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Comment by David Scott Coker on September 18, 2008 at 8:07pm

I don't know if any of you saw this but this is an issue we need to work on in the next session of the General Assembly.
D

Unless public forces issue, wind power won't succeed
By DAVID COKER
Special to the Courier & Press
Sunday, September 7, 2008

From the days of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, down through the annals of the world's great civilizations, the wind has been used to power sailing ships, pump water, grind grain, ventilate buildings and, during the past century, produce electrical power for commercial purposes.

Throughout most of our collective adult lifetimes — and particularly since the oil embargo of 1973-74 — we have heard from futurists, social commentators and political leaders about the promise of wind and solar power to electrify our homes and businesses and provide an endless supply of energy.

During this nearly 35-year conversation, it has been very difficult for the average person to discern fact from fiction, myth from reality. The mere fact that we do not after all this time have a coherent, long-term national energy policy is an indictment of our political system and the short-sightedness of this country's energy producers.

Enter T. Boone Pickens, an energy billionaire with 45 years of experience in the oil and gas fields of West Texas and Oklahoma. He is wagering more than $3 billion of his own money on producing wind power arrays throughout the central corridor of the United States. His energy plan calls for the use of wind power to supply 20 percent of our national electricity needs, then converting our cars to use natural gas as a "bridge technology" to hydrogen fuel cells, advanced hybrid technology or electric automobiles of the future.

The details of the Pickens Plan can be found on the Internet at PickensPlan.com or will be explained in detail during a $56 million television advertising campaign that rivals the presidential campaigns of both Barack Obama and John McCain.

While the pros and cons of the extraordinary Pickens Plan remain to be debated throughout the campaign, there is one startling truth revealed in Pickens' message — the hemorrhaging of more than $700 billion a year to foreign countries for oil. This enormous transfer of wealth stands to, over the next 10 years, wipe out the entire middle class of this nation.

No candidate for public office has admitted this grim reality to the American public in realistic terms, nor have any of them described in detail what life will be like in this country if we sit by and do nothing.

As for the immediate future of wind and solar power, much depends on the extension of renewable energy investment tax credits that Congress must renew before the end of the year if they are to remain in effect. (Rep. Brad Ellsworth, do you have Nancy Pelosi's phone number?).

But beyond that, advocates of wind and solar power are calling for state and federal Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards that would mandate that 15 percent of the energy produced by utilities in this country come from renewable sources by 2020.

To date, some 25 states and the District of Columbia have adopted such standards or goals. Indiana is not one of them.

Predictably, industry officials throw sand in the face of the American public, characterizing a national portfolio standard as a regulatory burden that is too costly for producers and will ultimately function as a huge tax increase on energy consumers.

The myth being promoted by utility officials in this state and elsewhere is that wind power is not "dispatchable," meaning utility controllers cannot turn the wind on and off at will, and therefore it is not reliable for the baseload power needs of their customers.

Instead of making serious equity investments in it even as a supplemental source of power, many utilities that have invested heavily in coal would prefer to continue burning natural gas for electricity production to supplement their coal-fired baseload plants — that is, provided natural gas remains cheap.

Another part of the problem is a regulatory turf battle. Utilities are using their considerable resources to influence state and federal regulators to create disincentives to the average person or a group of people who would like to invest in wind generators and put the electricity out on the grid and be compensated for it.

Here in Indiana, a watered-down system of "net metering" gives great power to utilities, severely limits the capacity of independent power systems and imposes huge insurance requirements.

The system is so bad that the national Network for New Energy Choices, in a report called "Freeing the Grid 2007," gave Indiana a grade of D in its national rating of all 50 states — finding our system to be among the least consumer-friendly regulatory mechanisms in the country.

Whether Pickens and his army are able to influence the incoming presidential administration and the energy industry as a whole to take dramatic action remains a $700 billion-per-year question.

However, the bottom line is this: If federal and state politicians and utility executives do not hear an outcry from the public demanding wind, solar, geothermal and advanced research into alternative power sources, very little will happen.

David Coker is an Evansville freelance writer

Comment by David Scott Coker on July 30, 2008 at 6:08pm

Did any of you see what I posted as a comment to Boone Pickens several days ago? If any of you think this sounds like a cool idea and would be willing to attend such an event, please let me know or write to Niel Ellerbrook endorsing the idea.

D

DAVID SCOTT COKER
1601 Western Hills Drive
Evansville, IN 47720
July 24, 2009

Mr. Niel Ellerbrook, Chairman and CEO
Vectren Corporation
P.O. Box 209
Evansville, IN 47702-0209

Dear Niel,

It was great to see you last week at the I-69 groundbreaking ceremony at the Centre. It was a fabulous day and I believe we came as close to witnessing the Mother Load of Indiana state politics as has been seen in this part of the state for many, many years.

