CAN SOLAR END THE IRANIAN NUKE STANDOFF?

Iran splurges on solar technology in bid to boost economy

July 1, 2014 (AP via Fox News)

“…[G]overnment-subsidized solar panels on the rooftops of homes provide both needed electricity and a shining symbol of efforts by the Islamic Republic to wean itself off fossil fuels and nuclear power…President Hassan Rouhani's government has quintupled its spending on solar power projects in the last year…[The panels offer] rural Iran steady power amid uncertainty over the country's contested nuclear program as it negotiates with world powers…And as the Islamic Republic cuts back on subsidies that once made gasoline cheaper than bottled mineral water, a push toward self-sustaining solar power could help the government save money and bolster its sanctions-battered economy…[Rouhani's administration] sees a bright future in solar, spending $60 million this year on solar projects compared to just $12 million last year. It especially wants to target rural communities…Although fossil fuel is still supplied to Iranians at subsidized prices, a raise in prices earlier this year — plus a consistent drop in the price of foreign-manufactured solar panels — is making solar power more affordable. Yet challenges remain…” click here for more

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