| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"hi@anony habshi" |
| Date: |
24 Mar 2006 07:53:41 PM |
| Object: |
Wind energy more lucrative than cattle |
excerpt
With a large, advanced-design wind turbine generating easily $100,000
worth of electricity per year, even a 3 percent royalty would earn
ranchers $3,000 a year from leasing a quarter-acre of ranchland. And
they can still run cattle on the land. If the proposed project is
approved as expected, these 30 or so ranchers will have an average of
seven turbines each, yielding roughly $21,000 a year in additional
income. A decade from now, there may be thousands of ranchers who will
be earning more selling electricity than they do selling cattle.
In upstate New York, dairy farmers in Lewis County near Lake Ontario
warmly embraced the 195-turbine Maple Ridge Wind Farm, and the $5,000
to $10,000-annual royalty offered for each of the turbines on their
land. Rural communities welcome wind farms because they provide income
to farmers and ranchers, skilled jobs, cheap electricity, and
additional tax revenue to upgrade schools and maintain roads.
The growing profitability of wind energy is attracting big-time
players. Four years ago, General Electric purchased Enron Wind, one of
Enron's few profitable segments, parlaying its advanced wind turbine
design into a leading position in the world wind turbine market.
In mid-2005, Goldman Sachs purchased Zilkha Renewable Energy, a small
wind farm development company. Now called Horizon Wind Energy, this
wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs has under construction or in
the planning stages 4,000 megawatts of wind-generated electricity,
enough to supply electricity to 1.2 million homes.
AES, a leading international player in electricity generation, has
used its purchase of SeaWest, another wind developer, to establish a
strong position in the U.S. wind sector. It now has under development
1,800 megawatts of wind-generating capacity. Shell, one of the leading
bidders for offshore wind rights in the United Kingdom, owns 315
megawatts of wind-generating capacity in the United States and is
planning more. BP is mapping out areas in the United States where it
could build some 2,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity.
Overall, U.S. wind-generating capacity expanded by 36 percent in 2005,
reaching 9,149 megawatts. This year it could expand by 50 percent. At
the end of 2005, there were commercial wind farms in 30 states. (Data
at www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2006/Update52_data.htm.)
Wind power generation would grow even faster if it were not
constrained by the availability of turbines. General Electric, now
supplying 60 percent of the U.S. wind turbine market, is sold out
through 2007. Clipper Windpower, a startup turbine manufacturer, is
planning to produce 20 of its 2.5-megawatt Liberty turbines per month
by mid 2006 and a total of 250 turbines in 2007. Its production is
also committed well into the future.
After years of industry uncertainty, when Congress allowed the wind
production tax credit (PTC) to lapse several times, the 2005 PTC
extension through 2007 has given investors renewed confidence in the
future of wind power. The extension of the PTC, which is designed to
offset subsidies to fossil fuels and nuclear power, is leading to
record growth in the number of new wind farms planned.
Wind energy is emerging as a centerpiece of the new energy economy,
because it is abundant, inexpensive, inexhaustible, widely
distributed, clean, and climate-benign. Three of the 50 states - North
Dakota, Kansas, and Texas - have enough harnessable wind energy to
satisfy national electricity needs. The cost of wind-generated
electricity has fallen from 38¢ per kilowatt-hour in the early 1980s
to 4¢ to 6¢ today, offering an almost endless supply of cheap energy.
Beyond that, these wells will never go dry. No one can cut off the
supply or raise the fuel cost. And wind can supply our energy needs
without disrupting the earth's climate.
Contact Info:
Janet Larsen, Director of Research
Earth Policy Institute
Tel : (202) 496-9290 x 14
E-mail:
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| User: "dragmit" |
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| Title: Re: Wind energy more lucrative than cattle |
25 Mar 2006 06:30:10 PM |
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Wind energy is a great potential source for electrical energy.
Electricity can and most probably will replace out present
transportation energies. But there are some issues that must be
considered. Friends of mine here in Western NY have concerns about the
safety of our migratory birds in proximity of rotating turbines. There
are definite examples of kills to birds perpetuated in this manor. I
have read assements of speculative wind installations by scientists
studying the science, and it has been estimated installation of wind
generation systems on this planet in suitable wind locations,
generating enough electricity to replace what we now use, would take
approximatly the land mass of China. Thats a big wind farm! Would the
idea of free flight for birds become extinct? It would in China I
would guess! But, we havn't started talking about the cost of land
travel. If we start driving electric cars, riding electric trains, and
eat food and consume products delivered with electric trucks, we are
going to need a couple more Chinas, so lets not stop looking there.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Wind energy more lucrative than cattle |
25 Mar 2006 08:15:04 PM |
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In sci.physics dragmit <dragmit@adelphia.net> wrote:
Wind energy is a great potential source for electrical energy.
Electricity can and most probably will replace out present
transportation energies.
Yeah, right, just pour 4 cups of electrons down the fuel spout of your
18 wheeler...
<snip remaining>
--
Jim Pennino
Remove .spam.sux to reply.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Wind energy more lucrative than cattle |
24 Mar 2006 08:06:06 PM |
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habshi wrote:
through 2007. Clipper Windpower, a startup turbine manufacturer, is
planning to produce 20 of its 2.5-megawatt Liberty turbines
Standing up to 130 m high! (hub height + 1/2 of diameter)
http://www.clipperwind.com/techspecs.php
per month by mid 2006
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