Northeastern US Pickens Group

Comment

Comment by mhahn on August 1, 2008 at 5:40pm

Pickens is very smart; put up wind farms to generate more electricity and free up NG, both sources needed for home, industrial, and business uses--Thus, gradually weaning us off oil until hydrogen and/or electricity technology comes online in full force to wean us off completely.

The electric generation from wind farms will definitely help with "juicing" the upcoming electric plug-in hybrid autos that are being planned by the major automakers.

NG will help lower heating costs in the Northeast especially. Even if the price of NG rises due to demand, it should still be less than heating oil and much cleaner for the environment.

Our country's carbon footprint will decrease by using "home-grown" NG and electricity for heating and transportation (hybrid plug-in electric cars and scooters) rather than foreign or domestic oil/gas dependent devices. Also, by reducing our need for foreign oil/gas , JUST think how much LESS oil/diesal will be burned just transporting it across the oceans to reach our shores everyday.

Think of the carbon savings by reducing oil shipments alone!

UPS, FedEx and other delivery fleets should consider using NG rather diesal/gas. could save them and us in rising shipping costs/prices due to rising gas rises. With more companies onboard with NG fueled fleets, economies of scale could be realized by all to convert engines from gas/diesal to NG.

Comment by Tom Manseau on August 1, 2008 at 12:15pm

Recently received an e-mail claiming that NPR outsed Pickens as a method to get money for him and the natural gas (NG) companies. "It's too good to be true". Well, I hope so!

Let's start with something simple here. Pickens likes to make money. Who here doesn't? Natural Gas is more cost effective to produce at the moment. The money stays in the US. Jobs are here in the US. Money is spent here and everyone here benefits now. Wow! What a concept. I think we'll call that the economy!

The big 3 automakers already make cars that can run off of NG. We already have an infrastructure to move and sell it. We would need to expand it, but that wouldn't be too difficult.

Wind power has existed far longer than our current oil economy and long term costs far less. It does use oil (turbine manufacture and lubrication), but such a small portion by comparison to current usage as to be nearly inconsequential.

If you live more than 1/8th of a mile from the power grid, it does not pay to attach yourself. This has been coming from lots of sources, not just one. For all those saying that there's no current ability and things cost too much, read that last again. Between solar, wind, and water, there's a combination of sources to get your power. It's becoming more affordable all the time. Companies like Konarka are in the process of making solar power really cheap. Think of covering your roof with solar shingles for less than a $1/ watt, maybe less than 0.50 / watt. And on a durable flexible surface. The implications are staggering. You might be shingling with this stuff rather than asphalt soon.

Pickens wants to make money, but in the end it will be all of us that are better off. If we can seriously hurt the Middle East oil grip, what else can we do? And that's the point.

Comment by Paul on August 1, 2008 at 7:51am

RE: Susan's email to all members.

NPR -- Well I used to listen... until it was impossible to deny that the slant reached the vertical to the left; I kind'a gave up on them as a source for unbiased news.

When the truth isn't in their interest they bias the story to tar the right. That's just wrong.

Two years ago (Sir) Richard Branson pledged $3B and engaged the Clinton Foundation to execute the plan. Do you know what happened? Well Bill had massive legal expense debts... those are gone. Virgin, which is HQ'd right here in Norwalk CT, took our call but had no idea what to do. Eventually nuthin! I think Branson has attained some goals/improvement but has been awfully quiet about it. Hey, it is private $$$ so it's his prerogative.

Do ya think T. Boone is going to make some $$$? I sure hope so! That's the engine that drives innovation. We need to get the left off the Socialist bandwagon as the means to survival. When you overload *any* cart it will be smashed to bits. The only upside is that some socialists will be killed in the carnage.

So If you like talk radio, give up on the NPR habit and support your local station.

I think I know what the major difference between the initiatives is. One is a long monologue telling you how you should feel, how you should think, how you should interpret facts.

