I wonder why we need such massive efforts? Wouldn't we be better off if solar panel were distributed rather than centralized? If we had one on the roof, wouldn't that be better than transporting the energy across a state or continent?
I ran into this proposal
http://renu.citizenre.com/index.php?p=edu_solution where Ed Begley Jr talks about a plan to finance solar panels for private homes. To my mind, this type of deal has got to happen... it's just a matter of when.