Silicon Valley Pickens Group

Comment

Comment by Richard Barnard on June 9, 2010 at 5:31pm

I received the following from Dr. Kugler stating Proposition 16 was defeated. My posting was information from the San Jose Mercury News @ 8:00 this AM. Life is good sometimes.

Richard:
You almost gave me a heart attack!
As of June9, 2:40 PM: California Proposition 16 was defeated.
And while I am at it - - and repeatedly people ask me why I am against hydrogen as energy system - - NO, I AM NOT AGAINST THE HYDROGEN ENERGY SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE!
As of now it makes no sense because making hydrogen today involves the production of large amounts of CO2, and if we'd make hydrogen via electrolysis today, it would require burning more coal to make the electricity.
Once we will have an excess of electricity (to make hydrogen via electrolysis), or use sunlight to make hydrogen via non-CO2 producing processes - - - and have fuel cells for cars (presently estimated at $ 180,000 per car; do they ever tell you the cost of the fuel cell when they demonstrate a hydrogen car?) at mass production prices - - - - - - -
The following presentations may help to clarify some basics:
http://poptech.org/popcasts/dan_nocera_personalized_energy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DboEhc5D9aE&NR=1
http://www.rmi.org/rmi/ReinventingFire

Comment by Richard Barnard on December 24, 2009 at 1:28pm

Akeena Solar, a designer and installer of solar power systems plan to sell panels at Lowe’s stores in California. Akeena, based in Los Gatos, stocked 21 Lowe’s stores with its Andalay AC panels that can be bought in packages that include built-in inverters, wiring and racking systems.

“This is a brand-new way for homeowners to get solar.”

Does anyone have any positive or negative comments in reference to the above? I’ve personally been waiting for a DIY to stock solar. I Plan to add a few solar panels then continue to add as needed until I’m sustainable. I haven’t gone to Lowe’s yet to qualify any possible caveats - Sounds too easy.

http://ir.akeena.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=429296

Richard Barnard

Comment by Richard Barnard on September 8, 2009 at 11:40am

Solyndra - New Solar Plant in Fremont, CA

http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/13204/

Richard Barnard

Comment by Richard Barnard on September 5, 2009 at 10:54am

Not all is bad in CA. Solyndr is a solar-panel manufacturer with an innovative design, making cylindrical solar cells that resemble fluorescent bulbs. It uses a combination of elements – not silicon – to create the semiconductor material used in its photovoltaic solar cells.

They just received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy and will build a one million square foot facility in Fremont, CA that will employee 2,000 people. It will be completed in late 2010 and start shipping in 2011. In addition, it will create 3,000 construction jobs in northern CA.

Federal officials say the solar panels produced at the new factory will provide enough energy for 24,000 homes a year.

This is only the beginning. They will build an additional plant shortly thereafter that will be double the size – two million square feet. They are looking at the soon to be closed NUMMI in Fremont as a possible site.

Comment by William J. Rogers on August 9, 2009 at 12:52pm

Representative Zoe Lofgren Town Hall
When: Monday, August 10th
Where: Almaden Community Center,
6445 Camden Avenue, San Jose 95120
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Comment by ed janus on March 6, 2009 at 11:52pm

Howdy- Thanks so much for your attention to these important issues.There really are powerful currents moving today in unprecedented ways.In big picture terms,House Reps Hollen & Dogget advocate legislation in support of a100% cap& trade auction for emission credits at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.House Speaker Pelosi is writing a single energy and global warming bill that wraps cap&trade legislation together with renewable electricity standards as well as modernizing the electrical grid.House Energy & Commerce chairman Waxman is trying to get that bill onto the floor by Memorial Day.Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bingaman is optimistic about movement on clean energy, efficient energy technology ,and has ideas about a Clean Energy Bank and Senate Majority Leader hopes to get energy legislation to the senate floor by Easter. The State Departments'Todd Stern is pushing congress to enact a cap on greenhouse gas emisions as an additionto UN talks around a new treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.The EuropeanUnion wants 25-40% reduction from 1990 levels by 2020 and trying to pressurize the Obama Admin.... additionally,Rep. Reid has a plan to trump states' authority and build long distance power lines but the clean energy transmission idea gets complicated by a new designation of 2 million acres of wilderness land.Senator Kerry says that a clean energy REVOLUTION is ON THE WAY and Ford Motor CO. says a major portion of its' vehicles WILL BE ELECTRIC in a decade.Change is afoot ! WE , THE PEOPLE,are going to reinforce it, generate it,insist on it, and transmit all our New Energy to our leaders in Wash.DC when our Virtual March starts on April 1-2-3......for myself, I plan on being a total nuisance until then with as many letters ,emails ,calls ,shouts out, and even smoke signals if necessary.We should all talk to 10 people each day and lead them to action for their own sake and that of their children.We won't get another go-round on this carousel if we miss the RING....Make their phones RING! DO IT! Thanks I appreciate US Share

Comment by ed janus on February 23, 2009 at 5:07pm

Howdy-Having relocated to Trinidad (Humboldt Co.) in '98 from Santa Cruz,I am seeking out committed groups to expand my base of communication.The collective IQ seems SO much higher down there that it causes me to extend activity your way.Please add me as a friend if you wish as I am hoping to join up with other determined leaders .Everybody wants to go to heaven, but very few of us are willing to die to get there....count me in!............Ed J DL CA-01

Comment by James Tracy on January 6, 2009 at 2:44pm

Howdy all, Please look at my page, watch the vids, add me as a friend "if" you like what I am doing. It may be important.
Thank you.

