Texas Oil Tycoon Backs Wind Power

[Jagger69]

This is very interesting. He's a guy (billionaire Texas oilman Boone Pickens) who is espousing an emphasis on harnessing wind power in the USA as a means of obtaining out energy independence. The theory is....wind generates enough power to provide electricity for our domestic needs and natural gas, which has historically been a major source of electric power, can be diverted to providing fuel for automobiles. He calls the USA the "Saudi Arabia of wind" as it applies to typical winds that blow almost constantly across the great plains states.

This carries a lot of credibility with me as a possible energy option that neither of the two presidential candidates has mentioned (Obama being mainly for exploitation of our coal reserves and McCain being for increased oil drilling in previously forbidden areas and the expansion of nuclear power).

Certainly worth discussion. Any comments?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/19/pickens.qa/

 

[bombardier52]

This is very interesting. He's a guy (billionaire Texas oilman Boone Pickens) who is espousing an emphasis on harnessing wind power in the USA as a means of obtaining out energy independence. The theory is....wind generates enough power to provide electricity for our domestic needs and natural gas, which has historically been a major source of electric power, can be diverted to providing fuel for automobiles. He calls the USA the "Saudi Arabia of wind" as it applies to typical winds that blow almost constantly across the great plains states.

This carries a lot of credibility with me as a possible energy option that neither of the two presidential candidates has mentioned (Obama being mainly for exploitation of our coal reserves and McCain being for increased oil drilling in previously forbidden areas and the expansion of nuclear power).

Certainly worth discussion. Any comments?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/19/pickens.qa/

Seems like everyone loves the idea as long as it isn't in their back yard. Witness Ted Kennedy standing against putting them in the water near MA. I travel a lot to the Mojave, CA area and there are a lot of big wind fields in the hills above the town. They are kind of an eyesore.

 

[photowizard]

I would like to see more info...but if it even somewhat fixes this mess ....well.... go for it

 

[Sicario]

We definitely need more mavericks like him to lead the way. :thumbsup:

 

[tartanterrier]

I'd say he's got a bigger idea in that brain that's ready to explode

 

[hammerer]

Wind will always have trouble until better means of storing its power become available, as it is not a constant energy source.But it's still a good idea.

 

[tartanterrier]

What about wave power :dunno:

 

[pancha]

Wind is becoming more popular, even amongst residential consumers, but as previously stated, the main downfall seems to be aesthetics. . . people don't want them in their yards or in their neighbors yard.

There are some areas around here that utilize them (windmills/wind towers) but it is mainly farms and such. there are 2 residential homes that have them that i am aware of, the last of which went through quite a hassle to get it approved. These homes are in very rural areas, and I believe there is a size minimum on the property. There was talk about a neighborhood or small town that was looking to implement it as their power source, but I haven't heard much about it.

 

[Jagger69]

Anyone who has ever driven through west Texas or from LA to Palm Springs knows how these monster wind farms look, but I say that eventually the cost of oil will probably make people look past all the aesthetic issues and go for it. It wasn't included in the article but part of his plan also includes wave power. I don't believe he's pushing this for personal gain either....the guy is 80 years old and is worth 4 billion dollars.

The great thing about wind power is it is an inexhaustible resource and is as green as you can get.

 

[Friday on my mind]

I think he is sincere and support it 100%.I am not convinced that wind ,wave etc is really going to provide enough energy but think we should get all we can.And how it looks must be disregarded by Kennedy and everybody else.Still think we need nukes big time which is actually what the UN recently said.Forget the exact numbers but they said we need a certain amount of new nuclear and wind installations over the coming years.

 

[gunslingingbird]

He probably sees a ton of money in profits. Why else would a billionaire oil tycoon be advocating using a different means of power that would cut into his own profits? :dunno:

 

[titsrock]

He probably sees a ton of money in profits. Why else would a billionaire oil tycoon be advocating using a different means of power that would cut into his own profits? :dunno:

You are correct. He made a huge investment $500million in either Wind or Solar technology. I forget which.

