In July 2011, I wrote this short blurb about the solar project in Yosemite…

Just your average government project.

2800 Solar panels
Producing 12% of Yosemite’s electricity
Saving $50,000.00 per year
Cost $5.8 million in stimulus
And you wonder why the federal government is out of money and needs more debt! It will only take 116 years to recover the expense in savings. What is the life of a solar panel?
Could this kind of genius calculation explain the debt crisis?
What is the best, is our government, issue the EPA, are promoting this project on the local news!

And now today in the local paper is an article called, “Jail gets greener through own grid…” by Robert Jordan.
So the salient parts of this article are these…
The solar “grid” cost $11.7 million to build.  The funding came from a Department of Energy grant of $6.9 million, $2 million from the California Energy Commission, and $2.5 million in political extortion, oops I mean a grant from PG&E.
And, do you know what this phenomenal project will deliver in annual savings? At least $100,000 per year is the way they put it.  Now $11.7 million, divided by $100,000 equals — I better get out my calculator because this is obviously higher math — Oh yeah… it will take 117 years for the payback for this expense…
It is amazing how much you can spend for the good of the world when it is not your money!
Does anyone need to say any more about this foolishness?