Chuck Bolland's Page
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- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Maybe--But Not Sure What to Organize
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- Working on a video concerning wind generated energy under contract with the Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife. Have also produced an internal video promoting sustainable resource use within the Dept.
- What excites you about this campaign?
- It should take a lot to excite me, however with the lack of leadership we now have, just the fact that someone with resources is stepping up and doing "something" is indeed exciting. I would like this wind and natural gas effort combined with another project that is underway in Texas. That is "vertical ponding" to produce algae which in turn is used for biofuel with using food crops or much energy to produce it.
- What do you want to do to help?
- I don't know if I can do much except lean on my old friend, Con. Norm Dicks about helping Washington state become a major player in alternative energy. I recently attended a conference in Paris where the subject of "green jobs" was the major focus. I have some interviews with people in the labor field who will tell us the "dirty jobs" are on the decline and the new employment will be found in such worlds as that offered by the "Pickens Plan." I'd be glad to share that video with you. I wish I had the financial resources of Mr. Pickens. I would want to invest in the "ponding" project I mentioned. That could add to the 23% reduction you're going for. One acre producing 100,000 gallons of diesel a year! 10 acres a million gallons. Without nasty byproducts, without using most of the energy to produce energy, and without driving up the cost of food. If Mr. Pickens needs a video producer on his staff, maybe I could do that.
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27FEB09
Honorable Speaker of the House Congresswoman Pelosi,
I am an Electronic Technician Chief in the US Navy with 27 years service stationed overseas. I’m outlying an idea to assist and work with current plans for achieving energy independence. I urge you, as speaker of the house and the driving force to form the select committee on energy independence and global warming, consider for discussion and introduction into the house US Treasury Savings Bonds for Energy Independance.
In WWII America sold war bonds supporting the war effort. When young, my mother told me her primary school raised enough money through bonds to build a tank to support troops. I am impressed with the patriotism and purpose of our greatest generation that accomplished so much.
Selling energy bonds for RE (Renewable Energy) development would lower foreign oil imports and assist with the complex problem of funding. Bonds sold as “Energy S” could support new solar trough plants, “Energy W” to support wind farms, Energy “H” to support hydroelectric plants, Energy “T” to support RE transportation such as electric bullet train routes powered by RE, Energy "C" COOPS for small communities only needing a small quantity of turbines, and Energy “I” for needed infrastructure high voltage power lines to the RE site. Bonds will have the project name and include an artist’s perspective of the project and an American flag. President Obama had great success with the internet during his campaign. In a similar manner, using the internet, energy bonds could have a website listing current projects and an “electronic checkout” could purchase a bond $25 or higher. Simpler methods of payment such as “PAYPAL” and credit cards would be available and after an electronic purchase is complete a color print out of the bond is available with a follow up of the bond in the mail. The website would limit quantity of projects for each category until funding is complete. After a project becomes funded, a new project will be available. A tab on the site will show history and status of previous projects. Purchasers may take great pride in “collecting” and displaying bonds of various RE projects and participating at different levels of financial support. Solar trough plants in the multi-hundred MW size capacity with molten salt energy storage in California, Arizona, and West Texas can provide a major portion of electric needs. North Dakota has potential to support 1/3 of our nations electric needs in it’s class 4 wind zone areas. There are plenty of suitable proposed wind turbine farms now around the nation to significantly increase our RE if funded. Mid sized hydro-electric has not been used in America to it’s full potential. Following the example of our neighbor, Canada, it would provide a significant increase in percentage of electric production. Developing all three we could provide the majority of our electric and heating needs through renewable energy in a "New New Deal" fashion allowing natural gas for transportation as T. Boone Pickens is working for. Bullet train routes have proven a viable alternative to commercial domestic air service and when powered by electricity provided by RE suppliers America would be in the forefront of world technology. Example, I heard of discussion for a commuter train from Denver to Colorado Springs. Such a route built as a renewable energy project with charter requirement legally requiring to only purchase electricity from available renewable energy sources would be a model example. There are many train routes, city bus systems, and government vehicles that can be converted to run from alternative energy sources and fuels. Jobs created would bolster the economy, lower trade deficit, and strengthen national security. I would take great pride in print outs of bonds with graphics of each project I supported and many other Americans would also. The energy bonds could have tax breaks. BLM lands may be a viable place to start for some projects.
