by solar, how much open space we’ll lose, how many additional miles of transmission lines will be required to get the power from the solar farms to the urban areas where it’s needed. I’m sure the farms will be in rural areas where there’s room, the same goes for wind farms which also need large areas of open space, these also need a lot of maintenance.

One more thing: the solar panels need to be replaced periodically, what’s required to dispose of the old ones, can they be recycled, are they a landfill hazard. It is certainly easier to decommission a power plant then it is to build one.

If we don’t have the power and need rolling blackouts who do you think is going off line, NYC or Ulster County?