"Double A" America: Looking a Gift Solar Project in the Mouth, Part 2

My Don Quixote-sque performance at the Edina City Council earlier this month (see part 1) did not go unobserved.  The Edina Sun Current newspaper picked up the story and did a good job paraphrasing my argument against the City's "free" solar power project,

Quoting one enlightened citizen,

"Bill Glahn, a member of the [City's] Energy and Environment Commission's energy working group, however, said he had concerns about the real value of the project.

While there is no cost to the city, the grant - part of a federal program - is footed by all taxpayers, and the rebates provided by Xcel Energy are also likely passed on to customers in utility bills.  He said the $200,000 project would not pay for itself over the life of the equipment.

'It comes out as a net positive for the city.  Unfortunately, there's nobody in this whole process to look at the entire project from society's standpoint,' he said."

You see, in Edina, we don't believe there is a free lunch, but we are convinced there is free dessert.