The Windmills Of His Mind

IBD Editorials ^ | August 20, 2008

[Kaslin]

Energy Policy: The mayor of New York City would put wind turbines atop the Brooklyn Bridge under a plan announced Tuesday at a "clean energy summit." Will there be an ocean wind farm next to the Statue of Liberty?

---

Speaking at the event in Las Vegas, Michael Bloomberg, one of many politicians to whom hot air is no stranger, embraced wind power as the alternative energy du jour. He even offered his city's skyline as a site for perhaps the world's largest wind farm.

"Perhaps companies will want to put wind turbines atop bridges and skyscrapers, or use the enormous potential of powerful offshore winds miles out off the Atlantic coasts," Bloomberg told the summit.

"I think it would be a thing of beauty if, when Lady Liberty looks out on the horizon, she not only welcomes new immigrants but lights their way with a torch powered by an ocean wind farm."

Hizzoner had lunch earlier with Texas energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, who has been tilting at windmills as part of his alternative energy campaign.

[HiramQuick]

Iteresting question .... most of the units being erected in Iowa (Fields full of them) have two operational modes ... fast above 16 mph wind ... 600kw (they aoutomatic brake above 35mph) and slow 7 mph wind and get this outut drops to 125kw. below 5 there is no output.

In perspective it would take 10 windmills at the optimum speed to power approximately 100 homes. By the time the transmision lines are installed .. the switching gear to go the grid .. the payoff will probably be somwhere in 2120. And ... that is only if the wind blows constantly at the upper rate. Wind farms are a joke ....

[Son House]

[JimC214]

Just wait until the first Graffiti “Artist” AKA low life gang banger gets killed climbing up one to tag it. I can hear Rev. Al screaming that it's a racist plot.

[garjog]

Serious Question: instead of large, ugly windmills, why hasn’t someone thought of a bunch of tiny windmills that could be strung along power lines or bridge cables that couldn’t be seen except close up? If there were hundreds of foot sized mills, it wouldn’t make noise or hurt birds but the quantity could equal a single huge one.

[BlazingArizona]

If there were hundreds of foot sized mills

Will you have the pigeon puree or the falcon falafel this evening?

[SkyDancer]

>GAK<

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

Serious Question: instead of large, ugly windmills, why hasn’t someone thought of a bunch of tiny windmills that could be strung along power lines or bridge cables

This excerpt from the article is why.

"Loss of wind causes Texas power grid emergency," read a Reuters headline on Feb. 27. Seems the electric grid operator was forced to curtail 1,100 megawatts of power to customers on just 10 minutes' notice after the wind simply stopped blowing.

You can't beat fossil and nuclear for reliable power 24/7.

[Ciexyz]

Too funny.

[american_ranger]

Don’t quit your day job.