I saw his TV ad yesterday. He may have the right approach, but he also may be trying to become the next Halliburton...

 

[Jagger69]

He probably sees a ton of money in profits. Why else would a billionaire oil tycoon be advocating using a different means of power that would cut into his own profits? :dunno:

Take 5 minutes to watch this video.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5330139&page=1

Sure, he's worried about the future of his company and of America from a money standpoint, but I believe he is sincere in his motivations to change our current energy policy (which, basically, is to suck OPEC's dick while they ram it up our ass). He sees the present course as disastrous in the final analysis and I really like the idea of freeing up natural gas from being a producer of electricity to being the main source for fuel for cars, trains, trucks and airplanes. This guy is a straight-talking Texas legend who started from nothing to become a billionaire and is not your typical oil mogul.

 

[stainedblueyes]

But what if we run out of wind ?

 

[gunslingingbird]

Take 5 minutes to watch this video.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5330139&page=1

Sure, he's worried about the future of his company and of America from a money standpoint, but I believe he is sincere in his motivations to change our current energy policy (which, basically, is to suck OPEC's dick while they ram it up our ass). He sees the present course as disastrous in the final analysis and I really like the idea of freeing up natural gas from being a producer of electricity to being the main source for fuel for cars, trains, trucks and airplanes. This guy is a straight-talking Texas legend who started from nothing to become a billionaire and is not your typical oil mogul.

OK, I see your point. He does seem sincere, especially when he talks about how money is what drives politics. There should be more people like him who seriously try to find ways to be free of foreign oil dependency. Like he said, a fool with a plan is better than a genius with no plan. The problem is that oil is somewhat like a drug for us. We think can't live without it, and kicking the habit is a real pain in the ass without getting help. I think that this guy wants to provide that help.

 

[gunslingingbird]

But what if we run out of wind ?

Actually, I've been seeing commercials on tv where PG&E says they're trying to harness some kind of device at dairy plants that would convert the methane emitted by cows and transform it into usable energy. I don't know how realistic it is to think that we can obtain energy from farts, but, if it's possible, I'd like to order one of these devices for my roommate's room. Shit, our house would generate so much energy that PG&E would be paying us for energy.

 

[snoopy63]

I heard about this, good to see big money starting to back up alternative energies. I'm also excited to see how far they can progress with solar technologies. Too bad there isn't a greater focus on energy efficiency and conservation, that would make a big difference.

 

[titsrock]

T Boone Pickens is a bum. He helped fund the Swift Boat Attacks on John Kerry and than had the gall and brazen to offer anyone $1million to refute the Swift Boaters. John Kerry and some other Org agreed to take the challenge but T Boone has since backed away from the "challenge"...

He may be right--wind and natural gas may be the pathway we need to go. He's just a complete jackass and he's also invested hugely in wind power. Makes it kind of convenient for him to urge the nation toward Wind...

 

[gunslingingbird]

He may be right--wind and natural gas may be the pathway we need to go. He's just a complete jackass and he's also invested hugely in wind power. Makes it kind of convenient for him to urge the nation toward Wind...

Well of course he's gotta have interests in it, otherwise he wouldn't be advocating it, but, in this case, I think that his idea, if it's attainable on a large scale, would be the lesser of 2 evils. We can either dismiss ideas like the one he had and keep getting anally mounted by foreign oil companies, or we can hearken to what he says and continue to fill his pockets, albeit at a lower price than what we're paying now, and tell the foreign oil companies to go fuck themselves. Either way, someone's gonna be making huge profits from us. The question is which would cost us less.

 

[Jagger69]

Touche' t-rock.....

But.....I'd ask you to ignore the messenger and concentrate on the message. Of course he has a financial stake in it but he is the one investing the money to launch this project as well. Perhaps I should not have talked so much about Pickens himself....who is espousing this policy is really moot. It's the idea that intrigues me, not Pickens.

THAT SAID....

Politically, If he was a swift-boater, he sucks balls just like his butt-hole buddy Bob Perry (yikes! another Texan! do we see a trend here???). Your point about him is indeed well taken.