The Pickens Plan is a call to action. It simply states what needs to be done. How you choose to contribute is up to you. You can lead, follow or get out of the way. But it's your choice.

Here we challenge the conclusions of the left, not because we hate the left, but because they cannot defend their logical process. I say Global Warming is a myth, not because I doubt the temperature is changing, but because I'm not one to confuse cause & effect. The effect, real or not, is 'noise' in the signal.

Regardless of that I *still* support the notion of significant reductions in carbon emissions! So, let's put motives aside ans start looking for results.

The Light is Green!

Comment by Mike Johnston on August 1, 2008 at 6:34am

There are already tax credits in place that you can claim if you convert your car to natural gas.

Comment by John Doyle on July 27, 2008 at 3:04am

From Camden, Maine - It will cost an estimated $2000 to convert an existing automobile to natural gas. Most people can not afford to do this. So what good will it be if we have all this NG freed up from electricity generation if it doesn't get gasoline pwered vehicles off the roads. What we need is a government guaranteed zero or low interest loan through private banks so anyone can go and have the conversion done and then pay it back in small monthly payments over the remaining life of the vehicle. Alterrnatively the loan could be used to help finance the trade-in for a new or converted NG powered car. This might keep General Motors and Ford out of bankruptcy. They could buy up the used gas powered vehicles at discount prices, retrofit them for NG in all their idle SUV and truck factories and then resell them at a profit. The same idea applies to conversion of space heating from oil to NG or renewables. That is a much bigger immediate problem in New England. I mean I will just have to stop driving the old gasoline powered guzzler this winter to pay for heating oil, so I am all ready being forced to do my part to decrease the oil for transportation dependency.

Comment by K.S.McCaul on July 25, 2008 at 11:41am

Greetings from Sanford,ME. It can and must be done.

Comment by "Poppy" Smith on July 24, 2008 at 7:13pm

Greetings from Stockton Springs, Maine ... along the Atlantic coast let's get it done!

Comment by Alankar Gupta on July 23, 2008 at 9:06pm

Greetings Friends,
We all need to thank Mr. Pickens for explaining the energy problem that we as a nation face. Earlier it was one Group (users) pointing fingers at the other Group (suppliers) and vice versa. The problem is real. It was magnified to some extent, in recent times, by speculators. But, the truth is we are importing more oil every year and producing less. We are sending billions of dollars overseas.

I like Mr. Pickens Plan but I think it needs to be supplemented by other plans. It by itself will not get us to Energy Independence. It will just buy us more time. For this reason I have posted a petition for Energy Independence .

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/windenergycorporation


Please (a) sign the Petition and (b) forward it to your friends. United we can achieve Energy Independence and avoid this constant financial bleeding of our great nation.
Also, if you want to become an partner in this endeavour let me know how I can contact you. It will be a Labor of Love for a Country that we love. Just think what Energy Independence will be like. What it will do to our standard of living. The opportunities it will offer us, our children and grand children.
Thanks.

Regards and Best wishes,

Alankar Gupta

Comment by Vincent Devino on July 23, 2008 at 5:53pm

I think a lot of questions regarding the impact of off shore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine on ship traffic and the extensive fishing activity that I believe goes on there have to be answered before arriving at any conclusions relative to number and placement of the towers. I think solar on the same towers would not be as cost effective as land based panels primarily due to the degree to which they would have to be ruggedized to withstand the harsh environment of the sea. Also, unlike the wind turbines which can be feathered and turned into a strong wind to prevent their being damaged , the solar panels, because of their size, would act like sails and be subject to damage by gale or hurricane force winds which would impose huge loads on both the panels and in turn the structures that they are mounted on. In a nutshell, these ideas would have to be subjected to what engineers (like me) call trade studies to determine their cost effectiveness. In any case we need to get going on them and we should push our legislators to get funding for the necessary engineering work now.

--

Comment by Venegas Enterprise on July 23, 2008 at 1:58pm

all Aboard................

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last