Post by elalacran on Jan 4, 2013 23:46:06 GMT -5
Probably a good thing, certainly for West Texas and the Plains.
There was criticism from those who say that government should stay out of business and let private enterprises sink or swim on their own. These happen to be the same people who oppose alternate energy and dispute the existence of global warming.
When you think about it, government has always been involved in the development of new technology. Railroads were built west on government incentives from cash awards and the grant of massive acreages of land. Government mail contracts subsidized early aviation, and throughout its history government has provided programs at taxpayer expense for air carriers. Military technology has been totally reliant on government contracts and subsidies, and so was the space program.
Not to mention grazing and mineral devevelopment on BLM land. Or the farm program.
Government and private industry have been in bed in thousands of ways.
The theoretical argument that wind energy should be either self-supporting from its inception or extinct is specious.
There was criticism from those who say that government should stay out of business and let private enterprises sink or swim on their own. These happen to be the same people who oppose alternate energy and dispute the existence of global warming.
When you think about it, government has always been involved in the development of new technology. Railroads were built west on government incentives from cash awards and the grant of massive acreages of land. Government mail contracts subsidized early aviation, and throughout its history government has provided programs at taxpayer expense for air carriers. Military technology has been totally reliant on government contracts and subsidies, and so was the space program.
Not to mention grazing and mineral devevelopment on BLM land. Or the farm program.
Government and private industry have been in bed in thousands of ways.
The theoretical argument that wind energy should be either self-supporting from its inception or extinct is specious.