Page 8 RAIN January 1980 The Sun Betrayed: A Report on the Corporate Seizure of U.S. Solar Energy Development, by Ray Reece, 1979, 234 pp., $5.50 from: South End Press Box 68, Astor Station Boston, MA 02123 If the appropriate technology movement is to come cl;ser to realiz- . ing its full potential in the 1980s, then a lot of us are going to have to read this book. If you've been wondering why solar is still being treated as an exotic and expensive energy source that won't be "viable" until the year 2050, why federal R&D money goes to Exxon and ARCO and Westinghouse rather than small entrepreneurs and solar inventors, or why the U.S. government hasn't • made solar energy development a top priority, then let Ray Reece explain it to you. His book is a lucid, well-researched, extensive'ly documented account of the corporate attempt to control the sun. Solar energy development in this country mus{ be underst~od in the context of U.S. energy_poJicy, as outlined in the "National Energy Plan" announced by Carter and passed by Congress in late 1978. "The solar function will be shaped," writes Re.ece, "so as not to inhibit a projected growth in elecrical power generation from 14 percent of the nation's total energy supply-the current figure-to as much as 60 percent by the year 2000." As Barry Commoner described it, the plan "represents the biggest intensification of control over the economy of the U.S. by big corporations that we have seen in our lifetime." . The fo'ilowing paragraphs are from The Sun Betrayed: • -crucial plank in the corporate en€rgy platfmm; while we don't mind importing a certain amount of OPEC oil-the "world market" price of which will enable us to inflate the price of our own . oil-we don't want to be so dependent on it that we couldn't fight a· war without it. Nor do we want to import so much that it wrecks our balance of payments. We are advised, therefore, to level off our long-term demand for petroleum-while not of course hindering economic growth requiring more fuel-by installing a massive grid of coal and nuclear generating plants. tovoltaic cells, ocean thermal generating plants, and giant expensive. windmills. Third:· minimize corporate risk in the evolution both of solar technologies and mark~t opportunities, which suggests a program-of heavy government subsidies and a willingness to let small companies assume as many of the early market hazards as possible. Fourth: mesh the burgeoning solar market into the larger corporate market by absorbing small successful firms (or their ideas), emphasizing mass production, and ph1cing distribution under the control -ere, briefly stated, are the major principles in the corporategovernment approach to solar energy. While it is doubtful that they existed in laundry-list form at the outset, they nonetheless emerge <!,gain and again throughout the process of developing a solar program: First: control the pace at which solar power becomes a viable force in the energy market, allowing time to maximize profits from fossil fuels and to consolidate the expanded electrical grid based on coal and nuclear power. Second: emphasize those applications of solar energy which are most compatible with the present system of capital-intensive, centralized power facilities, meaning primarily an emphasis on solar-electric concepts such as the power-tower, phoOwner-Builder eont. sive to real needs in the situations they are confronting, so they act as a service profession when that is appropriate, and not always as an enforcement organization. Maybe we need to pray foz: the perfect enlightenment of all building inspectors. And everyone else too. • Contacts Elaine would like to hear from other people who are_interested in building code reform, especially from Oregonians who would like to work on passing a local owner-builder ordinance in their county, also what your experience with building inspectors and'the codes has been. Write her at: OWNER-BUILDER 9335 Takilma Rd. Cave Junction, OR 97523 of utility companies. Fifth: deter the public from identifying solar energy as a possible means of altering the present economic and geopolitical structure of the United States (small is not beautiful). A sixth principle, by which the other five are made possible, is one which governs the more general corporate energy strategy as well: .centralize control over U.S. energy decisions in a single, easy-toreach place, e.g. a cabinet-level·department. Out-of-staters can send her a self-addressed stamped envelope for copies of the bills. This work has been done on the proverbial shoestring. We've prob- . ably spent $200 on drafting and lobbying for SB 921-almost all of that was for gas to go to meetings and hearings. If anyone can afford to make a donation to this project, or can suggest possible sources of money, please write me. Mailing List: I'm putting together a·maili~g list of people who are interested in further developments. Send your name and address and a small donation to cover costs. Copies of the Bills: Oregonians can get copies of these bills by calling 1-800-452-0290. Ask for SB 889 A-Engrossed and SB 921 A-Engrossed. The bill creating a Building Code Board, which didn't pass, is SB 888-if you're interested in that, ask them to send you all the different versions.
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