Comment by Art Collins on January 4, 2009 at 10:33pm

For all Pickens supporters in Silicon Valley, we would like to get everyone to join their respective Congressional Groups. For many in San Jose, that would be CA-16 and you can use this link....

http://push.pickensplan.com/group/DistrictGroupCA16

Thanks,
Art Collins
CA-16 Group Leader

Comment by Richard Barnard on November 2, 2008 at 12:48pm

My reply to Pete Stark Congressman D CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Barnard [mailto:light22@msn.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 12:03 PM
To: 'Pete Stark'
Subject: RE: A message from Congressman Pete Stark

Honorable Pete Stark
Member of Congress
Reference your e-mail to me October 27, 2008 in reference to my request for you to support the “Pickens Plan”.
Dear Congressman Stark:
I appreciate your concern about Mr. Pickens and companies in which he is the principal shareholder being the biggest financial beneficiaries of the plan; however, I have to respectfully disagree and commend anyone in America and any affiliate they may be associated with that is willing to spend billions of non-taxpayer dollars that will eradicate our dependence on foreign oil. When he benefits we all benefit. He pays higher taxes because of his profits and we are less dependent on Middle Eastern Oil. In addition, Mr. Pickens hires thousands of American Workers that will be needed to implement his plan all of which will be tax payers helping to build schools, roads and help the impoverished in America. These are the fundamentals on which America was founded and became the greatest Nation in the world.

Mr. Pickens has stated the switch to natural gas would only be a temporary solution. He has stated that natural gas would be a bridge to other alternative energies; i.e. electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles using alternative energies, hydrogen vehicles, solar vehicles, etc. We have over 60 years of natural gas reserves in American to support his plan. I can get you the details if you want.
It won’t take trillions of dollars to retrofit filling stations. Even if it did it would be the oil companies that will retrofit the stations. They are retrofitting stations now to use E85 and some are retrofitting now to use natural gas. Utah and Colorado are in the forefront doing this – some in California.
California is going to spend billions of dollars
trying to implement a hydrogen freeway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. If California had done
it right the oil companies would have picked up the tab. The oil companies are in the energy business. They don’t care what type of energy they sell.

California shouldn’t care what energy is sold as
long as it can be metered and our Federal and
State governments get their share of taxes.
There are home retrofit natural gas dispensers
that can be implemented that are metered for taxes. These are relatively inexpensive and wouldn’t cost trillions of dollars. The automobile manufactures
can be told by Congress to supply and install these with any new natural gas vehicle sold. The oil and utility companies may even be willing to pick up
some of the added cost – they sell energy. A rebate
by our Federal and State governments should be implemented to offset the cost of these devices to
the purchaser of the vehicle.

I invented the HEV (hybrid electric vehicle)
beginning in 1978 and received my patent 1986.
I had complete backing by the Late Honorable Congressman Don Edwards who wrote many letters to Secretary Edwards, The Department of Energy
(Mr. George P Lewett) and others. Secretary
Edwards and Congressman Don Edwards were in
complete support. Technology wasn’t advanced
enough then to build the HEV. It has now come
to fruition and it is being manufactured. We
had urgency in 1980 because of PLO activity and previous oil embargos and shortages. Middle
Eastern Terrorism hasn’t stopped it has just
changed its name. Global warming hasn’t changed.
It too has just changed its emphasis. Things
haven’t changed. We continue to have urgency.

We are about to give the automobile manufacturers
25 billion dollars to re-tool. We can, because it
is taxpayer money, tell them what to build. An
HEV using natural gas is the least expensive way
to implement the bridge to other alternative
energies. The HEV can be manufactured to use any combustible fuel; i.e. hydrogen, natural gas, any
bio-fuel, any fuel that is combustible. Natural
Gas is the only fuel available today in the
quantity needed and won’t cost billions. We won’t
have to implement the hydrogen highway. Hydrogen
is not available in the quantity needed nationally.
The oil companies will pick up the tab to explore
and extricate natural gas. We as a Nation have
to help by allowing it and we as a Nation are
respectfully asking you to help. Indorsing
the Pickens Plan is your first step.
Implementing legislation for energy independence beginning in 2009 is your second opportunity.
Sincerely yours,
Richard Barnard

-----Original Message-----
From: Pete Stark [mailto:petemail@mail.house.gov]
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 2:11 PM
To: light22@msn.com
Subject: A message from Congressman Pete Stark

Dear Mr. Barnard:

Thanks for your letter asking me to support the "Pickens' Plan" for energy. There is some
merit to Mr. Pickens' plan, although I am
skeptical when the biggest financial beneficiary
of the plan would be Mr. Pickens himself and
companies in which he is the principal
shareholder.

Mr. Pickens is absolutely correct that wind
energy must be expanded and I commend him for
making a large financial investment in a wind
farm in Texas. It is imperative that we, as a
nation, end our addiction to fossil fuels and
move toward clean and renewable sources of energy.
By doing so we can not only combat global warming
we can also create jobs here in the United States.

Mr. Pickens is also advocating a switch to natural
gas to fuel trucks and cars. Replacing
gasoline with natural gas would certainly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, but it would, at best,
be a temporary solution and would cost trillions
to retrofit filling stations and convert cars to burning natural gas. A better solution would be
to continue to raise fuel efficiency standards
and fast track development of electric cars,
which are more a long-term solution than natural
gas powered automobiles.

I wholeheartedly agree that the 111th Congress
and the next President must put energy policy
at the top of the agenda. The 110th Congress
has already taken our energy policy in a new direction. We passed the first increase in CAFE
fuel efficiency standards in a generation
(H.R. 6), a move that will save 1 million
barrels of oil per day and reduce our
dependence on foreign oil. On two occasions,
I supported House bills to require electricity
from renewable sources to comprise 15% of our
total output by 2020. Unfortunately, the Senate
blocked these provisions. I will continue
advocating for solutions to our energy crisis.



Sincerely,

Pete Stark
Member of Congress

FHS/jjh

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