Solar panel factory coming to Jackson (2013, taxes, military)

[golden eagles fan]

Good news for Jackson, as a $50 million solar panel facility will locate in Jackson on Lawson St. About 250 jobs will be created over the next five years.

Solar panel factory coming to Jackson | Local News - Home

[Neshomamench]

I have not looked into this company, but solar companies are not very stable. I am sure this one, like most of the rest, is relying on some form of government subsidies to actually turn a profit. Solar technology is simply not profitable in most applications.

I certainly wish them the best and in the short term, if it happens, it will be good for Jackson. The long term, history says otherwise.

[sammyreynolds1977]

Originally Posted by Neshomamench

I have not looked into this company, but solar companies are not very stable. I am sure this one, like most of the rest, is relying on some form of government subsidies to actually turn a profit. Solar technology is simply not profitable in most applications.

I certainly wish them the best and in the short term, if it happens, it will be good for Jackson. The long term, history says otherwise.

Not here in the south but out west there do very well. Seraphim is a China based company.

[madison2013]

Originally Posted by sammyreynolds1977

Not here in the south but out west there do very well. Seraphim is a China based company.

Like was said earlier most solar companies are sucking on the governments teet and usually go belly up within 2 years and taking any city or state financial assistance with them.

[Phil75230]

+10^10 EXCELLENT news!

Even if it is a China-based company -- Austin got its start during the 70s by serving as a customer service and support location for computer technology firms (no need to ask their tech-industry pecking order rank by the 90s)

Even if they are "sucking on the government's teat" -- most corporations and banks effectively do the same (through tax breaks paid for by higher taxes on the middle and even upper middle class).

Also, it's a way to combat global warming* -- or, if you prefer, achieve energy independence for America ("harvesting" sunlight hitting America seems more truly independent than importing Middle Eastern oil).

If you're looking one full century down the road (yes, as in 2115) - what about Mars or Moon colonies, or asteroid mining? No O2 in those areas, and hence hydrocarbons are useless, so humans or robots mining those places need non-fossil-fuel power (it's said that one medium sized asteroid has more gold, platinum, iron, etc. than has been mined on earth in the entire human history of our planet). GREAT example of how advances in one field spin off into success in others. Computers of the 1940s are the distant ultimate enabler of your favorite YouTube videos...not to mention city-data itself.

Excuse the tangent, but I brought this up to provoke the question in your minds "How could Mississippi get its fair share of the solar energy pie?"

[madison2013]

Originally Posted by Phil75230

+10^10 EXCELLENT news!

Even if it is a China-based company -- Austin got its start during the 70s by serving as a customer service and support location for computer technology firms (no need to ask their tech-industry pecking order rank by the 90s)

Even if they are "sucking on the government's teat" -- most corporations and banks effectively do the same (through tax breaks paid for by higher taxes on the middle and even upper middle class).

Also, it's a way to combat global warming* -- or, if you prefer, achieve energy independence for America ("harvesting" sunlight hitting America seems more truly independent than importing Middle Eastern oil).

If you're looking one full century down the road (yes, as in 2115) - what about Mars or Moon colonies, or asteroid mining? No O2 in those areas, and hence hydrocarbons are useless, so humans or robots mining those places need non-fossil-fuel power (it's said that one medium sized asteroid has more gold, platinum, iron, etc. than has been mined on earth in the entire human history of our planet). GREAT example of how advances in one field spin off into success in others. Computers of the 1940s are the distant ultimate enabler of your favorite YouTube videos...not to mention city-data itself.

Excuse the tangent, but I brought this up to provoke the question in your minds "How could Mississippi get its fair share of the solar energy pie?"

I see you conveniently ignored all the solar companies who received government grant money and went belly up.

[golden eagles fan]

Only time will tell how this facility will turn out. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the fact that up to 250 jobs over the next five years are coming to Jackson and help raise our economy.

[Neshomamench]

Originally Posted by Phil75230

+10^10 EXCELLENT news!

Even if it is a China-based company -- Austin got its start during the 70s by serving as a customer service and support location for computer technology firms (no need to ask their tech-industry pecking order rank by the 90s)

Even if they are "sucking on the government's teat" -- most corporations and banks effectively do the same (through tax breaks paid for by higher taxes on the middle and even upper middle class).

Also, it's a way to combat global warming* -- or, if you prefer, achieve energy independence for America ("harvesting" sunlight hitting America seems more truly independent than importing Middle Eastern oil).

If you're looking one full century down the road (yes, as in 2115) - what about Mars or Moon colonies, or asteroid mining? No O2 in those areas, and hence hydrocarbons are useless, so humans or robots mining those places need non-fossil-fuel power (it's said that one medium sized asteroid has more gold, platinum, iron, etc. than has been mined on earth in the entire human history of our planet). GREAT example of how advances in one field spin off into success in others. Computers of the 1940s are the distant ultimate enabler of your favorite YouTube videos...not to mention city-data itself.

Excuse the tangent, but I brought this up to provoke the question in your minds "How could Mississippi get its fair share of the solar energy pie?"

As was pointed out, if, like so many do, if it goes out of business.....


Second, We must continue to develop alternative energy, I am not arguing that, but as it stands right now, solar technology is a net negative, in most cases, to more efficient methods of power productions. You dont just "poof" a solar panel into existence. You have to make it and that takes energy. Most people also dont really understand how little power solar is actually capable of producing. For example, a single gallon of gas has the energy equivalent to keep an Iphone running for a decade or more. It would take more than a gallon of gas' energy to produce a solar panel that could do the same.

[Neshomamench]

Originally Posted by golden eagles fan

Only time will tell how this facility will turn out. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the fact that up to 250 jobs over the next five years are coming to Jackson and help raise our economy.

While I will go as far as "it is a step in the right direction," as it stands right now, it is vaporware for an industry that is wilting.

While I wouldnt place a bet, it is unlikely to happen and if it does I doubt they will have 250 long term employees.

I hope it does happen and works out well.

[Phil75230]

Originally Posted by madison2013

I see you conveniently ignored all the solar companies who received government grant money and went belly up.

And "next-generation" fighter jets with serious design flaws is supposed to be a better use of our tax dollars when we already spend more $ on the military than the next 25 largest national military budgets combined? Or it's OK to conveniently ignore the lack of reforms among the large financial institutions that our tax dollars bailed out?

Or, isn't it easier to simply accept the inevitable short term losses in return for a huge long-term gain. We can disagree as whether companies or laboratory research should get the funding, or the right balance thereof. The free market only engages in or funds research that promises a quick return on money. We'd have never launched rockets (and hence had no telecommunication or weather sattelites, to name just two) were it not for government investments.

Or, more down to earth, rural electrification - a government funded program. The free market would have never had incentive to invest in it because of the huge number of miles of wires, electric poles, and other infrastructure for a relatively few number of people. In short, too many $ invested for too few people's benefit.

Same with solar power. Great initial outlay for a very promising technology that isn't yet highly profitable.