Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Biden's green economy plans stumble as no one considered how much electricity would be needed
Just the News ^ | 4/7/24 | By Kevin Killough

Posted on 04/08/2024 3:00:08 AM PDT by CFW

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last
To: Omnivore-Dan
One more thing if I may. Not very well published is that each wind turbine takes on average about 800 gallons of oil to lubricate all of the moving parts. This has to be changed every so often.

Some research finds:

A five-megawatt wind turbine can require 700 gallons of lubricant, and costly synthetic fluids are preferred in the industry. Typically, oil change intervals are scheduled for from 9 to 16 months. .. Not to mention the fact that the large equipment needed to build these wind farms run on petroleum. As well as the equipment required for installation, service, maintenance, and eventual removal. And just exactly how eco-friendly is wind energy anyway? Each turbine requires a footprint of 1.5 acres, so a wind farm of 150 turbines needs 225 acres; In order to power a city the size of NYC you'd need 57,000 acres;https://www.savantlab.com/testing-highlights/going-green-wind-turbines-lubricant-testing/)

Right now the average wind farm is about 150 turbines. Each wind turbine needs 80 gallons of oil as lubricant and we're not talking about vegetable oil, this is a PAO synthetic oil based on crude... 12,000 gallons of it. That oil needs to be replaced once a year.... It is estimated that a little over 3,800 turbines would be needed to power a city the size of New York... That's 304,000 gallons of refined oil for just one city. - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-wind-farms-patricia-pitsel-ph-d-

I mostly read 80 gallons, but hard to find any formal study. How Much Oil Do Wind Turbines Use?(https://www.windturbinemagazine.com/how-much-oil-do-wind-turbines-use/) does not even answer the question, buy that "The amount of oil used by a wind turbine varies greatly depending on the size and type of turbine. A small turbine for powering the home only requires a very small amount of oil, whereas the largest offshore wind turbines regularly need topping up with large amounts of oil and other lubricants to keep them running efficiently."

Also,

According to ewea.org, the average onshore wind turbine has a capacity of 2.5 to 3 MW and produces 6 million kWh a year. This works out at 16,438 kWh a day. According to Michael Bluejay, 0.0016 barrels of oil are required to generate 1 kWh, which works out at 26.3 barrels in order to match the output of the typical onshore wind turbine. The average offshore wind turbine is 3.6 MW in capacity and delivers 2.2 times more energy than its land locked brother thanks to lack of surface features which mess with the wind velocity. - https://www.quora.com/How-many-barrels-of-oil-does-the-average-wind-turbine-replace-in-a-day
And this massive study is relevant:

Environmental Risks, Fate, and Effects of Chemicals ... Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) (.gov) https://espis.boem.gov › ... PDF gallons of all oils from a wind turbine in the RI-MA WEA ... for each wind turbine ... catastrophic spill of 220 gallons of lubricating oil from a wind turbine inhttps://espis.boem.gov/final%20reports/5330.pdf

And,

Proper Lubrication is Key to Wind Turbine Longevity. - https://www.power-eng.com/renewables/wind/proper-lubrication-is-key-to-wind-turbine-longevity/

But let's check PolitiFact objectivity:

Swedish company Alpine Helicopter took a picture in 2015 of one of its helicopters using hot water to de-ice the blades of a turbine at a wind farm in Uljabuouda, Sweden. Using 300 gallons of fuel just to de-ice a single wind turbine, as the post claims, is an exaggeration.. An Alpine Helicopter spokesperson told The Associated Press in 2021 that the company used only hot water to melt the ice that forms on a wind turbine’s blades. [Dubious! Hot water sprayed on a below freezing day would lost temp fast, and take a lot of fuel to heat and lingering to spray]

The hot water method is for turbines that lack an internal warming system or for when the system is not adequate to de-ice a turbine’s blades, the report said. Alpine’s 2016 report found that its helicopter uses about 640 gallons of fuel to fly the 310-mile round trip distance from Boden, Sweden, to the wind farm and to de-ice all 10 turbines over three days. [does not include lingering time, or fuel to heat the water]

PolitiFact found no credible source for the Facebook post’s other claim that the wind turbine uses 80 gallons of synthetic oil derived from 12,000 gallons of crude oil to operate....Wind turbines use oil to lubricate their moving parts — typically synthetic oil because its viscosity can withstand temperature extremes longer than natural mineral oil. However, the amount needed varies greatly depending on the turbine’s design — from 20 to 200 gallons, according to Climate Feedback, a website that fact-checks statements about climate change. - https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/mar/16/facebook-posts/meme-uses-faulty-math-claim-it-takes-300-gallons-j/

21 posted on 04/08/2024 5:14:42 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Omnivore-Dan

The purpose of the Green movement is to destroy whatever makes America and Americans rich and secure. It’s part of Cultural Marxism. The music is horrible and non-melodic...Cultural Marxism. Everyone has to have equal outcomes...Cultural Marxism. Removing sex organs and/or changing sexual appearance...Cultural Marxism. Letting criminals out of prison while arresting people who defend themselves...Cultural Marxism. I could go on. It’s everywhere, the supermarket...Aunt Jemima. The school system...Zero Tolerance. And, of course, the government and laws...


22 posted on 04/08/2024 5:22:06 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz
We would much better off with wind power coming from the ocean, feeding desalination facilities and pumping clean water inland to be used for farming and other potential economies. Solar driven transformer and pumping facilities would carry fresh water to farms and communities, while at the same time generating electricity.

