Sandy Bauers' article on the proposed Carbon County solar project ("Big coal, here comes the sun," Aug. 8) did a good job of shedding light on some of the costs related to alternative energy.

Sound energy policy should balance affordability as well as environmental and energy-independence issues.

At an expected cost of $65 million to generate 10.6 megawatts (enough power for just 1,450 households), the Carbon County solar park equals an investment of $45,000 per household to provide electricity.

Solar and wind each now provide less than 1 percent of our energy generation.

The Wall Street Journal recently noted that increasing wind power to 20 percent in the next two decades alone would require a $2 trillion investment.

Energy costs already strain household budgets, especially those of lower-income families and individuals.

This year, U.S. households bringing home less than $50,000 a year - that is, half of households - will spend a quarter of their after-tax income on energy, double the percentage they spent in 2001.

Domestic coal has been a primary source of low-cost electricity. Coal, which generates half of the nation's electricity and an even higher proportion in Pennsylvania, must continue to be in the energy mix in order to provide the baseload power to back up renewable electricity sources, like the one proposed, and to address affordability and energy independence.

With continuing, appropriate investments in clean coal technology, we also will ensure that clean air and coal-fired electricity can and will coexist.

Editor's note: The author is executive director of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity