energy

[rolmops]

Just a couple of weeks ago,a new alternative energy program was launched in the East River in New York City.
A sealed wind mill turbine was lowered into the water.The turbine gets its energy from the tidal currents rushing in and out of the river.There will be six similar electricity generators lowered into the river,each with different type propellers in order to find out what the most productive propeller is.
We have huge wind farms in Upstate,NY,there are plans to add to those on and off shore and we are starting to use the tides for energy.
I wonder whether the water turbines will be grinding up fish and end up being stinky hot spots for crabs and lobsters,but apart from that it beats getting our lakes killed by the acid rain and mercury that is caused by the mid west coal burning power generators.
Does your state invest in alternative energy production? Or do you think that this is another democrat,liberal,socialist,communist, anti freedom plot hatched by evil Nancy?
Let's hear what happens in your state!
On another note.
Lots of us own quite powerful pickup trucks with huge engine compartments and big pickup boxes that we do not really use but like to have.Did any of you ever consider putting a pile of batteries in there and change over to electric?

 

[ob]

Re: energy

Utility scale wind generation is in its infancy in Texas but there are plans for offshore as well as inshore stations.Many individual and small co-op wind generators already exist.I'm afraid that Nancy can't lay claim to the concept.Perhaps she could propose development of hot air generation at some point.

 

[rwise]

Re: energy

Here we are just starting to use wind mills for public power. Yes some plants burn coal (not from the USA ours has to much sulfer) some are useing natural gas and some jet fuel. the jet fuel has been the best. Drive a turbine direct and then make steam with the exhaust and drive 2 more turbines. Also hydro electric power all over the state. I have not been in all the plants in this state so I don't know if we still have deisel plants, there is one just across the state line in Kansas. You can choose which type of power you but as well, wind/solar or conventanal. The wind/solar choice costs less to make but more on your bill. (so they can buy more generators

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: energy

There are several hydroelectric dams in Wisconsin. Most if not all have been there for decades. There are a few wind generators. The east side of the Horicon Marsh is targeted for a wind farm, but environmentalists are concerned about the blades hitting geese and other birds as they fly around. It's a hotspot for migrating birds which are key to it's fame. But Im sure the majority of our electricity still comes from coal.

 

[rolmops]

Re: energy

I'm afraid that Nancy can't lay claim to the concept.Perhaps she could propose development of hot air generation at some point.

I love that idea.Just imagine hooking Congress,the Senate and the white House into a hot air electricity generator.The USA would be instantly energy independent

 

[Coors]

Re: energy

No wind mills in Ted Kennedy's back yard (or even on the horizon). No siree..

 

[ob]

Re: energy

I love that idea.Just imagine hooking Congress,the Senate and the white House into a hot air electricity generator.The USA would be instantly energy independent

I think you may be onto something.

 

[ob]

Re: energy

No wind mills in Ted Kennedy's back yard (or even on the horizon). No siree..

Perhaps the Kennnedys could impliment a more visual friendly version.Say a cover-up generator of sorts.

 

[Coors]

Re: energy

Perhaps the Kennnedys could impliment a more visual friendly version.Say a cover-up generator of sorts.

lol

 

[POINTER94]

Re: energy

I was watching a debate on cspan that said we could get 10% of our electrical needs from wind farms in the Dakota's. I have posted in the past about tidal generators as a good and viable option as the tides seem to go off like clockwork. (ha ha) And we have plenty of shoreline in the USA. Nuclear has to be an option yet I have yet to see a new plant under construction in the US since what the 70's.

I don't think anyone regardless of political views are against anything that is truely viable. It is the feel good, class envy, its not fair, or power broker/not in my back yard, so someone has to give something away mentality that bothers me. Ted Kennedy is an excellent example. And coal is the most plentiful, and most domestically available fuel available right now. Demonizing it and failing to understand how it figures into our national energy matrix would be a mistake. Even coal gasification produces about 10% greater emissions than natural gas. We need to do our best to utilize the technology that is truely available on an industrial scale. Technology is to be encouraged but needs to prove itself prior to removal of existing systems.

I hope this works. But I am sure some sand slug will be endangered and some whack jobs who live in trees will show up and shut her down. But hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

 

[roscoe]

Re: energy

Does your state invest in alternative energy production? Or do you think that this is another democrat,liberal,socialist,communist, anti freedom plot hatched by evil Nancy?

State? as in the gov't?
Nevermind, thats another topic.


Back to your question. Does your state invest in alternative energy production?

We used to.
Wi got close to 40% of its electricity from nuclear back in the seventies. They only provide 19% now.
Hydro-elec dams are common in the state.
And small wind farms have been here for 15+ years.

But all of these have been stopped by Nancy's Sierra Club friends.

Can't dam any more rivers. They are actually trying to remove the dams.
Can't build a nuclear plant.
Can't seem to get approvals for wind farms.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: energy

Alternative energy is a great idea.... sadly, most of the people in my state feel it would "ruin" the landscape! There are a few windmills and towers but takes forever to get approval.

Methane is a great energy source and most recently they are processing algea for energy and making bio-diesel.

E-85 is a joke. Growning crops for the alcohol uses more energy than it will produce..... What's wrong with that picture!

Hybrids are going to be the future. Toyota has it right.... a hybrid system motor that is supported by a small fuel efficient motor. Honda is the reverse! Honda Hybrids are small fuel efficient engined supported by the hybrid motor. GM has a similar system in the Saturn but no where near as efficient. ...... and the GM truck hybrid just turns off the motor at a stop and is a total joke.

Many of the car companies are starting to make progress..... Toyota is on it's 5th generation hybrid. The funny part is what has happened to the previous generations..... Ford uses the 1st generation (Toyota) hybrid system in the Escape..... Nissan has purchased the rights to 100,000 3rd generation (Toyota) hybrid system and have put it in the Altima. Toyota has the 5th gen hybrid in 3 vehicles, 2 cars and a SUV.

