Readers Talk Back: Solar Carports

This week on Deer Park –North Babylon Patch, readers expressed their opinions on various topics impacting the lives of local residents including efforts to increase alternative energy resources in town.

On Wednesday, Patch reported on the solar carport installations taking place at the Long Island Rail Road station in Deer Park. 

The solar carport project, which is spread across seven Suffolk County parking lots, including Deer Park, is among the largest installations in the nation. More than 60,000 solar modules are to be installed, providing up to 17 megawatts of solar power - enough to power 1,850 homes, LIPA says.

The project is known as the enXco Eastern Long Island Solar Project (enXco Solar Project or ESP), and is funded through federal Recovery Act dollars. The county will receive between $8.5 and $9 million in revenue for the carport leases. The project has also helped to create between 150 and 200 construction jobs, according to Green Business News.

While the project will reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 14,300 tons - the equivalent of removing approximately 2,447 cars from Long Island’s roads and highways, comments from readers were mostly negative.

"And this lowers my Electric Bill How? NOT!" commented John Azzara.

Melissa Ruiz questioned, "Who does it benefit? Are our bills here in Deer Park going to be less? yeah right!"

Robert offered a differening opinion on the issue.

"Guys if you don’t see the changing world, then open your eyes! Solar and other renewable energy sources benefit all of us, not just environmentally, but ultimately limits LIPA’s huge capital spending on power plant construction and infrastructure upgrades, (Schoreham nuke plant, which we’re all still paying for) that’s how it’s saving you money. Remember the internet in the early 90’s, no one knew how it would change the world."

He went on to quote John F. Kennedy saying, “It’s not what your country can do for you, it’s what can you do for your country. A hybrid or electric car is everyone’s future and you will save big money on gas by going solar on your own house. Open the mind, It’s called a guaranteed investment. Or we can just keep sending billion’s per year to countries that hate us but love our money."