You are missing the most important part of such a scheme: How much does it cost?

Wind turbines are not free. Pipelines are not free. Solar power plants are not free.

All of those costs are what prevent people from building the system you envision.

Food can be produced much, much cheaper with water from rivers than from desalination plants.

Electricity can be produced much, much cheaper from nuclear power stations than from wind and solar, and far more reliably.

23 posted on 04/08/2024 5:24:50 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Omnivore-Dan
Where is all that oil coming from?

Venezuela.

24 posted on 04/08/2024 5:38:46 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim (Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Omnivore-Dan

These things leak
My farmer friends work around them, and oil leaks down the support columns and blades. The blades sling oil far away from the turbines. Crops take up the hydrocarbons which wind up in our food.


25 posted on 04/08/2024 5:57:40 AM PDT by TStro (God made all men equal Sam Colt made them polite.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: CFW

“as no one considered how much electricity would be needed”

Not true, but everyone who warned was completely ignored.


26 posted on 04/08/2024 5:58:50 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Free Engineer

“These dots were connected long ago.”

Yes they were. And from the start it was an extremely simple deduction.


27 posted on 04/08/2024 6:01:35 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: daniel1212

Whale Oil!!
Plenty of whales, natural oil.


28 posted on 04/08/2024 6:02:48 AM PDT by TStro (God made all men equal Sam Colt made them polite.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: CFW

They chose to not know that or they simply ignored what they did know and deliberately did this, knowing the consequences.


29 posted on 04/08/2024 6:17:18 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW

“It wasn’t overlooked. They want us in cities on public transportation.”

I agree. People mock the Biden handlers’ incompetency or lack of knowledge regarding electrical power. Neither are true. They KNOW what they are doing. The “elite” will be traveling by private plane and ICE vehicles. We peons will be limited to walking, biking, or taking the electric bus to nowhere.

WE will be limited to 15 minute cities while THEY live in rural areas in well-heated, well-lit mansions on large fenced-in plantations, complete with private heli-pad or airstrip. A few privileged (think of the mayor in the original Red Dawn movie) will be allowed to live on the plantations in a small hut to provide slave services to the elite. People will vie for those jobs as cooks, maids, and grounds-keepers in order to escape the cities.

Completely agree. I ask lefties all the time, where is the expansion of the electrical grid? Where’s it going to come from, as we kill oil, natural gas, etc., in favor of non scalable energy resources.


30 posted on 04/08/2024 6:17:19 AM PDT by TiGuy22
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: CFW

I still remember 50 years ago when “they” ONLY wanted to ban Nuclear Power.
I still remember magazine adds, 55 years ago by the power companies trying to convince the public that “scrubbers” on coal plants was a joke.

One back to earth magazine suggested coal be replaced by wood. Then they figured it would take “ONLY” 25 square miles of forest to keep one in operation, considering the new help to cut and move the logs.

Lots of schemes and dreams by the hare brained hippie movement were tried and failed back then.


31 posted on 04/08/2024 6:18:09 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW

Whenever the government is involved, there is lack of planning and common sense and a sense of reality. Oh, and it’s always a waste of money.


32 posted on 04/08/2024 6:20:30 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW
We need one for every person is all...
33 posted on 04/08/2024 6:43:05 AM PDT by eyeamok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maddog55

“There’s a small lunatic fringe that seems to running everything.”

When progressives get a “good idea,” they insist on implementing it and assume the flying unicorns will “drop” enough rainbow skittles to make it work. This is how the Soviet Union, Mao, and Pol Pot killed millions.


34 posted on 04/08/2024 6:59:18 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: CFW

There never has been ANY real “plan” from the Biden administation, on it’s “green” initiatives to anything else - Afghanistan, Ukraine, Israel includde. They have acted on everything as if they can just make dictates and mandates and things will. on their own, fall into place.


35 posted on 04/08/2024 7:01:45 AM PDT by Wuli ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: daniel1212

These are the only major accidents to have occurred in over 18,500 cumulative reactor-years of commercial nuclear power operation in 36 countries.

Have some property on 3 mile island care to buy it.


36 posted on 04/08/2024 7:23:59 AM PDT by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: daniel1212

Different reports depending on the size of the turbine, mostly what I found is that the gearbox holds about 700 - 800 gallons of oil. this must be the huge sky-scraper ones. Hard to get reliable, specific info, varies quite a bit. bottom line is leaks will and have occurred. They don’t work to well when the wind stops either. Oh, and it’s ok to kill eagles, hawks, songbirds and who knows what offshore.


37 posted on 04/08/2024 7:26:21 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

They only tell the positives, never the negatives, and there are a boatload of negatives.


38 posted on 04/08/2024 7:28:33 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: quantim

In this area of N.J. where there is still farming going on (believe it or not) farms are being sold for so called “solar farms”. What a crock of stinky stuff. Perfectly good soil to grow food or raise livestock for electricity that goes to who knows where. We’ve had many power failures in the past and they seem to be getting more frequent. Solar farms 1/2 a mile away didn’t help us one damn bit.


39 posted on 04/08/2024 7:35:41 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Gen.Blather

Man, I think of the world when I was a kid, some 60 years ago. We had pride in our country, saluted the flag, built the best of everything. Ok well the Germans had sausage and the French wine and cheese, and the Columbians coffee. Pretty much everything else was homegrown, made here with pride. What the hell happened? Too much of a good thing? We should all feel guilty somehow.


40 posted on 04/08/2024 7:40:02 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson