Six Flags Great Adventure reduces solar project from 90 to 66 acres

Now less trees will be cut down.

That's wonderful news. Now they'll have even more room for the new hotel that they don't need.

**Ducks and runs for cover**

If they are bending to the pressure, I say lame.

Thabto said:

Now less trees will be cut down.

Now fewer trees will be cut down.

The Lorax got to them...

He does speak for the trees.

Won't someone think of the saplings!

Maybe they need to room for their new 24 acre Star Trek Land...

Yikes! It was bad enough seeing Romulans rambling 'round Rivertown at Kings Island, back in the day.

I read somewhere that they will build the remaining solar panels onto existing rides inside the park. The project will begin in March of next year, and all the rides will be closed during construction. When everything finally does open, five months later, the rides will only be able to operate at half the capacity because the State of NJ have some kind of law prohibiting the use of solar panels and rides at the same time if they are connected to each other.

I forget where I read that. ;)

Still say they should have built it over the parking lot. That is being done more and more in CA.

Solar shade panels are at the Cincinnati Zoo. It's a great idea. Give shade for cars so they aren't boiling when you return, and get some energy back in return.

Does anyone realize that having to build something over something else adds cost?

According to the article, they will build solar panels over the Employee Lot. So this looks to go back to what I said earlier about it being feasible in some small, controlled areas, but just not in the giant, anarchistic swath of concrete where the general public parks. That would be nothing but disastrous. Cars would hit the poles daily, leading to structural damage to the solar panel arrays, possible collapses, as well as the potential for lawsuits. With all of the supports, traffic in out and around the lots would move many times slower. Vandalism, littering, people climbing the structures... Heck, people just being all around idiots. Not good.

The employee would probably be the easiest and lowest risk option. Comparatively speaking, the employee lot at Great Adventure looks to be a bit larger than the parking lot at Cincinnati Zoo.

There are about three rows of the San Diego Zoo parking lot that have panels over them. Currently the local utility is trying to throw up roadblocks on further solar installations. They are trying to get approval to apply surcharges on all solar installations that would ultimately eliminate any monetary savings from their use.

On the issue of utility companies losing revenue to solar power: The best adaptation would be to offer service contracts to solar installations. Of course, this is an ideal situation. I have not scrutinized this idea so I'm sure there are holes, but as a plan I feel this is a better option than trying to stop solar power on a political level.

Solar is a big industry out here now, and San Diego Gas & Electric is beginning feel the effects of more and more installations. They have too much invested in infrastructure to ignore the encroachment. Besides they pretty much have the CA PUC in their back pocket.

I often dream of a day when every home is powered by solar or wind. Electric cars that could take us further than a hundred miles before it needs a recharge would be awesome too. I hate looking at power lines. They are an eyesore that clutters up the beauty of our world. Smog in the big cities suck. We really need to finally step into the future of power already.