Putting Batteries in a pick up box could work on a smaller pickup provided you had the electric motor and a way to charge the batteries.

Hydrogen is yet another good alternative if there was a cheap way to manufacture it and store it.

The US could profit from Nuclear Power and needs to relook at the system.

 

[Bondo]

Re: energy

We have huge wind farms in Upstate,NY,there are plans to add to those

Ayuh,........ And that's My Backyard...........I don't mind looking at them, At All....

There's a Big Wind Farm about 1/2 way between OMC,+ I,......Right down the East side of Tug Hill.......

There's Plans going on for another 1 just North of here, up around Clayton.....
It's moving forward,+ Contracts are being signed....

There was also an Attempt to put them in Cape Vincent, which would include the immediate area around My Riverhouses,......
But,............
The Bird Loving, Not in My backyard, From Out of Towner's who spent 2 months a year here, put the Brakes on it,...... They forced a 6 month moratorium on it for a "Study" at the last Town Meeting............
What'll Happen is,.. The Big Bad Investors will take All their Money somewhere Else in that 6 months, so the Problem goes Away.......

Ayuh,........ Let's Not worry about the Increase in the Tax base,+ the spur to the Local Economy it might bring,.......
Well,...... The Humor,+ Irony came but a week later.....
Those Poor ole Rich Folks will now have to See those Nasty Towers in Their Front Yards,........
The Canadians announced that They are putting a couple Hundred of them on Wolfe Island,........ Not a 1/2 mile across the Mighty St. Lawrence Creek from Downtown Cape Vincent.........

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: energy

I think harvesting tidal energy is a great idea. In Arizona, the biggest renewable energy source is hydro-electric. Hoover Dam creates Lake Mead and Glen Canyon Dam creates Lake Powell.

 

[Coors]

Re: energy

Bondo, you need to do what happens in Florida; not a full-time resident? pay taxes but can't vote.

 

[Bondo]

Re: energy

Bondo, you need to do what happens in Florida; not a full-time resident? pay taxes but can't vote.

Ayuh,.........

This is New York,.......... Ya Don't even need a Heartbeat to Vote in This State.........

 

[ricksrster]

Re: energy

Heartbeats are taxed in NY, also

 

[Plainsman]

Re: energy

There is wind farm near here, 7 windmills in all, hugh suckers!!
As for the batteries in the back of a truck, how do you dispose of all those millions and millions of batteries when they are no longer any good? Whatever the answer, the tree huggers won't like it.
We need more nuclear power plants, but once again, the tree huggers stop it.

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: energy

Hydro is pretty much a non-runner here as we just don't have the water to make it a major form of generation.

We use coal, as there is an abundance of that.
News reported last week there were over 120 large bulk carrier ships, waiting in a que to be loaded with coal. This happens all the time.
All going to China I guess.

Wind generation. I understand there are wind farms in the south, and many complaints to go with them....re noise.

Now for the biggest grizzel I have.
We have an abundance of sunlight, (like 365 days per year, 11hrs per day)and solar works a real treat.
Problem is, solar water heaters are far more expensve than electric water cylinders, and the electric companies charge so little for off-peak hot water rates, it is not worth putting in a solar system.
Solar electricity panels work really well here too.
Looked in to putting a system in as I use a lot of power.
Well, it was going to cost me over $9,000 after the subsidies, (if i could get them) to give me less power that I currently use.

Conclusion: the gap in costs is so great, I decded 'sod-it' and just use electricity from coal fired generators.

Our Govt have raised the issue of Nuclear Power generation for the future, as if we are forced to stop burning coal, then nuclear may be the only source for this country.
Keep in mind, no matter how many solar elec panels you put in place, industry needs a lot of energy, and usually when the sun is on the other sde of the planet too.
Cheers
Phillip

 

[tomatolord]

Re: energy

quick note on e85 it does NOT take more energy to produce it then to harvest it IF you count the feed use of the crop. The corn that is not used for e85 is fed to animals, if you did not use the corn for e85 you STILL have to harvest the crop to feed to the animals, which requires you use energy to do so. If you ONLY use corn for e85 then it does use more energy but who does that? that is like saying gasoline costs more energy to produce it then to use it, which is true if do not count the other products produced out of barrel of oil.

There are 2 main issues STORAGE and TRANSPORTATION.

You can only store energy cheaply in certain forms, coal, oil, wood, uranium, water to a degree.

Other then those forms you cannot store it cheaply. All of the alternate sources the problem is when there is NO wind/tides/water you have to produce energy with some other source NOW. You cant just call people up and say its cloudy today so dont use so much electricity.

transportation - it is very hard to transport electricity, you cannot make it maine and use it california, you can oil, you can coal - again the coal is stored energy taken from wv and released in california.

where the wind farms are viable and where the people live are two different places and remember you still need backup plants and other facilities for when there is no wind/sunlight/tides

Now when you can store electricity and transport it then remote wind farms and tidal farms will be viable.

THe answer is hydrogen. answer these two questions and it does not matter where you produce the energy.


1 -storage - third generated storage systems not pressurized tanks or supper cooled tanks but chemical substrates that hold the hydrogen and release it when heated, they are in the labs now and should be in the field in 2-5 years.

2 - transportation - viable method of creating pipeplines - as the gasoline and lp's lines were created to distribute the energy now we need another line to distribute hydrogen - mini TBM's are in development to do this.

hydrogen is the answer

man did not move to the iron age because we ran out of rocks
man did not move to the bronze age because we ran out of iron,

they were better ideas and man moved forward, same thing with hydrogen.

Tomatolord