what about Solar in the pickens plan ?

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Rigoulot on July 10, 2008 at 6:21am

I think we are expecting Pickens to do the job of the government. I'm thrilled that he is taking on wind and gas. We need to put pressure on our leaders to assist with the Pickens plan as part of a larger effort to expand all areas of alternative energy.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Mullins on July 10, 2008 at 6:25am

Solar can be developed to be as cheap as wind. Check out Nevada Solar One.
Here is my plan to expand Mr. Pickens plan:
1. Construct 1 million 2.5 Megawatt wind machines and the electric infrastructure on the great plains states of North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri.

2. Using the current Solar Thermal technology (Solar Trough) produced by companies like Ausra Inc. of Palo Alto, Ca., construct 100 different projects of 100 sq miles each (10 miles by 10 miles square) to total 10,000 sq miles in the southwest desert areas, i.e., Southern California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah, Southern Colorado and West Texas ( and possibly Northern Baja, Northern Sonora and Northern Chihuahua Mexico). From Bakersfield, California in the west to Midland, Texas in the east. (by comparison, Maricopa County Arizona, where Phoenix is located is 9,226 sq miles in size). The Solar energy society estimates that 7,000 GW of solar electric potential exists in the southwest. Use the excess electricity to produce hydrogen from ocean water via electrolysis and inject the hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline system. 

3. Drill for oil, and drill for heat, steam and hot water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in its Circular 790, estimates a hydrothermal resource base of between 95,000 and 150,000 MW of electricity.
The Western Governors Association Geothermal Task Force identified over 100 sites with roughly 13,000 MW of power potential with near-term development potential.

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Permalink Reply by Bill on July 10, 2008 at 6:28am

Mr. Pickens: Thank you for opening the countries eyes an hope hope they will LISTEN . I do not trust the motive's or yourself, having stated that I do believe everyone including yourself is entitled to a return on your investment, Now did i hear one of your plans was to add solar from about Corpus Christi,TX ,to the Pacific Coast or was i dreaming??? I know solar panels are extremely expensive to produce ,an ha sent IBM come up with a cheaper way to produce them???
As Far as roof top power go no further than J Leno's garage he has it there..
Also why are we excluding Geo Thermo ????

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Permalink Reply by stanley kul on July 10, 2008 at 9:23am

thanks to all for engaging also join the SOLAR POWER group so we can continue to grow
thanks stanley

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Permalink Reply by Brendan Lynch on July 10, 2008 at 1:49pm

I would agree that there isn't enough being done about solar deployment. To be fair, however, California has a good first-step plan that allocates 3 billion in utility rebates over ten years. That's a decent start for state government. The Feds are the anaemic ones. We hear politicians everyday bleeding their hearts about reducing our energy dependence but they are getting ready to allow the Federal tax incentive to drop from 30% to 10% at the end of this year. Here we are in the thick of this crisis and they are pulling the rug out from under those who are moving to domestic energy sources. Really?

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Permalink Reply by John Ashman on July 10, 2008 at 1:59pm

If we cut some social programs, waste fraud, abuse, useless bureaucracies or even some of the military waste, we could create huge numbers of jobs here building more solar panels, wind mills, algae farms, etc. Huge job numbers. Cutting government size and dumping it into alternative energy is now a way a critical terror tool.

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Permalink Reply by John on July 10, 2008 at 8:52pm

I think he is currently focusing on providing energy to free up the natural gas being used so that we can get off foreign oil used in cars. While that is a great goal, we all know that energy independence can be taken further thru solar on homes, new nuclear facilities, new hydroelectric facilities, hydrogen fuel cell technology, increased methane production in landfills and many other niche solutions and markets. I think that we can fuel the train on these others as his plan concentrates on a similar goal.

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Permalink Reply by daniel danchak on July 10, 2008 at 8:56pm

take 5 cents added to toll roads and put EVERY NICKEL in SOLAR. The panels are not the story, the cost of converting that into electricity is costly. This cost needs to be handled by a revenue source. Start by putting solar on schools and municipal buildings, prisons, military bases. The cost of putting in the unit is reduced when it is spread over the greater amount of people it will serve.

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Permalink Reply by Steve M on July 10, 2008 at 9:12pm

Mr. Pickens is not in the roofing business. As solar energy becomes more efficient and lower cost it will create an intesting economic opportunity for individuals. Generating and storing their own electricity and having the grid as a back up or selling energy back to the grid. Were not there today, but solar truly means energy independence.

Solar shingles are now being manufactured in the US for use on homes. Their not that efficient 'yet' at converting electricity, but if you need a new roof why not upgrade and have your roof generate some watts.

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Permalink Reply by stanley kul on July 11, 2008 at 3:27pm

please join the solar power group if you would like to see solar in the pickens plan

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Permalink Reply by xamama on July 11, 2008 at 3:44pm

As a part time conspiricy theorist I must recall the 70's when a short while after the introduction of PV panels all of a sudden 99% of the panels manufactured were labled with an oil company name on the back! ARCO MOBIL etc,.. It always struck me that the costs seemed to amplify stright after that.

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Permalink Reply by Mike McCarthy on July 12, 2008 at 9:24am

We are committed to providing as much roof area as possible to solar power generation with PV Cell installations. Our concerns are about the cost and availability of PV cells. Can manufacturers keep up with demand, and reduce costs?

With our planned buildout we intend to maintain as carbon free a foot print as possible through Hydro and Solar Generation.

Join us at Carbon Neutral as we attempt to build the first Carbon Neutral Studio in the country.

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