Stabenow And Camp Are Giving Tax Breaks To Create A Make Work Project For EPA Regulators

This is what you get when the government gets involved in the economy. Debbie Stabenow and Dave Camp are pushing for solar panel manufacturing:

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and U.S. Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) today announced the Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act. The bi-partisan legislation will provide a tax credit to support solar manufacturing here at home. These tax incentives will encourage more U.S. companies to produce solar equipment, creating jobs and investing in the clean energy economy.

Never mind the fact that the only practical solar powered device is a calculator, they are pushing for more solar panels.

“Michigan companies continue to lead the way in solar manufacturing, creating good-paying jobs and laying the foundation for 21 st century manufacturing,” said Stabenow. “As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I co-authored the first-ever tax credit for manufacturers of advanced technologies in the recovery act. This bill will provide additional tax credits for solar equipment manufacturers that will help us win the global race against China and other countries to produce solar technology in the clean energy economy.”

“Michigan is fast becoming a leader in solar manufacturing, and this will further help this industry grow and create much needed jobs,” Camp said. “This solar credit will not only help create jobs but help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. As the author of the tax credit for the purchase of electric plug-in vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles, I have long championed incentives for the manufacture and use of alternative fuels.”

I wonder if Mrs. Stabenow and Mr. Camp checked with the EPA? Not only are solar panels one of the most expensive ways to generate a KW of power, they are extremely toxic to manufacture. Furthermore, they are also very difficult to dispose of (due to their toxicity) at the end of their typical 25 year life span. Via cleantechnia.com (emphasis added):

The SVTC warns that solar panel production creates many of the same toxic byproducts as those found in semiconductor production, including silicon tetrachloride, dusts, and greenhouse gases like sulfur hexafluoride. These byproducts aren’t anything to scoff at— silicon tetrachloride, for example, makes land unsuitable for growing crops. And for each ton of polysilicon produced, four tons of silicon tetrachloride are generated.

There are steps that the solar industry can take to minimize toxic risks, however. The SVTC recommends that manufacturers test materials for toxicity before using them. Additionally, the group asks manufacturers to ramp up takeback programs.

But getting solar panel manufacturers to take back their products after 25 years (the average lifespan of silicon-based panels) could prove difficult, especially since other electronics manufacturers that make products with much shorter lifespans can’t get their takeback programs off the ground.

This will be a case of the government giveth and then taketh away through intense regulation.

“Environmentally Friendly” Solar Panel Manufacturing

Via the WaPo:

But the Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology Co., here in the central plains of Henan Province near the Yellow River, stands out for one reason: It’s a green energy company, producing polysilicon destined for solar energy panels sold around the world. But the byproduct of polysilicon production — silicon tetrachloride — is a highly toxic substance that poses environmental hazards.

“The land where you dump or bury it will be infertile. No grass or trees will grow in the place. . . . It is like dynamite — it is poisonous, it is polluting. Human beings can never touch it,” said Ren Bingyan, a professor at the School of Material Sciences at Hebei Industrial University.