As I looked around, I noticed there were several television crews from the Indianapolis market present for the event. It got me to thinking . . .

Last Sunday morning, I happened to catch a few minutes of former Vice President Al Gore’s remarks on NBC’s Meet the Press. While I do not agree with much of what he says, you have to give him credit for bringing the global warming issue front and center to our national political debate.

Later the same morning as I was getting ready to attend church, I saw another of the many television advertisements sponsored by T. Boone Pickens, CEO of Mesa Petroleum Company, who is currently unveiling his ideas about solving our nation’s energy crisis. Again, I do not profess to know everything there is to know about wind power generation and transmission, the use of natural gas as a motor fuel or any of the specific things which he is currently discussing.

Night before last I woke up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. I got up and turned on the television and as usually happens, channel surfed over to C-SPAN where again I saw Mr. Pickens testifying before a Senate committee on Energy and National Security. His dire remarks pertaining to this nation’s energy future are quite sobering but he also conveys the strong belief that our nation can solve the energy crisis in which we find ourselves with sound political and corporate leadership.

In thinking about all of this, it occurred to me, why couldn’t we invite both men to engage in a serious debate about global warming and our nation’s energy future, right here in Evansville, Indiana? Such a debate would bring our community to the national forefront and possibly generate unprecedented media attention.

As a volunteer tour guide on LST 325 the past several months, I have recently been reviewing the enormous personal and institutional contributions of local residents and businesses in the World War II wartime industrial mobilization effort.

I am convinced that we are presently engaged in a global struggle no less important to our national survival and the protection of our contemporary standard of living. The weapons used in this engagement and the battle fronts are in different regions of the world but the imperative is no less important to our national survival. This nation’s dependence upon foreign oil is largely responsible for much of the conflict. The fighting will not stop until we reduce this dependence.

Just as the incredible productive talents of local residents made a significant contribution to the national war effort in the 1940s, I am equally convinced that the people of this region should be recruited into the effort of solving our nation’s energy crisis. The first step, however, involves identifying the problem and this could be achieved in no better way than scheduling a debate between these two nationally prominent people here in our community.

I was wondering if Vectren would consider sponsoring or co-sponsoring such a debate prior to the November election?. In addition to rasing the awareness of local residents, such an event might open doors and financial opportunities previously unrealized by Vectren and other firms in our community.

If there is anything I could personally do to either help put together or promote such an event, my talents and abilities would be at your service.

Sincerely yours,


David Scott Coker
1601 Western Hills Drive
Evansville, IN 47720
(812) 423-0403
(812) 499-7143 cell

cc: John Englebrecht, South Central Communications
Robert Koch, Koch Enterprises
Bob Jones, Old National Bank
Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel

Comment by Chris on July 25, 2008 at 4:59pm

I live in Fremont In. extreme Northeast corner of the state. We are in a line from Chicago that gets its fair share of wind and I would like to find out about installation of a wind turbine on my property. If there is any way to propel (parden the pun) use of wind power, what better way than to use it yourself? I want to start an initiative to provide turbines on privately owned properties to excel the use of wind energy by example. Need to start a grass roots project!

Comment by A Brewster Smythe on July 24, 2008 at 9:10am

I am April Langschied, owner of A Brewster Smythe Concepts, and the founder of the Waynedale Green Alliance!

Waynedale is located on the southeast quandrant of Fort Wayne, Indiana and was annexed in 1957. The WGA seeks to bring environmental awareness to the area by a variety of means, and the Pickens Plan fits right in.

I would like to get to know any Hoosiers who are interested and involved in this very important and crucial issue.

Comment by Tim May on July 23, 2008 at 4:44pm

I agree, let's have a meeting.

Comment by kenneth on July 23, 2008 at 4:36pm

I live and work in Greene county i was courious if you have meetings in this area.
If you do I will help in any way you need me to.

Comment by Bill Mollring on July 23, 2008 at 4:13pm

Thank you for starting this site. I am very interested in seeing how alternative energy ideas develop across the country. Please include me on your updates and notices. I wish you much success. We are listed on the Pickens Plan as Mariah Power.
You are invited to join our group for updates on the Windspire and
other alternative energy items and ideas.

http://www.push.pickensplan.com/group/mariahpower

Mariah Power is building a new manufacturing plant in Youngstown, Ohio. This will allow us to mass produce the Windspire.
Aloha, Bill