The Sunport’s solar boondoggle

I don’t know about you, but “press release journalism” drives me nuts. Take this story from KOB TV. With much fanfare and enthusiasm, the story details how the Albuquerque Sunport is going to be “saving” us all money by installing even more solar panels and getting rid of electrical power provided by “PNM,” which, for some untold reason keeps raising its rates.

Of course, the kicker is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is picking up 85% of the cost, so the project will hardly cost us locals anything. There is so much wrong with this story.

1) PNM is raising rates in large part to pay for so-called “renewables” like solar in the first place.

2) The problem with federal programs like this one from the FAA is that it lulls people into thinking it is “free” money. Who could be against having the Sunport project paid for by taxpayers around the country? It’s not “our” money! If this project were funded locally, we’d at least have an accounting for the costs and benefits, but not when the FAA is picking up the tab.

3) Oh, and solar is the most expensive way to generate electricity. No one is “saving” money on this deal.