I contacted the US treasury department and was told that the marketing department for savings bonds closed several years ago. I was told there would be problems because savings bonds are at the federal level while the projects will be at the state and local level. I disagree and believe that these can easily be figured out in the way of grants to the state and local level using money from the bonds for those specific projects. I was told to check out auctions on the www.treasurydirect.gov website and found them to not apply to citizens wanting to buy savings bonds to support a cause such as energy independance. I was told by the treasury department to look into CREB (Clean Renewable Energy Bonds). I found CREB to be large scale funding that a citizen would not be able to participate in as a US Treasury Energy Independance Bond would provide. If given the tools to participate directly, the power of the citizens of the United States to help achieve energy independance could not be denied. Americans mean well and the Energy Independance Savings bond program will give citizens the power at their level to make it happen. If marketed through a web page, commercials, and to federal employees the word would get out and participation would spread like wildfire.
Mr. Paul Gipe, a resident of Bakersfield CA, an author of several books about wind energy, and recipient of multiple awards as a pioneer in the industry since the 1970's has put a letter I wrote to Senator Dorgan on this subject as well as an older letter I wrote on wind COOP in JAN07. These websites are:
http://www.wind-works.org/coopwind/RenewableEnergyBondsforEnergyIndependence.html
and
http://www.wind-works.org/articles/AmericanEnergyIndependencethroughCooperativeInvestmentinWindEnergy.html
Sincerely and very respectfully,
ETC(SW/AW) Mike Kendall USN
Mailing address: PSC 476, Box 879, FPO AP, 96322 USA
Telephone (803) 265-4756, Email: ke6cvh@yahoo.com
Very involved with the hydro scene and became involved with KVI that way I believe. Then he went on with broadcasting training but decided against it after all. So you are the man with the great voice? Nice to see you here. I hope that you can be an "instrument of change" here at Picken's place. Me too.
Lynda
I remember you on KVI years ago, if you are THAT Chuck of course. You knew my dad casually whose name was also Chuck. The reason I wanted to contact you is to let you and others remember that it all started a long time ago and really came into the "semi mainstream" through articles in such publications as Mechanix Illustrated etc. as home use goes. There were many who started tinkering with their own ideas back then and today we are finally, almost 50 years later organizing and going mainstream. Ain't that somethin? So lean on Norm a little more and maybe we can really put Washington in the forefront. My biggest concern is teaching the technologies to the general population so that they can be hired. Do you have any information about existing programs or ones that are forming?
Thanks
Lynda
Hello Chuck, These new rooftop mount home wind turbine kits that I am building are great. The profile is pretty sleek and attractive. The system is actually a home appliance and doesn't really stand out much more than an antennae, chimney, or satellite dish. This makes a nice clean way for homeowners to get into the clean energy movement. The systems are inexpensive, easy to install and scaleable.
These systems have wind/solar built right in. The wind is stronger in the winter months, sun is stronger in the summer months, we designed a system that is attractively priced, that gives an even flow of energy year round. Wind power scales down in size to be perfectly feasible for a homeowner sized system to provide power for their home. Many customers have found it easy to become wind turbine customer/dealers. They are able to do this with no further investment and they see how easy people are to get interested.
I have used them to save money on my electricity costs and Chuck, you could too. The systems pay for themselves in 5 to 10 years depending on your local wind resources, and they last for 25 or 30 years before needing a rebuild. Have a look at these windmaps and see can you pinpoint what number your area is in. 2 is OK and anything over 2 is very good. Let's double check your wind resources are good.
Your United States Wind Resource Maps
Small Wind/Solar Systems
Contact Us!
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