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DECEMBER
“Our Mission: Gallup Solar is collaborating with communities, elected representatives,
utilities and industry to bring solar power
to all peoples in our area”
Weekly Wednesday Meetings are from 6-8 p.m.
at 113 East Logan Ave., Gallup, NM
Refreshments are served
The public is welcome and all input is valued.
DECEMBER MEETING AGENDA
December 3, 6-8pm
OFF-GRID DEMO PRESENTATION
Thomas Chischilly
December 10, 6-8pm
OFF-GRID DEMO PRESENTATION
Alfred Barney
December 17, 6-8pm
GRID ALTERNATIVES
Tim Willink
December 24, 6-8pm
GALLUP SOLAR BOARD MEETING
Checklist Legislative Actions for Solar
December 31, 6-8pm
FIFTH WEDNESDAY POTLUCK
FEATURES NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
Hey Gallup Solar,
you may wish for Solar Santas,
but face the facts!!!!!
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Michigan
There is a 2,500-Square-Mile
Cloud Of Methane
Floating Over Four Corners!
At first NASA didn’t believe this photo but it’s sadly true that New Mexico is the world’s gas hole and getting bigger as more and more of our friends and neighbors lease their lands for oil and gas drilling.
Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation is busily developing what the Gallup Independent calls “Transloading Mania”, arranging for all that oil, gas and coal to be trucked right into Gallup and loaded onto trains for shipment everywhere, including abroad.
This is what it looks like on the ground...click and zoom in
You can actually see the details of drilling rigs and gas tanks in these hundreds of industrial sites between Bloomfield and
the Jicarilla Reservation.
Some of the rigs are run by solar power!
Hey, everything could run on solar and then we wouldn't need rigs.
Send your jokes and puns relating to this article to gallupsolar@gmail.com
Geophysical Research Letter:
Four corners: The largest US methane anomaly viewed from space.
9 October 2014
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas and ozone precursor. Quantifying methane emissions is critical for projecting and mitigating changes to climate and air quality. Here we present CH4 observations made from space combined with Earth-based remote sensing column measurements. Results indicate the largest anomalous CH4 levels viewable from space over the conterminous U.S. are located at the Four Corners region in the Southwest U.S. Emissions exceeding inventory estimates, totaling 0.59 Tg CH4/yr [0.50–0.67; 2σ], are necessary to bring high-resolution simulations and observations into agreement. This underestimated source approaches 10% of the EPA estimate of total U.S. CH4 emissions from natural gas. The persistence of this CH4 signal from 2003 onward indicates that the source is likely from established gas, coal, and coalbed methane mining and processing. This work demonstrates that space-based observations can identify anomalous CH4 emission source regions and quantify their emissions with the use of a transport model.
Authors: Eric A. Kort, Christian Frankenberg, Keeley R. Costigan, Rodica Lindenmaier, Manvendra K. Dubey, Debra Wunch.
SOLAR TAX INCENTIVES EXPIRING?
Recently we have heard a rumor that the tax incentives for solar installations are expiring at the end of this year.
NOT TRUE!
Taxpayers can still claim 30% of the total cost of a solar system “placed in service” and other solar equipment as a credit deducted from their federal tax payment and 10% of the total cost from their New Mexico tax payment. Any “unused” amount of credit can be rolled over for subsequent tax years thru 2016. But these incentives are scheduled to expire after the 2016 tax year, and it looks politically
doubtful that they will be extended.
In addition to a “solar access” law, New Mexico supports solar by: prohibiting property tax reassessment for homeowners and businesses who install solar systems; exempting the purchase of solar equipment from gross receipt tax levy; and requiring utilities to allow “net-metering.”
The Koch Brothers, fossil fuel industry, IOU's, Investor Owned Utilities, and their political allies are now intent on attacking clean energy development and using their clout to repeal policies which have been successfully promoting solar energy. Some states, including our next door neighbor AZ, have begun penalizing grid-tied customers with surcharges. One stated “justification” is that solar customers by “using the grid” are shifting the cost burden of maintaining a utility's grid onto non-solar customers. This is obviously a bogus argument=a divide and conquer argument!
Is a family, who conserves their electrical usage, burdening households who use more? Is a household, who is concerned about climate change and pollution from coal and nuclear power plants and takes action by installing solar and conserving energy, guilty of burdening other households? For that matter, is a household which chooses to go “off-the-grid” avoiding its responsibility to those still on-the-grid?
The fossil fuel industry and big utilities are fearing profit-losses. IOU's especially fear exodus of shareholder investment. We should not forget that these utilities are granted “monopoly status advantage” in return for providing reliable power to all customers in their service area and being subject to government regulation. These utilities have the responsibility of providing enough power for all customers. They should be commended in meeting this responsibility. However, they are also responsible for making good business decisions and adapting to technological changes.
COVETED HONOR
Gallup Solar Spotlighted by
New Mexico Interfaith
Power and Light
Gallup Solar was awarded a SEED Award 2014 from New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, one of 39 State Affiliates to the National Interfaith Power and Light.
The mission of IPL is to be faithful stewards of Creation by responding
to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation,
energy efficiency, and renewable energy, especially solar and
wind generated. IPL has over a decade of experience helping
faith communities address global warming and brings the voice of
these communities into the policy-making arena. Their mission also includes being advocates for vulnerable people and communities
that are the most heavily impacted by climate change.
Sister Joan Brown, executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power
and Light shakes the hands of the Gallup Solar members who went to Albuquerque on November 15 to receive the award.
Left to right, Thomas Chiscilly, Be Sargent, Pat Sheely, Betsy Windisch, Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini, Shirlene Rogers Cheromiah and Annie Sam. Don Hyde was also present but was taking the pictures. 
Shirlene speaks passionately about the need for solar power
on the Navajo Nation.
SPROUT AWARD
presented to Sister Rose Marie Cecchini, MM
New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light
celebrates your amazing contributions in caring for Earth and
all brothers and sisters in the Sacred Earth Community.
Thank you and many blessings upon your continued work.
May it be grace-filled and rest in Joy.
Joan and Jennifer Edwards, Secretary of NMIPL present greens award from Joan's garden.
Joan Brown was a founder of Gallup Solar March 30, 2007, the day we went to Albuquerque to hear Jane Goodall. Left to right, Be Sargent, Pat Sheely, Jane's assistant, Jane Goodall, Rose Marie Cecchini, Joan Brown, Betsy Windisch, and Sr. Maureen Houlihan.
Maureen is now on the staff at Seton Harvest Farm, where produce is certified naturally grown, in Evansville, Indiana, the only founder not present, we missed you Maureen!
Always go to gallupsolar.org for more information
AND AGAIN....
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