Wind Energy, Front and Center
My colleague Bill Moore of EV World and EVisioneer2020 writes from his home in Omaha, Nebraska, “(Here’s the) wind power contribution to the Southwest Power Pool this morning.” (See below.)
That’s fabulous. So many factors at play here, and most of them bode very well for the continued expansion of wind into the grid-mix. More electric vehicles charged during times of peak wind. Bigger, better, and more cost-effective turbines. Energy storage coming on line. Obsolescence of coal, due in part to competition from renewables.
Steady as she goes.
Craig,
What exactly is the point of these vague little snippets?
It would appear, like you, very few citizens of Nebraska own an EV. Indeed, of the 2,700,000 registered motor vehicles in the State of Nebraska, only 771 are alternative fuel vehicles and only half of those could be described as EV’s.
What on earth is fabulous?
Recently, the world media celebrated that the UK had enjoyed an entire day of only ‘renewable power’! The celebration were accompanied by the usual pie charts and graphs. The story caught on and went, as they say, viral!
It was repeated and repeated until it has now become part of popular belief and entrenched in the green agenda.
Except, the story is completely untrue!
While it’s true the UK rejected surplus domestic power from sources other than renewables that day, it also contractually used coal and gas fired power imported from Denmark and imported Russian bio-mass (wood) fired power.
The percentage contribution form these sources added to 38% !
Not only was the famous story a fraud, but it illustrates how desperate Wind advocates are to spin and distort information to keep subsidies continuing.
If even in Nebraska, with massive subsidies and ‘rigged’ regulations favouring wind, the best that can be achieved on the most favourable hour of the most favourable day of the years is 34%, what is there to celebrate?
If anything it only proves that if Nebraska, a major coal producing state had invested in a new ultra clean coal plant instead of federally subsided wind, both the environment and economy would be benefiting.
A recent survey by the University of Nebraska of Wind turbines installed since 2001, an alarming 16% were abandoned, while another 18% were functioning at reduced capacity and were showing signs of accelerated wear.
Turbine replacement, repair and maintenance is not included in costing figures, nor is the addition wear and tear on distribution and grid infrastructure caused by intermittent power.
Nebraska is uniquely placed to be the poster pin=up state for Wind power, and yet as Nebraska’s most famous son, and largest investor in Wind energy observed:
” No sensible investor would invest in Wind Turbines! But, I am reaping large profits from investing in Wind Subsideis”.
-Warran Buffet speaking to the annual general meeting of Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha.