RALPH E. STANLEY's Page
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- Ladies and Gentlemen, I have taken the plan that Mr. Pickens laid out and merely refined it into something that fits the "model" I have developed for "energy independence"; we do not have 10 years, we have 5-6 years and it is nice that everyone now realizes we need to become "energy independent" twice as fast as previously thought; the reality is we need to be moving forward at a speed tripple what we originally thought in half the time; the reasons for this are in the proposal below, (please read). I was the LAST CRUDE OIL REGULATOR from 1979 to February 1981 when crude oil was decontroled; prior to that I could sit at my desk at DOE and write "buy/sell orders" to the 15 major oil companies at the time, in specific quantities and at a set government price, under crude oil and gasoline pricing and emegency allocation controls. Our overall dependence level in January 1981 was about 24% to 25%, as Mr. Pickens has stated, and today it varies between 60% to 70%, today being near the low end of that range, with world crude oil reserve supplies dwindling every day; an article in FORBES Magazine, current issue on newstands, states, "Mexico, our number 3 importing Nation for crude oil, may be a "net importer" themselves, by 2015. Their reduction from 2007 to 2008, has been made up 68% by just one new importing Nation, IRAQ. The rest, 32%, was made up by several other long standing oil exporting nations. My boss wrote an Energy Independence Plan in the FORD ADMINISTRATION and we both participated in formulation of both Energy Policy and Alternative/Renewable Energy Initiatives in the CARTER ADMINISTRATION. As is well documented, these plans were not followed by later Administrations, and here we are today. All I can tell you is that if everyone doesn't cooperate to solve most of this problem by 2015, we are all in big trouble. SO THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS, YES, WE DO HAVE TWO WINDMILL FARMS IN WEST VIRGINIA ACCORDING TO THE WV DIVISION OF ENERGY, HOWEVER, THE LARGER QUESTION HERE IS SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVEST TAXPAYER MONEY DIRECTLY IN WINDMILL FARMS OR JUST IN REPLACING THE GRID; AND IF THEY DO INVEST, WE WOULD WANT ALL TAXPAYERS NATIONWIDE TO GET THE LARGEST RETURN FOR THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE PROCESS; THE WINDMILL FARMS COULD ALWAYS BE SOLD TO PRIVATE INDUSTRY OR PRIVATE INVESTORS LATER, AFTER COMPLETION, FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
I would like to solicit your support of a proposal for Wind Energy which will bring new construction jobs to 22 States and significant renewable wind energy to all States. I have proposed to my representatives, the individual U.S. Senators of the six States with the most wind potential, the Energy Subcommittees of both Houses of Congress and the Obama Transition Team, that we actually put the funds in the “Economic Stimulus Package” for those first six States which would produce “60%” of the total potential Wind Energy of the top 21 Best Wind Energy States in the Continentals U.S.. These six States are ND, TX, KS, SD, MT, and NB, and I have also recommended that ‘Hawaii’ be included in the First Phase of the Wind Energy Renewable Energy Project. This is basically a refinement of the Pickens Plan, which I support, however, in light of the failure of existing Wind Energy Companies to raise adequate funds with IPO or at the commercial banks, and given the fact that T.Boone Pickens has only found one corporate sponsor, to date (OWENS CORNING), I am doubtful that this will get done with “tax credits” as incentives and just building the transmission lines to connect everything.
I think we should concentrate our initial efforts in the Six States that will produce the highest yield in the first two years, your State and the others listed above, so that we get the most bang for our buck out of this initial Economic Stimulus Plan now being considered by the Congress and the new Obama Administration. Here is my phased plan to put wind energy in the first 21 States that could produce the best results of all 48 States in the Continental United States. The funds to build all the potential windmill farms for the first phase and the transmission lines for these States, needs to be included in the current Economic Stimulus Package:
PHASE I: 2009 - 2011: ND, TX, KS, SD, MT, & NE, plus Hawaii, since it is a “free standing” project, with current Windmill Energy Companies that are struggling financially. We need to include funds in this to assist these struggling wind energy companies in all 50 States or plan to do that with the second allocation of TARP funds. This phase would provide 60% of the potential wind energy that could be provided by the top 21 wind potential States, (per article in U.S.A. TODAY, 7/8/08). These six States, within the Continental United States, would provide up to 6,388 billion kilowatt hours of the total of 10,615 billion kilowatt hours of electrical power potential from wind energy by the top 21 Wind Energy Potential States.
PHASE II: 2011 - 2013: WY, OK, MN, WV, IA, CO, NM, CA. These eight States will provide another 36% of the total potential of all top 21 States and bring the total project completion percentage, based on total potential electrical production from wind energy in the top 21 States, to 96% by 2014. These eight States will add another 3,798 billion kilowatt hours of power to the grid of the project potential in 21 States of 10,615 billion kilowatt hours. This funding will need to be provided by Federal Budgets in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013, which would require a Second Economic Stimulus Package in 2010, but would not necessarily need to be included in this initial first two year package, unless the Congress and the Obama Administration want to put the transmission lines for this phase of the project in the second year of the current two year economic stimulus legislation. This phase would have to include operations and maintenance funds for the windmill farms built in the first phase that are still owned and operated by the Federal Government.
