cbfan's Blog

As much as I've respected Pickens, this is NO plan. Are we put windmills on are cars? We need gaoline, not windmills. And those who know the business, say you MUST have backup fuels for them... gas or oil!

If we needed water, would we be told to grow carrots?
If we needed electric generators, would we be told we can't 'electrify' our way out of the problem?

Simply & wisely, we need gasoline. DRILL IT. BUILD REFINERY'S. It's the elephant in the room.

Going "green" has already increased costs on just about everything, as this will too. Yes I agree that we must find alternate fuels to run our daily lives, but the cost for you and I will sky rocket like you wouldn't believe for wind energy. We still need oil, we still need natural gas, we still need nuclear powered electricty, just to help offset new alternative fuel and energy initiatives. We need to continue focusing on how to get more oil, natural gas and coal out of the ground, WHILE we also have the directive of a massive alternate fuels and energy project. We cannot skimp on one just to get the other. Yet that seems to be the thinking.

Brazil is an excellent example, they have large ample supply of alternate fuels and energy and a large supply and reserve of crude oil. And in fact they are initiating another alt fuel strategy chasing soybeans. And here we lag because we have a Congress that cannot project into the future, only today and tomorrow.

It's quite arrogant to think we know more about this subject than T. Boone Pickens. But then again, perhaps some think he is just too old to make sound decisions.

I still like the idea of bio fuel made from sugar grass whatever plant..
Seems to work well in Brazil, and they drive the same kind of cars we do

T Boone doesn't need to make more money . He can buy and sell all of us with his pocket change. No, we can't run cars on windmills, we can run them on electricity. I think he is very very smart and far seeing on this. However, I am surprised no one has called him a socialist or communist yet. Some people here seem to associate anyone who wants to conserve or try alternative energy is a subversive. I guess T.Boone is to well a known a capitalist for that label.

Note I am building my own windmill. I expect my electric bill to drop to next to nothing and might even make money on the deal

Pickens is a little optimistic in his projections of 20% of power coming from wind generators. We simply don't have the battery technology to store energy and wind generation is subject to the weather, making it unpredictable as well as inconsistent. In articles I have read, peak generation for wind turbines is morning and evening, but peak load on the system is mid afternoon. The sustainability of the machinery is just about a 15 year span. Plus, these costs have not even begun to deal with what will be huge opposition by animal rights groups to placing these turbines along major wildlife immigration routes. If we really wanted to harness power, hydroelectric generation is much more cost effective, long lived and consistent. Plus we already know how to do it. I wish I could believe that Pickens isn't looking for a federal handout, but that's what it looks like to me.

What of during tornado season? What then.

The power of the wind at its best.

I moved here from Washington State, which has aboutthe cheapest method of electri power there is , Hydroeletric, , which is 4 to 5 cents a kw, than here , but they have put up numerous wind farms there, just so they can ciphon off more of the hydroeletric power to send to California , which will eventually raise the price in Washington aas the cost of producing wind power is more expensive , and the power companies there are forced to buy these wind farms and add them to the local power whether they want to or not !