Steven Chu Wants To Hear From You

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu would like to hear directly from you about what topics you'd like to discuss with us in the coming year. Submit your ideas and comments at Facebook/StevenChu

Category:

News & Politics

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• Energy
• Steven Chu
• Renewable Energy
• Science
• Energy Efficiency

[Lunargolfball]

Pres. Obama said that the reactor loans for Vogtle Station was just the beginning of the loans for developing a new generation of nuclear plants. But it now been almost a year and no more loans have been issued. Are more loan guarantees going to be issued? Did the Gulf spill delay new ones?

[brianmean]

We understand the studies must be completed. That is not the issue. The issue is the length of time that these various agencies have to respond to the application making it nearly impossible to get a system on line in a reasonable amount of time. I would think that there should be a simple process that we undertake with a single agency. Dealing with requirements from city, country, state and fedral agencies is very expensive and at times contradict one another regarding the law.

[brianmean]

As a direct result we are forced to get back in line with another federal agency and start the entire process all over again. This is what kills innovation. My investors are not going to sit on a project and tie up their capital for 10 years when there are easier ways to generate revenue.

[brianmean]

The point that I was making is to draw attention to the bewildering array of agencies that must sign off prior to building. Regarding the environmental studies we passed with flying colors. Each agency has its own set of deadlines with strict limitations regarding processing applications.

[msu105]

@brianmean

Based on the sound of things, collaboration with major companies like those listed, as well as repeatedly being denied a grant, means that some type of environmental impact assessment may not have been completed, or another standard due diligence. Have you received feedback as to why your grant was denied? I would venture that a $1 mil legal bill resulted from something of significance, not something trivial. Maybe some consultation would be valuable.

[brianmean]

You would be amused at the comments made by the DOE rejecting our application. We have some of the biggest names in American business working with us. For example there is Eaton Hydraulics and Cummins Generator. Engineering companies from right here in the United States. We developed a technology that works on inland rivers as well as the near shore oceans. There is little impact to the surrounding environment. I just do not understand how we could be rejected?

[brianmean]

The last company who received just over half a billion dollars in the form of a grant was a solar company in San Jose, CA. They suggested that they might be able to provide power to nearly 25,000 customers with their solar technology. If one does the math, which would cost the US government trillions to advance a sustainable energy policy. Energy for about 3-4 hours per day is not sufficient. This is a clossal waste of money with little results or none.

[brianmean]

We applied for grants on three separate occasions and were turned down each and every time. I suspected that we would not stand a chance of getting a grant. We do not have lobbyist in Washington, DC that will champion our technology. Instead we award a half a billion dollars to a Chinese company to build wind turbines and another half a billion goes to a Spanish company who has an office in Portland, Oregon.

[brianmean]

We will get in line just like everyone else to insure that we have the proper permitting to go forward. We would produce renewable energy for a lower cost than fossil fuels if we were not saddled with mountains of regulations. We cannot develop our ocean based energy or water purification technology simply because no one seems to understand how to license the technology. I am an American that has been forced to travel half way around the world to develop this technology further.