November 26, 2006

The New is Wearing Off

of wind power: Star-Telegram | 11/26/2006 | Wind-power push raising ire

Here's an ERCOT (Energy Reliability Council of Texas) represenatative on wind, and remember they are very pro-wind:

Bojorquez cautions that wind energy must be supplemented by more traditional forms of energy, like natural gas and coal. When the energy is needed the most during the summer, wind will be generating at less than 3 percent of its capacity.

"You cannot plan your grid around it," Bojorquez said. "During historic summer peaks, you can only count on wind to generate 2.6 percent of its capacity. Wind energy does mean you will use fewer amounts of coal and oil, but it doesn't mean you will replace any power plants. You will still the need the same number because wind is variable."

When you need the power most, wind can give you 2.6% of its installed capacity. Oh, yeah, that's going to save the world.

ERCOT says wind is offsetting 1,500,000 pounds of CO2 per year. My little Chevy pickup gets about 20 miles/gallon on my 28 mile daily round trip, so at 19.56 pounds of CO2/gallon, thats around 6,825 pounds of CO2/year, just from my little 4-cylinder fuel injected pickup. So in 220 years, I will make 1.5 million pounds of CO2. Good trade? tell it to the 300 or so other drivers around me every day, in one very small part of Texas. They (along with me) will make 2 million or more pounds of CO2 every year, and thats just a tiny fraction of the vehicles in this area, much less the state.

Realistically wind is offsetting less than .1% of total CO2 production in Texas, probably less than .01%. But they get huge tax breaks for doing it.

Wind is a tax scam.

Posted on November 26, 2006 12:36 PM