22% of Texas electricity generated by wind.......1 billion in midwest storm damage

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/19/21530485-damage-from-worst-in-a-century-midwest-storm-system-could-cost-1-billion?lite=



The choices are becoming clear. There is an immediate need to change to renewable technology which is readily available and clean. The hidden cost of carbon fuels must be recaptured and invested in renewable. The island nations and low lying areas in typhoon territory are virtually being killed as we speak.

I saw a blade damaged by a storm three years ago. I cannot believe how quickly wind generation is growing. I heard the 22% figure on Texas this morning on the radio. I am traveling and seeing entire fields covered with wind generation. It is a great combo with traditional grain farming. The farmer gets about 6k a year in lease payments and higher. The schools get enhanced assessments from property taxes, and the utilities do not need centralized mega facilities with great risk.

Oh, they fixed the blade in a week. I have gone by a staging area, and they keep some extras on the ground. I spoke to a young man who works the generator rooms which sit atop the windmill and he said the toughest part of his job was overcoming motion sickness. They are designed to give in strong winds, and they move.

2seaoat wrote:http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/19/21530485-damage-from-worst-in-a-century-midwest-storm-system-could-cost-1-billion?lite=

The choices are becoming clear.  There is an immediate need to change to renewable technology which is readily available and clean.   The hidden cost of carbon fuels must be recaptured and invested in renewable.  The island nations and low lying areas in typhoon territory are virtually being killed as we speak.

Nothing in your source refers to Texas nor does it refer to any 22% of Texas energy being produced by wind. My guess is that figure is about one decimal point off of reality.

Can't you imagine a tornado hitting a wind farm? Those blades would take off like helicopters. Instead of touching down 100 yards away they could land states away.

Can't you imagine a tornado hitting a wind farm? Those blades would take off like helicopters. Instead of touching down 100 yards away they could land states away.

No argument from me on the power of these storms which each year are increasing in power and wind speed. November tornado activity in Northern Illinois........unheard of, but in regards to the Texas stat, I heard it on the radio but this link confirms they are the leader in the US,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_States

2seaoat wrote:Can't you imagine a tornado hitting a wind farm? Those blades would take off like helicopters. Instead of touching down 100 yards away they could land states away.

No argument from me on the power of these storms which each year are increasing in power and wind speed.  November tornado activity in Northern Illinois........unheard of, but in regards to the Texas stat, I heard it on the radio but this link confirms they are the leader in the US,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_States

I knew your 22% was wrong. YOUR source doesn't mention that figure either but it does refer to another page, had you looked.

Wind power accounted for 9.2% of the electricity generated in Texas during 2012.

Hard to believe 2seaoat...I mean how can they be producing so much renewable energy and they have a REPUBLICAN governor?

How do progressives rationalize the wind power, and solar power when those sources are killing endangered birds by the hundreds and others by the thousands along with bats by the thousand?

Hard to believe 2seaoat...I mean how can they be producing so much renewable energy and they have a REPUBLICAN governor?

How do progressives rationalize the wind power, and solar power when those sources are killing endangered birds by the hundreds and others by the thousands along with bats by the thousand?


I know that in my travels this year I am seeing wind towers and power transmission upgrades across the country. Private investment is driving the wind explosion and it has little to do with politics. Traditional utilities who are looking for greater profit are flocking to wind. I have seen the huge wind farm outside Purdue University, and the midwest winds and grain crops which work well with the towers are simply exploding. I foresee 25% of our energy generation in the top twenty states within the decade.

Your stats on bird deaths are simply not current. The new wind generators are about half the speed of the old and twice the size. Birds simply are not having the problems they had with the higher speed smaller generators. This has nothing to do with politics, because true conservatives have always been for conserving our natural habitat and environment. Renewable has been attacked by vested interest in traditional polluting energy sources. Their attacks may make their way into the political debate, but it is the utilities and free enterprise which is driving the expansion.

All I know is there are a LOT of wind gens in Illinois.
Wind Projects in Illinois

Installed Wind Capacity: 3,568 megawatts (MW). State Rank:Illinois ranks 4th for total MW installed
Number of Wind Turbines:2,195 turbines. State Rank: Illinois ranks 4th for number of utility-scale wind turbines
Wind Projects Online: 46 wind projects
Wind Capacity Added in 2012:823.3 MW. State Rank: Illinois added the 5th most new capacity during 2012
Wind Capacity Added in 2011:692.5 MW

Current Wind Generation

Percentage of Illinois' electricity provided by wind in 2012: 3.9 percent
Equivalent number of homes Illinois wind farms now power: over 1,000,000 average Illinoisan homes

Wind Generation Potential

According to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Illinois' onshore wind potential at 80 meters hub height is 249,882 MW. State Rank: Illinois has the 15th best wind resource in the U.S
This means that wind power is capable of meeting more than 5.2 times the state's current electricity needs
The state has transmission connections to both the PJM and MISO regional power grids, and strong wind resources near big cities such as Chicago, Springfield, Bloomington, Joliet and Champaign-Urbana

Jobs & Economic Benefits
An investment in wind power is an investment in jobs, including jobs in operations and maintenance, construction, manufacturing and many support sectors. In addition, wind power projects produce lease payment for landowners and increase the tax base of communities.

