5 weeks until Eclipse 2017
Eclipse 2017 is five weeks away.
During the path of darkness, the United States could lose 9,000 megawatts of solar power enough electricity to power 7 million homes.
As the moon obscures the sun on Aug. 21, the shadow will be 70 miles wide from Oregon to South Carolina.
Bloomberg Technology News says the darkness will interfere with solar cells ability to generate power.
The duration of the eclipse is not expected to require an increase in fossil fuels but it could cause a spike in wholesale prices.
Mid-Missouri isn’t as reliant on renewable energy sources like solar energy as other states. Boone Electric Cooperative joined more than 100 electric co-ops to generate solar energy. According to its website, Boone Electric has a 100 kilowatt solar farm.
The eclipse isn’t expected to cause any shortages of power, but it will come in the so-called dog days of summer where there will already be a heavy demand on the power grid.
If you’re looking for protective glasses for the August 21, total solar eclipse, these are the places that should have them and the cost:
Columbia City Hall: free
Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau: free
Broadway Brewery: free
The Mizzou Store: $1.49
Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau: $2.50
The best advice is to look for the ISO certification seal on the inside of the glasses. One easy hint is if you can see ANY light through them other than the clear outline of the sun, they are probably not real. Also, don’t scratch up the lenses of the glasses once you get them. Dangerous rays can penetrate the compromised areas.
