[Rhodes22-list] Opinion on the Pickens Plan - non sailing, non political, educational

[Tootle]

The following opinion on the Pickens Plan has been sanitized so that the
source is not readily identified, other than to say the source is very
qualified.  The reply is not political but offers an opinion based on
analysis of plan by qualified commentator.
 
1. I like his idea of getting to 20% electricity being provided by wind. It
is currently fairly cost competitive as an energy source. There is the big
issue which he addresses of adding new transmission lines to get the wind
from the places that it is windy (i.e. people don't want to live there) to
where the major load pockets are. He list this as being $1.2 Trillion. which
I belive is accurate.
 
2. I don't like the use of natural gas for the car fleet. I would be worried
that we don't have enough and this is a short term solution. I like the
ideas of using electricity for cars initially in the for of plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles then a transition to either all electric or fuel cell
vehicles if they become viable. Besides using natural gas in cars is very
inefficient 25% in a combustion engine. Electric vehicles are much more
efficient.
 
3. I would instead use the natural gas (via gas peaking plants) to make up
for the added wind variability. Adding 20 % wind is doable, but that adds a
lot of variability to how utilities operate the electric power system.
Natural gas is currently used to "fill in" when the wind is not blowing.
Natural gas should also be used for house/building heating.
 
4. By the way there is always the solar option. Solar is by far the most
abundant energy resource in the US. A 100x100 square mile area covered in
solar panels in Nevada would power all the electricity needs for the entire
US. Of course you still have the transmission problems and the higher cost
of solar energy. 
 
5. I think we need to look at the entire energy sector: electricity,
heating, transportation, etc. and develop a plan that uses all our national
resources in the most effective manner. You still have coal and nuclear in
the electricity picture for the foreseeable future. I think all of these
will be in the mix and there should be a strategic plan to get off of
foreign oil. So for this idea, there are good oints and bad points, but at
least people are talking.

The above has been provided for your benefit, personal understanding and
intellectual growth.

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA




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