Total direct and indirect jobs support in 2012: 6,001-7000. State Rank: Illinois ranks 4th for number of wind-related jobs
Capital investment: over $7.2 billion dollars  
Annual land lease payments: over $10,975,000

Wind-Relating Manufacturing
The wind industry has over 550 manufacturing facilities producing products for the wind industry that range from blade, tower and turbine nacelle assembly facilities to raw component suppliers including fiberglass and steel.

Number of manufacturing facilities in Illinois: 36 facilities

Illinois has attracted investment from major wind industry players, including tower manufacturer Trinity Structural Towers and gearbox manufacturer Winergy, allowing many smaller manufacturers to get involved in the wind energy supply chain.
Environmental Benefits of Wind Power
Generating wind power creates no emissions and uses virtually no water.

The water consumption savings from wind projects in Illinois total more than 2 billion gallons of water per year
The wind power installed in Illinois will avoid 5,550,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 980,000 cars off the road

State Policy 
The Illinois state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) was first enacted in 2007, requiring investor-owned electric utilities, and later alternative retail electric suppliers, to generate 25% of their 2025 electricity from renewable resources. It remains one of the strongest state standards in the country, and as other states to the west meet their standards for now, developers have focused more on meeting the Illinois standard.
 
 

I just don't think wind will ever take off or be a big player personally.

Im sure there are places that can utilize it, but supplying a city, na I don't buy it.

I would think solar would be more used. because its easy really and I personally think solar is cool. 

it doesn't seem like someone has marketed solar properly.

How to Build a Cheap DIY Solar Panel System for Under $1,000
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2012/06/13/how-to-build-diy-solar-panel-cheap/#.UoyHXZ0o45s

Ive often thought to try and build one myself just for fun, prepper stuff. I got a small kit for my son last year for Christmas and he hasn't been interested in it yet.

When it comes to talking about the environment, I give that award to Al Gore and Rush Limbaugh.
When it comes to doing something about the environment, I give that award to Chad Pregracke.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/04/04/cnnheroes-pyfrom.cnn.html

And I would gladly trade a thousand Gores and Limbaughs for one Pregracke.

Texas is full of those giant wind power generators. Driving. From San Angelo to midland I saw lots of them and I sure dont know where it was all being used since nothing is out there but ranches and oil rigs

Texas is full of those giant wind power generators. Driving. From San Angelo to midland I saw lots of them and I sure dont know where it was all being used since nothing is out there but ranches and oil rigs


That is what shocked me on my road trip to Arizona last year. There had been explosive growth of the same since my last visit by car five years ago. Texas with all its oil resources leads the nation in wind production. We are seeing a virtual transformation of how we get electricity as we speak. It is spreading like wildfire and the beauty of this system, it improves America's national security because our generation of power and our grid is redundant and spread all over and not concentrated. If we simply took away one year the subsidy to big banks to guarantee loans in the amount of 85 billion and rather gave that subsidy to homeowners to install roof top solar, in a matter of a few years half of all our electricity in this country would be generated by solar and wind. Part of the problem is the traditional south has very low wind potential, but excellent solar compared to the midwest. The combination of the two could see electric prices dropping in real dollar values. This country has a very bright future.

2seaoat wrote:Texas is full of those giant wind power generators. Driving. From San Angelo to midland I saw lots of them and I sure dont know where it was all being used since nothing is out there but ranches and oil rigs


That is what shocked me on my road trip to Arizona last year.  There had been explosive growth of the same since my last visit by car five years ago.  Texas with all its oil resources leads the nation in wind production.  We are seeing a virtual transformation of how we get electricity as we speak.  It is spreading like wildfire and the beauty of this system, it improves America's national security because our generation of power and our grid is redundant and spread all over and not concentrated.  If we simply took away one year the subsidy to big banks to guarantee loans in the amount of 85 billion and rather gave that subsidy to homeowners to install roof top solar, in a matter of a few years half of all our electricity in this country would be generated by solar and wind.   Part of the problem is the traditional south has very low wind potential, but excellent solar compared to the midwest.  The combination of the two could see electric prices dropping in real dollar values.  This country has a very bright future.

My BIL has been working for several months on a solar installation on the Cali/Arizona border. He's not in town often and we haven't had a chance to talk about it much...

There's no doubt that the entrenched industries have fought this kind of technology through the years. I recently read a "found" book by Woody Guthrie, written in the '30's but left in a film producer's archives...he had originally wanted to make it into a movie. It's called HOUSE OF EARTH...being a child of the Dust Bowl era and location, he (and his main character) advocated building adobe-style houses on the prairies because they cost very little to build and are a great example of passive solar building techniques.

In the '60's, there was also a major push for alternative energy. I, and lots of people I knew read MOTHER EARTH NEWS...I still read it online.