PHASE III: 2014 - 2016: This phase would include the operations and maintenance funds for
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all windmill farm sites built in the first and second phases that have not yet been purchased by a private sector sponsor or have not yet been acquired by private investors from the ownership of the Federal Government. The DOE would have to contract with private firms to operate and maintain the newly constructed sites in each phase, just like they do today with the SPR. This could be done by a DOE Office of Renewable Energy that operates much like the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, with “resident construction managers” and “resident operations & maintenance managers” on site rating contractors on cost plus fixed fee type contracts, thus managing the sites with DOE Career Civil Servants and DOE Contractors. The new construction in the final phase would include the remaining 4% potential of the project in ID, MI, NY, IL, WI, ME, & MO, which would produce, from these 7 States, a total of at least 429 billion kilowatt hours of electrical power, to bring the project total up to 10,615 billion kilowatt hours for the Continental United States plus whatever is possible in Hawaii. The 7/8/08 chart in USA TODAY did not include States that were not within the Continental United States. If Alaska needs windmills, or it would be productive to put them there, they could also be included in the 3rd Phase of the project, as well.
The idea here is to move the country as far toward energy independence with wind energy with the minimal investment, incrementally over time, so as to get the most, so to speak, “TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE TAXPAYERS BUCK” out of the initial Economic Stimulus Plan now being considered by the U.S. Congress and Obama Administration. This is especially important considering that in the interim period when this construction is going on, CHINA and INDIA, will be demanding between 30% to 40% or more of the total World Crude Oil Supplies, than they now use. China currently uses 9% of World Crude Oil Supplies and India is close behind them. There are some analysts who think India will actually surpass China in economic growth and total demand for World Supplies of Crude Oil, in the next four to six years. Either way, the likely hood exists that between 40% to 50% of World Oil Supplies by 2015 to 2016 will be utilized by these two giant emerging growth economies, at a time when some countries that we currently significantly rely on for imports to the U.S. (ie. Mexico-per current issue of FORBES Magazine), could end up as a “net importer” of crude oil themselves by 2015. In the years 2007 to 2008, IRAQ made up 68% of the amount of U.S. Crude Oil imports lost from Mexico between those two years. Other countries made up the balance (32% of the decreased imports from Mexico). Current Quarterly and month to month imports from Mexico, our number 3 source of crude oil imports, are also down slightly, indicating a “trend” that would support the predictions in the current FORBES Magazine article.
If we do not take the proper actions now to direct sufficient funds in each renewable energy area, as I have proposed here for crude oil, and actually lock the methodology into the law so implementing agencies or private companies cannot change it, then we will fail in our overall attempts to become Energy Independent in this decade. Private Companies and Private Investors can build windmill farms anywhere they want to, however, if the taxpayers money is going to be used to build them, we should only build them in places that will produce the maximum results for the funds expended and create jobs at the same time. This may require construction workers to temporarily relocate to other States as the Phase progress, however, did we not build the SPR
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(Strategic Petroleum Reserve) in the locations that would provide the best results for the overall program objectives and spend the taxpayers funds in a manner that produced the best results in the minimal amount of time, to counter the threat. The oil was even barged into the storage sites before the pipeline construction was even completed, to get the “oil in the ground” as quickly as possible. Here, we have a similar situation, where we want to know that windmill farms will be built in the right places first to produce the maximum result for the taxpayers investment and protect us against the coming threat, at the earliest possible time, to the fullest extent possible.
We should take the time to structure the same detailed plan for solar energy, geothermal energy, bio fuels and other renewable energy and alternative energy projects, including nuclear power plants. I believe we should put the month in this Economic Stimulus to build the two power plants already approved in TEXAS and MARYLAND. In Maryland there are already two operating nuclear power plants in the same country as the proposed site. Now if these two projects are already in the current budget for immediate commencement of construction in 2009, then fine, but if not, we need to take the time to include them in this Economic Stimulus Package.
Also, until we have become energy independent, we should not tax other forms of energy such as coal or gasoline. I do, however, believe we should place some controls on crude oil prices and emergency allocation and also on gasoline and other refined products, both for price and emergency allocation, and place restrictions via new laws and regulations on non-petroleum industry buyers “speculating” in crude oil and gasoline futures markets and always short selling, driving up prices. Non-industry buyers of commodities, should not be allowed to buy on 90%, 93% or 95% margins, with only 5%, 7% or 10% down. They should have to put a higher amount down as the price of the commodity rises, so that there is a “disincentive” to “speculate” above certain obviously “overpriced” and “ridiculous” prices for the commodity in question, (ie. crude oil and refined products, as a minimum). After we become energy independent, hopefully in this decade, then these rules could be lightened, however, nothing should be allowed to stand in our way of becoming energy independent in the next 8-10 years and hopefully returning to the 24% dependence level of the 1970's by 2015-2016. In 2017, the Social Security Trustees have computed that Social Security will begin taking in less than it pays out; we cannot undershot this current Economic Stimulus and allow the higher unemployment rates of this Economic Recession and Credit Crunch/Housing Crisis, to push back this date, even a single month, which it certainly will if unemployment reaches 10% or more and stays there for very long. Therefore, there is not incentive to wait to begin construction on any renewable or alternative energy project, and by the Federal Government fully funding the projects, we can control the priorities, to achieve the desired results for the American People. Certainly, we would not want to borrow money from CHINA in 2015, so we could bid against them in the spot market for a barrel of crude oil at projected prices at $215.00, as currently predicted by CNBC Analysts.
