This blog has long pointed out that renewable energy is prospering in the age of the shale revolution. Wind power has more than doubled and solar has increased about sixteen times since the shale boom took off in 2008. Now, in one of the great stories of the year, the Allegheny Front reports that shale gas funds are enabling farmers to actually install solar panels and are an important source of customers for solar installers.
In one case, at the linked to story, a farmer has constructed a 38.4 kilowatt system. Pretty big!
http://www.alleghenyfront.org/story/shale-solar-farmers-use-gas-money-build-solar-arrays. Joe Morinville, who owns a solar company (http://www.eissolar.com/) in the Pittsburgh area, says that about 25% of his customers are farmers and that 70% to 80% of them say that shale gas money enabled them to install solar systems.
Some Pennsylvania farmers who love the land and want to keep farming are turning right now shale money into a real bridge to solar. Congratulations to them and the solar entrepreneurs that have new customers!
More of these types of positive stories from PA should be hitting main stream media.
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