More Political Spin On Wind Power

PA Pundits International ^ | 23 January 2010 | TonyfromOz

[TonyfromOz]

A government report was released this week, at the following link. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60J37V20100121?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&rpc=22&sp=true It details how the Government will generate 20% of all the electrical power for the Eastern half of the US from Wind power, mostly from towers constructed offshore along the Eastern seaboard coastline. The Government will put in $90 Billion towards the project. Do the figures really stack up, and can something of this scale actually be achieved? Not likely.

[gwilhelm56]

We could probably harness more energy by bottling the SPIN

[Lakeshark]

Thinking wind power is viable as a national energy source is like pretending submarines fly.

[Popman]

It details how the Government will generate 20% of all the electrical power for the Eastern half of the US from Wind power

That is insane.

That percentage can never be achieved unless we cut our electrical use by 80% and the cost would be astronomical

[Popman]

The Government will put in $90 Billion towards the project

Gee, for 90 billion they could build about 10 nuclear power plants

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Absurd.

[cripplecreek]

There are a couple of FReepers still pushing wind as a viable alternative.

I see Home Depot was selling some kind of home wind generator. It cost 7 grand + installation and even then claims it will only produce a fraction of the power an average home uses.

[tiki]

We have been approached twice to put up turbines on our mountain, if we could use all their hot air to create energy we’d all be rich.

[Popman]

...wind as a viable alternative.

Wind power as well as solar power and hydro-electrical power are all viable alternative in a narrow small niche of the total energy picture were it is cost effective. Trying to force costly other forms of energy production is insane.

I still can't figure out why drilling for oil/natural gas is not out FIRST option to otherwise bright smart people.

[cripplecreek]

I’ve considered the possibility of a small traditional windmill as a means of pumping water from the lake for sprinklers on the garden.

[Young Werther]

O yeah...

I wrote a paper and submitted it to Sen Dole for the 1996 Presidential Campaign. I suggested that if the federal governement would lend excess Social Security funds as Revenue Bonds to the Utilities Companies with the proviso that Wind Farms would be built we would have a win win situation.

Scientific American in the 1989 issue noted that the wind energy that exists in the Central Plains from North Dakota to Texas could generate approximately 225% of the US's electricity!

Wind Farms on the gulf coast could hydrolize the water and ship the oxygen and hydrogen to arid areas, (New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma) where fuel cell plants, (like the space shuttle energy plants) where the hydrogen and oxygen would be converted back to water with electricity fed into the power lines. The waste material, PURE WATER, would be fed to the local communities or pumped back into the aquifers where it would return to San Antonio where it would be the feedstock for BEER!

Meanwhile the remains of the hydrolization process on the Gulf coast would be those dissolved minerals that exist in seawater. There is approximatley ONE TON of GOLD for every cubic mile of seawater.

Windmills are one method of clean alternative energy! Want more?

[Lakeshark]

I'm sorry, but you can't store the power yet, and oftimes the wind doesn't cooperate when you have peak loads. You can't just ramp up another power source, so you have to have a full time fuel burning power generating source going 24/7 just in case.

You can pretend your flying submarine exists, and if you do, it doesn't reflect well on your judgement.

[Young Werther]

A power company has a storage device which is very simple. It's a lake at the top of a small mountain. When electricity demand is low, (usually 10PM to 5AM), water is pumped up the hill to fill the lake. When peak demand arises the gates are openned and the water flows down the hill and generates electricity. I don't know if you understand that motor generators can do pumping and generating based on the polarity applied. You know Tesla effect.

Since you did not see the humor in my flying submarine then I suggest that your IQ is in the single digits and this qualifies you to be a politician where knowledge is rarely displayed!

Phooey! I've read Scientific American for over 50 years and I know that I trust it more than your opinions!

[meyer]

That percentage can never be achieved unless we cut our electrical use by 80% and the cost would be astronomical.

That's where the "Smart Grid" comes into play. Utilities, since they will no longer have adequate resources, will reduce load by turning off appliances such as air conditioners and dryer heating elements to help meet peak demand.

[Lakeshark]

Well, I'm glad you can read scientific american, and that certainly shows how much more intelligent you are........

*rolls eyes*

In the mean time why don't you post a link to where this supposed system is actually working to bolster a significant part of our power supply?

[Popman]

I’ve considered the possibility of a small traditional windmill as a means of pumping water from the lake for sprinklers on the garden.

Sounds like a good idea.

Probably get you a gold star from your local environmental wackos !!!

[meyer]

Scientific American in the 1989 issue noted that the wind energy that exists in the Central Plains from North Dakota to Texas could generate approximately 225% of the US's electricity...

Scientific American promotes the myth of global warming. 'Nuff said.

[Popman]

That's where the "Smart Grid" comes into play. Utilities, since they will no longer have adequate resources, will reduce load by turning off appliances such as air conditioners and dryer heating elements to help meet peak demand.

Since that would take local or state approval to do, that sounds like a bureaucrats wet dream to control your life.

[cripplecreek]

No they won’t give me a gold star. They would probably rather I were killed for pumping water out of the lake.

If I do it, it will be a covert operation.

[Popman]

They would probably rather I were killed for pumping water out of the lake.

That thought did cross my mind.

Of course they would be happy only if you got their permission first after you leaped though five hoops of fire getting all the "correct" permits and the like