Back in July T. Boone Pickens announced a quartering of his mega-wind farm project. The project has essentially been scrapped due to continuing issues with access to transmission lines, as Mr. Pickens downplays wind in his wind+natural gas “plan.” The remaining order with GE has been halved to three hundred odd turbines, whose future home is expected to be relocated from the Texas panhandle to Canada or Montana.

The comic has nothing to do with the story per se, but was interesting and allows for a segue to an NYT/Greenwire piece from last month pointing out that Wind Projects Don’t Hurt Neighbors’ Property Values — Study. Makes sense to me. After all, if the likes of Monet and van Gogh found beauty in windmills, who am I to disagree?

Remember T. Boone Pickens and his famous plan? There’s been much buzz today (for example) about an announcement of the downward revision of his original plans to one quarter the original scale. The change has been attributed to lower fossil fuel prices than when the plan was first put forth, as well as the credit crunch. However, Pickens is already on the hook for nearly 700 turbines, and he plans to make several smaller wind farms rather than the megafarm previously proposed. Most people seem to see this as an unfortunate turn of events, but a handful of smaller installations are a more sound strategy from most vantage points e.g; redundancy, minimizing impacts, etc. As for the diminished capacity, initial delivery is not due until 2011, so it… [view entry]

Patrick-2,000 megawatts of wind power on the grid before 2020

Patrick, who called for an increase in Massachusett’s solar capacity from the current 4MW to 250 MW soon after he was elected in 2006, had this to say about the state’s (soon to be) booming wind power industry.

“With the growing interest in wind turbines we see in communities across the Commonwealth  and the abundant wind

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Picken’s company Mesa Power LLP has put it’s money where his mouth is, making the world’s largest order for wind turbines with GE in 2007, scheduled for delivery in 2010 or 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpQa-ibNOKM

Energy independence or bird killing eyesore?

When the Bush administration ignored T. Boone Pickens ambitious Pickens Plan Oil mogul and corporate raider decided he’d just have build support for the massive undertaking himself.

In the video accompanying the PickensPlan.com Web site, Pickens said that getting 20 percent of the U.S.’ electricity from wind and diverting natural gas to transportation could be done in 10 years “if there is the right leadership.”

“I am calling on the next President and Congress to take immediate action in the first 100 days of the new Administration to do whatever is necessary to make this plan a reality. We are asking the American public to get behind this plan and to help us reduce

… [view entry]