Marktheshark

Has anyone heard of this guy. I wish our elected officials would at least consider something like this.



http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan/

P-cola_Native

I've just started to hear about this guy. It is probably good that he isn't a politician,because politicians are allworthless. Our countries needs innovative entrepeneurs to like this guy to help solve our energy problems.

The port of Pensacola has been off loading wind turbine parts, pretty cool to see them coming through here. I've seen them out west, I think it is a great idea.

Xanadu

You guys have never heard of T Boone Pickens? Well, he used to be an oil man. He's been rich as rich can be for a long time and he's an old line Texan from the Texas Panhandle. He's been in the energy business forever and at some point got more into buying and disposing of corporations - like the Wall Street movie as I recall.



Before all you Republicans get all happy and supportive of this guy, realize he believes taxes should be progressive and paid by the rich. He thinks people like him who make their money from investments should pay the same rate on income as anyone else. One of his well known stories is how he pays less as a percentage of his income (which is staggering) than his secretary.



Anyway, he's heavily invested in wind technology and he has enough money to do what he wants whether it makes him anything or not, but he's not doing this as charity. it's my opinion he's building a legacy and looking to make a ton of money while taking the lead in getting us off the oil problem.



It's the best attempt I've ever seen at addressing this situation in a comprehensive manner and it pains me to no end that Cheney's secret energy meetings didn't take these tactics 7 years ago.

Tuna Man

One problem with wind trubines........That problem is the same as those that don't support oil platforms off the coast of Florida. They don't want them in their "BACKYARD"

They are quiet, and don't look bad. Wouldn't bother me to have them in "my" backyard.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who would be able to see the wind farm on the horizon from his family's Hyannis compound, and former governor Mitt Romney maneuvered to kill the project on several occasions because of fears that the turbines would be unsightly, hurting tourism and property values.

Some of his figures are flawed, but wind turbines are up and coming. Saw 100's of them last year out west.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.i...er/wind-farms/

P-cola_Native

I'm pretty young, and honestly a subject such as oil tycoons would not have warrated my attention in the recent past. I'm just saying, that as a 22 year old college student, I've just recently started hearing about this guy and his wind power investments. I do think we need smart people looking to get rich off of alternative energy. They are more effective than the government in accomplishing a goal.

Mellow Yellow

We deer hunt in Mclean which is about 30 miles from Pampa where Pickens is building his windfarm. The locals seem to like him and his plan will definitely help their economy. The wind blows there like a mo fo so I can see why he's doing it there. My buddy that owns the ranch we hunt on owns a natural gas production company and they had their property "measured" for wind velocity, direction, and duration about 4 years ago. They are now putting up their own turbines and expect to recoup a huge capital expenditure ( and I mean huge ) within 20 years. As for NIMBY (not in my back yard), I think the turbines look pretty cool and they make an awesome sound.

Xanadu

Ted Kennedy will be dead inside a year and screw the birds.



The best thing about those turbines you see on the site adn on tv is that they're made right here in Pensacola and shipped out of the port. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't GE making those?

David Ridenour

Wind power is worth using but the problem with wind power is we can't store it. We have several HUGE windmills (TVA green power) on Windrock Mountain. You actually have to check on your utility bill and pay more if you want to use green power. Until the technology to store huge amounts of power is perfected (battery technology) it is required to have a full traditional grid system running full time to back up wind, solar, and any other alternative power source that isn't consistent. We need some serious tax credits as we had in the 70's to stimulate private industry to invest the huge amount of money and time required to develop these invaluable alternative energy sources.

Tuna Man

I don't see where storage is a problem, we don't store it, at this time you can't store AC.With the power grid system we have in the U.S. First you come on line with wind/solar, then either hydro or nuclear, and lastly with fossil fuel..as needed. Here in Alabama on the Cosa river we have numerous power generating dams. Each dam has about 4 generators. During peak power needs 2 or 3 may run. At night I'd bet they run maybe 1 at each location, and not at full speed.

WW2

Wind is bad in Florida, sun is not....