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Jewish Voice Proposal for Solar Powered Wall to be Considered by White House

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President Trump recently told congressional Republicans that he is giving very serious consideration to the construction of a solar powered wall on the US-Mexico border. It would have the ability to sustain itself for the long term as well. Photo Credit: Gleason Partners LLC
Another cross-section of the Mexico side of the wall. The panels would be set on a concrete foundation, with fencing above and below the panels. Photo Credit: Gleason Partners LLC

Self sustaining wall option first revealed earlier this year by the Jewish Voice

At a White House meeting on Tuesday, President Trump told congressional Republicans that his suggestion in terms of construction of the US-Mexico border wall would be to seriously explore the solar paneled option. 

The WSJ reported that two lawmakers who attended the meeting told them that Trump said the solar panels could offset the exorbitant costs in erecting such a border wall. This can be effectuated by collecting revenue from the sale of solar power that the panels would generate. Those funds could be earmarked to assist in offsetting the projected multi-billion dollar cost in construction.

The WSJ has also reported that Trump’s idea for the use of solar panels to build a wall separating the US and Mexico came after the Department of Homeland Security issued a solicitation of proposals a few months ago from engineering firms and other construction companies  for their blueprints.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal was House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Applauding Trump’s visionary perspective on the construction and financial aspect of the proposed wall, Rep. McCarthy said, “I think it’s innovative. To authorize it and to appropriate it wouldn’t cost as much.”

Moreover, it is quite likely that Trump could garner tacit support for a solar paneled wall from those who have stood in staunch opposition to his controversial immigration policies. According to published reports, the use of solar panels and other forms of green energy are popular among those who sharply rebuked Trump for his decision to withdraw US participation in the Paris Climate Accord. As the paper has noted, however, the lion’s share of Democrats in Congress have gone on record in their vehement opposition to the idea of Trump or anyone else building any form of a border wall between the US and Mexico.

Other Republican legislators have also voiced their hopeful optimism about the wall’s future construction. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) said of Trump’s solar proposal:  “He’s been looking at a lot of options and this is a new option that he’s been looking at that sounds like its got real promise.”

Trump’s main objective for campaigning on this issue is to deter the rapid influx of illegal immigrants and to severely curtail the scourge of drug smuggling that has drastically increased crime statistics, particularly in the nation’s inner cities. Trump had offered repeated assurances to those who attended his campaign rallies that Mexico would pay for the cost of the projected wall. After the Mexican government publicly balked at the idea of paying for such a wall, Trump then modified his tune and said  that the US would lay out the money required to build the massive structure. He added that Mexico would reimburse the US taxpayer for the formidable price tag associated with a grand scale project of this kind.  Speculation has abounded that the ultimate cost of the wall could far exceed $20 billion.

At this juncture in time, Congress has not appropriated any funding to the Trump wall project.  The White House had been seeking $1.4 billion as a down payment in the recently passed spending bill in order to formally initiate the process. Strong pushback from Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle has left the wall’s future in doubt.

Engineers and architectural experts have said that on a larger scale, a solar paneled wall would contribute to the amount of electricity that the US generates from clean energy sources, which in turn would contribute to fighting climate change.

Speaking to Business Insider,  Wunder Capital CEO Bryan Birsic stopped short of praising Trump’s purpose for the wall but said,  “While we would prefer a different location and purpose for a large solar installation, we strongly support all additional generation of clean power in the U.S.”

Although the concept of constructing a wall, as the one that Trump has proposed is riddled with controversy, any move by the U.S. government to promote solar energy is positive as it would lessen the country’s own carbon footprint and help the world effectively combat the deleterious results of climate change.

It should be duly noted that prior to any mention by the current administration of the idea of a solar powered wall being erected on the US southern border, the Jewish Voice was the first and only paper to run a lead story on the very real prospect of this concept coming to actual fruition.

In the March 22, 2017 issue of the paper, the cover story queried its throngs of readers with, “Will Trump’s Border Wall Be a Self-Sufficient Solar-Paneled Energy Producer??

Investigative reporter Dan Prosnansky revealed a seminal discovery when he interviewed a New York City based expert in renewable energy development who said, “building a solar paneled wall would cost the government zero dollars, would employ 10,000 people, both long and short term, and the equipment and materials used in building it will be manufactured in the United States.”

The expert said his vision of a border wall consisted of solar panels spanning across 2000 miles throughout  Arizona, Nevada and California.  The design can be modified, he said by either placing the panels on the side of the wall or a canopy structure that stems off the top of the wall.

Another expert told Prosnansky that investment funding for such a futuristic wall would not be difficult to come by. He said, “hedge funds love to invest in clean energy production.  We already have many interested parties in the project but we can’t disclose their names.”

To read more about the solar paneled wall, please click on this link:

http://thejewishvoice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17538:will-trump-s-border-wall-be-a-self-sufficient-solar-paneled-energy-producer&catid=110&Itemid=774

By: Fern Sidman

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