> Please tell me what you mean by rebate ?  Do you mean the
> manufacturer sold it for less, or taxpayers paid for part 
> of your
> system ?  If taxpayers ponied up money, then the real the 
> cost of the
> system must be the total cost , not the amount you paid.

There's a logical error there.

Perhaps

"If taxpayers ponied up money, then the real the cost of the 
system may lie somewhere between the real cost and the 
amount you paid, but may be even less than that range"

ie your "must" assumed that the subsidy was arbitrary or 
capricious or pork-belly or similar. It can be and is 
argued, and the point is moot, that the subsidies in whole 
or in part reflect the value to 'the people' of you sourcing 
energy locally. At some level the opportunity cost of being 
able to delay installing new large scale generation plant 
may merit encouraging such investment. This also may reflect 
reductions in distribution infrastructure. Also, progress in 
developing more efficient mass solar, wind, wave or whatever 
alternative systems on larger scales may result in 
efficiencies if large plant upgrades can be delayed until 
higher efficincy / lower cost solutions are available. Like 
'death from passive smoking' such gains or losses may be 
measured in incremental statistical effect rather than being 
able to point to a given power station that was installed 
year later with higher tech gear than could otherwise have 
been the case.

Now, all the above may in practice be rubbish, or close 
enough to rubbish as not to matter. And may not. But the 
point is that it' easy to say 'subsidies are a direct and 
unproductive cost to the consumer'. Inarguably some are and 
many may be. But some do reflect real world actualities. 
Some factors are moderately intangible such as relief from 
dependance on "foreigh oil"  and attendant improvements in 
"national security" and "national pride" and ... .

Agree?

> I believe that energy costs will actually fall over time

I do too. But I also believe that we may have to wait until 
Lunar Helium 3 fusion power comes on line in a widespread 
manner for this to happen.

"Power so cheap it won't need to be metered".

"It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy 
in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter, will 
know of great periodic regional famines in the world only as 
matters of history, will travel effortlessly over the seas 
and under them and through the air with a minimum of danger 
and at great speeds, and will experience a lifespan far 
longer than ours as disease yields and man comes to 
understand what causes him to age."
Lewis L. Strauss
Speech to the National Association of Science Writers, New 
York City September 16th, 1954.



            Russell



-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist