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68 Comments
- WordsnCollision, on 07/15/2009, -0/+33Slim pickens indeed.
- winguero, on 07/15/2009, -0/+19This is an interesting point: "This predicament may help mid-scale wind projects to thrive, which previously couldn't obtain big name turbines when the market was really booming." I feel with all the talk on how a big name like Pickens bails on projects like this, people think the entire groundswell of wind as a viable alternative is lessening, and hopefully that's not the case...
- oldhick, on 07/16/2009, -1/+17Do some reading on his water rights that he's been acquiring through less than gentleman like behavior. One might conclude that his "Pickens Plan" of wind energy was really just a front to gain him access to water rights which he believes will be extremely profitable in the future.
Control peoples access to water, and well, there's money to be made... - setabs, on 07/16/2009, -0/+13The fact that he is out to make money?
- zebubble, on 07/16/2009, -0/+13Quantum of Solace had a plot? This is news to me.
- pegothejerk, on 07/16/2009, -0/+9some people said it was a land grab in the first place.. this doesn't help argue against that conspiracy theory.
- mtcobb2, on 07/16/2009, -1/+9They should sell all but one
- LooterMcBeer, on 07/16/2009, -1/+8Hes too busy stealing peoples driveways to mess with a windfarm......
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5 ... - adamagb, on 07/16/2009, -1/+8Wasn't that the plot to the last James Bond movie?
- Joshislong, on 07/16/2009, -1/+7Wasn't that the plot to Quantum of Solace?
- inactive, on 07/16/2009, -1/+7He wasn't attempting to do the "right" thing. He was attempting to do the "profitable" thing.
- inactive, on 07/16/2009, -1/+6I don't.
- SillyRabbits, on 07/16/2009, -0/+5He's learning the lesson faster than the Dutch did. You can't just tack a bunch of wind turbines onto the current electrical transmission grid. The system isn't designed to handle quickly fluctuating sources like wind turbines. While the system can cope with wind power as a very small percentage of the total power, it can't handle large percentages without a significant redesign of the entire system. We're not talking about a few billion dollars in upgrades, we're talking about hundreds of billions (or even trillions) to replace 100 years worth of existing power transmission infrastructure.
Back to the Dutch. With their high percentage of power generated from inconsistent wind generators, they end up having to run traditional fossil fuel plants anyway to ensure sufficient power is available during the entire day. And, as a result they are forced to feed the majority of their turbine generated power back into the European power grid (the study I read said 85%) and they have to sell it for deeply discounted surplus prices - mainly because it's generated during off-peak hours. Excellent example of what happens when environmentalists push though change simply because it sounds good - all while ignoring fundamental issues. Often times, it's a little like listening to somebody trying to tell a terminal cancer patient that they just have to think positively to overcome it. It doesn't matter how much they wave their hands or how cheery they sound, it's doesn't make cold-hard facts go away. - badfish0116, on 07/16/2009, -1/+6Don't worry Pickens, The Federal Government will probably buy them from you at 4x the actual price.....
- oldhick, on 07/16/2009, -0/+5I haven't seen the latest James Bond, but it may be. Nevertheless, do some googling. Maybe the movie was based on the Pickens plan?
- PhilMoskowitz, on 07/16/2009, -0/+5There was something ***** about this guy from the beginning.
- billyvnilly, on 07/16/2009, -1/+5I believe there was a rumor that he wanted a certain section of land reserved for the transmission lines, and that he was going to use that land to build an aqueduct from up north into texas and make a ton of money that way!
Now the transmission line land did not get approved he had less incentive... also the whole stock market tanking did not help. - an10ae, on 07/16/2009, -0/+4agreed.
- moresheth, on 07/16/2009, -0/+4The biggest hurdle for wind energy is the transmission lines. Texas is a big state, and it has its own grid, but getting the power from the High Plains down into the Hill Country takes a lot of lines.
Although they don't mention it in the article, the location that is being delayed is the Pampas Wind Project, which is named after Pampa, Texas, where I grew up - a small little town in the middle of the panhandle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pampa_Wind_Project - dafragsta, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3Well I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
- stonewall123, on 07/16/2009, -1/+4Funding and transmission problems? .... funding I can see but transmission? With all this talk about a new national energy grid it seems strange that he would be bailing now.
- Koppie, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3You'll have to answer to the Coca Cola Corporation for this.
- setabs, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3"Transmission lines from West Texas could run as much as $5.75 billion, ERCOT says"
http://tinyurl.com/2hebvk - inactive, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3I watched Pickens crying on NBC about this. I then explained to my dad that he was actually asking for government help, and what he really wanted was the water rights, and explained why as I have taken some water law as part of a CE class, and understand that water rights are an extremely valuable asset. He didn't believe me because he is a 50 year old who believes everything he sees on TV. I gave up.
- nickaster, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3I wonder if it has more to do with his water project than wind. The main reason he was buying up that land was NOT for the wind, it was to pipe water to Dallas.
- nigelmansell, on 07/16/2009, -0/+3showsman without the substance
- Joshislong, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2Whoa, simultaneous post!
- pagno, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2lol
- rfquinn, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2Holy crap! Someone else from Pampa on Digg?!? NOW I've seen everything.
Go Harvesters - Class of '97! - an10ae, on 07/16/2009, -1/+3Um.. "Sell Off 667 Wind Turbines" was in the title. Angle.
- sndream, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2I guess flipping turbines just don't work anymore like flipping houses.
- crh3f, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2this stuff just pisses me off...people can say all they want that a completely "free market" will eventually result in people "doing the right thing", ie, when oil/gas prices go up, it drives the market to alternative energy. Well, that's true...but look at what's happening now. That same "free market," when there are no incentives for using alternative energy (or disincentives from using dirty energy), drives people AWAY in a recession and when things are cheap. When are we gonna learn...people are greedy, and a completely free market rewards greed, at the expense of...well, everything else? There has to be some level of outside control in the form of rewards/regulations/punishment to keep individuals, with our short life spans and even shorter desires, in check.
- novenator, on 07/16/2009, -4/+6I don't know wtf to make of this man. I despise what he did with that Swift Boating fisasco, but he seems to be pushing green energy. There must be an angle I'm missing here.
- IVIrMP3, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2I know in 2007 a 1.5 MW GE was $1,996,000 each, excluding delivery and setup.
- pauldy, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Uhm, you've been listening to to many boondoggle adds. The biggest hurdle will be integrating a non-continuous power source into a grid that requires a consistent level of sustained power to meet consumer demand. The wind doesn't blow at a constant rate so you have to either build out a network that can store energy for times when the wind isn't blowing hard or you have to overbuild your network of turbines so that even during off peak wind periods your meeting demand then you have to find a way to sink all the excess power generated when the wind is blowing more than expected. The whole idea is ***** and has been from the start luckily so far the state of texas hasn't bought into this snake oil salesman's vision.
- roddack, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1well yeah he was an OSU supporter
- jmiller29, on 07/17/2009, -0/+1He should have continued with the plan. They will be needed soon if not now.
- yaosio, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1No, he's a crook.
- mooninite, on 07/16/2009, -1/+2Like Goldman Sachs? *gasp*
- lordmike, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1I'll take one... sure, the neighbors won't like it... but, it will be sweet revenge for the guy two doors who decided to play with his dirtbike motorcycles... in his backyard! Sigh... I can't wait to move...
- arunforce, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1He sure picken'ed the wrong business indeed.
- sentinel106, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1send a wire to the main office and tell them that I said ow!
- inactive, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1i would keep one if i were him
- roddack, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Well I guess this isn't as bad as him stealing part of a driveway
- cortjezter, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1at this rate, he'll never reach 1.21 gigawatts to power the delorean.
- deema1, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Great Scott!
- dandaman0345, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1I saw that in the Tulsa World yesterday lol I was thinking the same thing even though technically he was stealing it from the city it doesn't make it any better lol
- deema1, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Well this is an excellent sign that Wind Power is the next big thing.
Wind Turbines - For the Win(d)
/s - Bananaboy8000, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1They better include free shipping.
- pagno, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1Too bad. Theres alot of open, windy land in Tornado Alley.
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