Billionaire Oilman to Invest in World's Largest Wind Farm

Multi-billionaire T.Boone Pickens has decided to invest billions of dollars into which will most likely be the largest wind farm in the world. Pickens plans on setting up 600 wind turbines in Central Texas with the hopes of producing "enough power for the equivalent of 1.3 million homes." Not only has Pickens considered alternative energy, but he has also considered land usage as he plans on using other people's land to host the turbines which will also generate $20,000 in royalties to the land owners. As ironic as it sounds, Pickens has accumulated his wealth from being a business man, since his early years, in the oil business.

He currently chairs the hedge fund for BP Capital Management -- BP being one of the worlds largest energy companies that mainly relies on oil, natural gas, and petroleum. In his appearance on CNN, Pickens explains his justifications for choosing wind energy. In correlation with the rising cost per barrel and lack of production to meet demand, he was asked if wind energy is the future for the United States in which he simply responds, "It's got to be part of it because we don't have much oil." It is interesting to see as the proverbial spigot for oil dries up how energy companies that are heavily reliant on oil will try to use alternative energy sources to turn a profit. Could this be the beginning of a trend for other oilmen? [Source via Slashdot]

Written By: AJ Papa

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20% Wind Energy by 2030?

A report just came out from the U.S. Department of Energy at 20percentwind.org called 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply. As the name suggests the report lays out the feasibility of being able to achieve 20% of its energy from wind power!

Under the 20% wind scenario, installations of new wind power capacity would increase to more than 16,000 megawatts per year by 2018, and continue at that rate through 2030. The U.S. doesn't even does have more than 16,000 MW in wind turbines currently installed--we passed that level in 2007. We're at about 18,000 now.

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The report identifies the problems with actually achieving 20% wind energy which includes transmission, siting, and manufacturing. However, the report gives solutions to overcome these road blocks while highlighting its potential to stave off global warming.

The American Wind Energy Association states: as of the end of 2006 the United States had an estimated 11,603 MW of wind energy generating per year. Even though this figure seems low, there have been improvements and gains over the years. However, wind energy only accounts for 0.7% of the U.S. energy mix. If the government helped stimulate the renewable energy market, imagine where we could be today.

We need to continue to press our elected officials to continue to secure our energy through renewable means. If we can elect a plan to achieve 20% by 2030, the United States will be recognized around the world as an environmental leader as opposed to its current backwards thinking. Lets create change, lets create jobs, lets help our country evolve.

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Incorporate Wind Energy into Existing Infrastructure

This is an article that was submitted to me by James Post on a wind construction project in the Caribbean. The article is much too long and full of vibrant colored photos to post directly on the blog. He is an eco-investor with a renewable energy project in the Caribbean and wants to share his project and story with others. I believe he wants to share his successful wind energy project with the world while showing that it is a viable option for island nations. From the article:

There are two mainstream approaches to incorporate wind energy into the existing infrastructure:

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1. The electricity companies and/or the governments develop a wind park. In the Caribbean the maximum sizes for windmills are between 250 kW and 900 kW, depending on location. Especially the larger windmills are real engineering projects that require long preparations and have lead times that are long. By the middle of next decade we could expect real progress when decisions are taken on short notice, which is however rather unusual in this part of the world. The wind penetration that can be achieved with the larger systems is technically limited and in the range of 25-30% of the lowest electricity use, or around 10-15% of the average.

2. As happens in many countries all over the world, there are private initiatives to place windmills. In most countries there is legislation that the energy companies are obliged to buy the excess energy at a fair price, usually slightly under or at fossil fuel cost. Such arrangements will be key to promote the breakthrough of wind energy in the region. The windmills installed by individuals (companies) are typically smaller, up to 250 kW. These windmills are much easier to install, have a short lead time and the owners will wish to act swiftly. Very short term action can therefore be expected. There is another major pro: several of the smaller windmills have the capability to dynamically limit the output in function of demand. This means that much higher wind penetrations can be achieved. So even when a wind farm is scheduled, it makes much sense to complement with small windmills.

Technorati Tags: global warming, climate change, wind energy, Caribbean

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