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To: Ben Ficklin

I would like to see a comparison of system costs with and without wind capacity. Wind power incurs substantial incremental costs for transmission and backup capacity. In addition, wind power has very low reliability especially for peak demand.

If not for massive mandates and subsidies, investors would not touch wind power in most situations. I have no problem with investors building any type of energy production as long as they bear the consequences for poor decisions. Political control of energy production means that politicians can spend taxpayer money on favored energy production without any consequences except perhaps losing elections.


30 posted on 08/06/2009 9:11:52 AM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: businessprofessor
"I would like to see a comparison of system costs"

I'm not sure what you mean by system costs.

It would appear to me that operating costs is the driver. Texas converted much elec gen to natural gas a decade ago and now 50-60% is natural gas fired.

The NG shortage in 2001 was the writing on the wall and the post Katrina NG shortage cost Texas rate payers a lot of money.

Comparing wind power to NG fired electricity at $4/MCF is entirely different when it is $12/MCF.

31 posted on 08/06/2009 11:46:40 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
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