Need help

Im doing a reasearch paper on green energy please help me learn what this plan is so i can use it in my paper

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Rolfe on September 26, 2008 at 1:03pm

thanks for this i appreciate it

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Permalink Reply by Pedrobear on September 26, 2008 at 10:15pm

there is no plan here

just a crazy old kook who's blowing money on this new fangled internet

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Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on September 26, 2008 at 10:29pm

Short version - but you'll need to read through the site to get details:

Pickens Plan is to replace some natural gas electricity generating plants with wind turbines to free the cng up for use as a fuel for vehicles, mostly trucks.

Most of us here have taken that original idea and expanded on it with other ideas; solar, wave driven turbines, bio-diesel for fuels, algae growing for fuel, electric cars, hydrogen driven vehicles, more domestic drilling, nuclear. There is no consensus on one manner of electricity generation.

The general consensus here is that there is no one answer, but many answers, some of which are better for different areas of the country.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Rolfe on October 2, 2008 at 11:50pm

i thank you all for your comments they will be most helpful

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Permalink Reply by Dennis Fieldman on October 4, 2008 at 3:45am

"If the federal government had been around when the Creator was putting His hand to this state, Indiana wouldn't be here. It'd still be waiting for an environmental impact statement."

Ronald Reagan

Timothy, Mr. T. Boone Pickens is an American businessman who has made his fortune providing Energy.

Until recently, his focus has been on Oil and Natural gas. For some decades he’s grown accustomed to constructive support from Federal, State, and local governments in his endeavors (generally speaking) and developed a business-like relationship having much to do about his working to understand the pressures and needs of the people he deals with, and an expectation they will work to understand his in return. At the end of the day, supplying energy to the country is a crucial business, not to be taken lightly, and not without challenge.

Everything I say is speculation of course, but the paragraph above is pretty much derived from Mr. Pickens statements and videos. However, what I’m about to say is raw opinion.

One day, that hasn’t been specified, Mr. Pickens decided it would be a good idea to include Wind Power in his buffet of energy choices. Whether then or later, or even perhaps in reverse, he articulated the notion that more automobiles in the U.S. could be using Natural gas then are presently; probably by a factor of 50 or so. This interest in Wind Power, and increasing the use of Natural gas as fuel for transportation united in his mind.

And so, Mr. Pickens engaged his mighty forces in the construction of the Largest Wind Farm in Texas, probably the world. That is happening as you read this.

And LO….. the constructive support from Federal, State, and local governments not only was NOT there to assist, but seemed allied to stop, slow, deter, and sidetrack his efforts!

What’s a Billionaire to do when even money can’t buy ya luv? Why you go directly to the people!

So what’s the PLAN?

Well he spells it out precisely and rationally, reduce the need for Natural Gas to fuel generating electricity by generating electricity from Wind (and maybe Solar down the road), and direct that Natural Gas to fuel vehicles. Save a big part of the $700 billion a year (and growing) we’re shipping to foreign suppliers. Especially suppliers who are antagonistic to our ideals, values, and “existence”!

As to “green” energy. Well, quite honestly I haven’t seen a lot about GREEN energy in Mr. Pickens presentations other than supportive statements. He isn’t focusing his attention to the quality of GREEN in Wind and Natural Gas resources, though he does mention them. GREEN isn’t the basis of his absolute commitment to replacing Oil fueled vehicles with Natural Gas fueled vehicles or generating electricity from wind even though those are GREEN alternatives.

His focus is preventing the United States of America from going Bankrupt. Altogether. Period.

GREEN energy is the primary focus of groups like wecansolveit.org (an Al Gore initiative). While there is overlap in the objective there are fundamental differences in the methods and intent.

I hope this is useful for your paper, Timothy.

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Permalink Reply by Warner on October 4, 2008 at 7:32am

Is there really any such thing as green energy?

I know that some folks seem to think so. An all-electric vehicle could be classified as 'green' if you like but if the
electricity that recharges it comes from a coal-fired plant, well, it really is not green after all.

Wind power is green I suppose if one ignors the fact that it takes energy to build those windmills. Plus mining the
original ore for the steel, etc. The blades as they turn may kill birds and may affect the weather too.

Natural gas is quite clean and plentiful and domestic. It is safe and effective. But there is still some carbon there.
Less than oil and coal but still it is there. It is probably the best thing we have to use now.

In the January 2008 issue of Scientific American there is an article on a Solar Grand Plan to build a solar array
in the US southwest that can supply power for the whole country. But the article seems to think that we wont see its
completion until 2050. Even then it will not be 100% 'green'. Solar requires no great amount of resources to generate
and we should be looking more at that in the long run.

Wind and natural gas seem to be what we should be looking at now to end our dependence on foreign oil which is
going to be more and more scarce as time goes by.

Thanks