CBSs Bob Schieffer offered viewers a solution to high energy
prices that may be as plain as daylight. Yet the truth of the
matter was far different and the November 10 report showed the
network was in the dark about its own story on solar energy.
The story didnt just wildly underestimate the cost of
one familys tiny electric bill.. It also forgot to mention that
the tax breaks for solar power all come out the pockets of other
taxpayers in this case, more than $10 billion worth.
The Evening News went to Barry and Anita Mathis
house to look at solar panels as a way to cope with higher energy
costs. Mrs. Mathis showed reporter Thalia Assuras her bill, which
was just $43.01. It was kind of mind-blowing when I first moved
into this house because I'd open power bills and I'd just start
laughing, Mrs. Mathis said. It just didn't make any sense that you
could save this much money on electricity.
Assuras then consulted with a solar panel installer who
confirmed that her bills would be 70 percent less. Bills could
even reach zero, or less than zero as developer John Ralston
explained. That means more energy is produced and sold back to the
power company. She ended the segment saying The Mathis family just
enjoy the house, bask in the easy money, and let the sun do the
work.
It turns out the money isnt quite that easy. A couple
weeks prior, on October 30, ABCs World News Tonight interviewed
the Reyes, a retired couple in Arizona. They spent $28,000 more
than they would have on a normal home, to have solar panels on
their house.
The New York Times did a story on October 9 on a house that
installed solar panels for $81,000, but only $27,250 came out of
their pockets after rebates and tax credits from the state. This
house was more expensive than is typical, but still the average cost
is $20,000 to $25,000 to buy and install a typical home solar system
which generally is too much to be recouped in the time it takes to
pay off a 30-year mortgage, according to a September 11
Times article.
Government subsidies do cover much of the cost. The
state of California covers about half the cost, Assuras noted about
the Mathis family. The federal government has spent more than
$10 billion on research and development alone on solar energy,
not counting state dollars and tax credits.
All the Benefits, None of the Costs
November 11th, 2005 2:00 PM
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