Jackson Jambalaya

Fiscal frugality. That is a winning message.

Thanks Haley... thanks for telling the world that we don't have enough sun to provide solar power... idiot.

Would you rather him lie and say we do?

You don't need Haley Barbour to give you permission to set up a solar array for your own personal needs. If you need to complain then maybe focus some of that anger on your MS House and Senate representatives for not having forced Entergy by now to purchase excess power generated by personal solar. Nothing will kick start the investment in backyard and rooftop solar kits faster than forcing the rip-off monopoly known as Entergy to buy back the excess.

@10:51 is spot on. The largest demand for peak power is during hot, sunny days. With today's technology (that is only getting better) homeowners can easily generate more electricity than they need on those days. Selling that extra power back to the grid only makes the ROI more attractive for a larger swath of homeowners and reduces the need for both nuclear and natural gas generated electricity during peak periods. Too bad no-brainers come so hard here.

Lange's Entergy comment detector just went off.

If Barbour knew half as much about solar energy as he does about coal and oil, then Mississippi would be in a lot better shape.

Mississippi is not able to produce as much solar energy as say Arizona or New Mexico, but the difference in amount of available solar power is not as much as you probably think it is. Southwest US is capable of 5.5 kWh/m/day, whereas southeast US is capable of 4.75 kWh/m/day. Hell, even the northeast US is capable of 3-4 kWh/m/day!

We don't have capacity for the solar farms capable of producing sustained usable energy without capital costs that would greatly diminsh the benefit. With most of our days covered in clouds, much of our land in forest, the storms we receive, etc, only personal solar situations are realistic. It's not an overall answer and not one that can contribute significantly enough.

It takes at least 250 open acres just to support 20K homes in the best climate for solar energy. With our efficiency running around 1/3rd of that, it's not realistic to assume we can depend on solar.

Lange is a fraud. Dude has zero credibility. He's a party hack with a big erection for Jim Hood.

You are correct in that we can't depend solely on solar, but to say that we should remain on fossil fuels solely based on that fact would be ludicrous.

No one said that and Barbour didn't say that. A multi-facet approach to energy is what is needed.

Barbour wants nothing to do with fully renewable energy sources, plain and simple. He is all about using fossil fuels and/or the byproducts of said fossil fuels. He is a glorified double dipper - only interested in the money making process.

I don't believe that. What he doesn't want to do is straitjacket our state economy on pipe dreams and not-ready-for-primetime solutions.

We have become comfortable being last in everything, may as well keep that going I guess...

At least we're consistent.