Maybe Not Such a Bright Idea

So this morning I was perusing the latest issue of Pop City, the terrific e-magazine about all things Pittsburgh. This issue focused on going green, a subject near and dear to my heart.

I eagerly opened up the story entitled Pittsburgh Home to First Solar-Powered Trolley Line in the World. What an interesting idea, I thought, a trolley line to run on electricity generated by the sun. But as it turns out, it might not be such a bright idea after all.

At first blush, the idea holds promise: The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has, as part of its attractions, antique trolley cars for visitors to enjoy what the article calls "a scenic, four-mile ride." The Museum estimates that it will save an estimated $5,000 in electricity costs in its first year of operation, in 2010.

I'm all for using alternative energy, especially from sources that don't require digging up or drilling to mine that energy. And while I was a bit skeptical that here in dreary Southwestern Pennsylvania there's actually enough sun to electrify something bigger than a coffee pot, I wanted to learn more.

Then I discovered the catch. The price tag for this "energy-saving system" is a mind-boggling...$271,391. So while it may claim to be energy saving, it certainly is not money-saving, since it will take about 55 years to pay for it. And that's assuming that no additional money, like maintenance and upkeep, will need to be poured into it over those 55 years. And that's also assuming that there is indeed sufficient sunlight to generate said electricity, which you still have to convince me of.

But here's the kicker: guess who is paying for this solar system? You've guessed it: me, you, and every other taxpayer in this fine state, thanks to a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It's from a program called the "Energy Harvest Program" from the Department of Environmental Protection.

So congratulations, DEP, for paying for this latest boondoggle: a solar system that will take over five decades to pay for, to drive nostalgia-seeking septuagenarians and their grandkiddies to ride on a trolley--to nowhere!

In the article, Trolley Museum Executive Director Scott Becker states that he shared the idea with the Port Authority and PAT is considering the idea for its light rail system. Now there's a novel idea: giving the money to someone who actually takes passengers somewhere. Not that the Port Authority could actually be trusted with the money, either (in their hands, the cost would probably balloon to a half mill), but at least if you give them the money, it might actually benefit the public at large.

Mad as I am? What to vent to someone? Well, you can: you can give Kerry Campell over at the DEP a piece of your mind: all of her contact information is here. And you can tell ole Kerry that your buddy Julie sent you.