I have suggested to my State Senators and Congressional Representative, as well as your respective Energy Subcommittee in each House of Congress and the Obama Transition Team, that they try to see if OWENS CORNING, (T. Boone Pickens sole corporate sponsor for wind energy initiatives) to purchase sufficient stock in existing wind energy companies now to allow
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them to continue to operate, while the new Economic Stimulus and TARP are getting approved and being implemented, to allow existing wind energy companies that are struggling financially,
FIRST WIND in “Maui, Hawaii”, to continue with their planned expansion immediately. Perhaps they could do private placements of debt or equity capital to Stateside wind energy companies that do not have an IPO like FIRST WIND. Any wind energy companies in the Continental U.S. that have IPO’s, like FIRST WIND does, could be helped now by OWENS CORNING so they do not fail, or have to curtail expansion in the first quarter or second quarter of 2009, while the program outlined in this e-mail is implemented. Thank you for your indulgence and consideration of this important matter before the U.S. Congress.
- What excites you about this campaign?
- NOT DOING IT IS NOT AN OPTION; IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THE PICKENS PLAN AND OTHER PLANS FOR SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL, AND OTHER RENEWABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TO BECOME FULLY ENERGY INDEPENDENT BY THE END OF THIS DECADE AND RETURN TO A LEVEL BELOW 25% DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN CRUDE OIL BY 2015, THEN WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER FINANCIAL CRISIS THEN THAT WILL MAKE THIS ONE LOOK LIKE A KINDERGARDEN PICNIC. ALL I HAVE DONE HERE IS TAKE THE ORIGINAL IDEA AND PUT IT IN A FORMAT THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ADOPTED BY THE NEW OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CONGRESS, BOTH THE U.S. SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TO GET THIS PASSED AS PART OF THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR PHASE I IN THE FIRST SIX STATES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS (2009 AND 2010) FOR ACTUAL EXPENDATURE OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO BUILD WINDMILL FARMS WILL TAKE TREMENDOUS PUBLIC SUPPORT; EVERYONE NEEDS TO WRITE THEIR CONGRESSMAN/CONGRESSWOMAN, U.S. SENATORS, AND EVEN CONGRESSMEN/CONGRESSWOMEN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS AND OTHER STATES, COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN IN BOTH HOUSES AND THE COMMITTEE ITSELF, AS WELL. LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED; TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THIS; REASON: "BECAUSE IT MUST BE DONE"--this is now a matter of not only National Energy Security, but National Economic Security, as well as, National Defense Security. Our whole future depends on getting this done, and getting it done now!
- What do you want to do to help?
- I have already done it. I have sent this refinement of the Pickens Plan to the Obama Administration, my members of Congress, and every U.S. Senator and member of the House of Representatives, that accepts e-mail "out of constituency", which is about half of them, in the six States represented by Phase I, which produces 60% of the potential energy of the top 21 wind energy States in the entire U.S., (ND, TX, KS, SD, MT, & NE). I plan to send it to the same representatives in the Phase II and Phase III States, time permitting.
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How Do We Reduce Our Dependency on Foreign Oil?
T. Boone Pickens is a man with a plan. A Texas Billionaire, Oilman, Philanthropist and Supporter of Energy Independence for America who is heavily invested in Wind and Solar Energy, Natural Gas, and is the founder of the Pickens Plan (www.pickensplan.com).
The Pickens Plan is a grass roots organization with the goal of ending America’s dependence on foreign oil and supports the new Energy Plan currently in the works in Washington.
We can end our dependence on foreign oil by driving Hybrid and Plug-In vehicles, using Compressed Natural Gas for commercial vehicles, heat our homes using Geo-Thermal, Solar and Wind energy and by supporting the new Energy Plan that will be sent to Congress for a vote next month. The Energy Plan, according to the White House, will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help to create five million jobs by investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future, put 1 million Plug-in hybrid cars (which the White House will work to make certain they are built in America) on the road by 2015 and weatherize a million homes annually, which in turn benefits the Northland with Mining, Shipping, Manufacturing, Construction and Support Services.
I support the Pickens Plan for energy independence and urge you to do the same. The time is now to break our dependency on foreign oil and develop our own sources of clean, renewable energy across America, right here in Duluth and throughout the Northland. On April 1st-3rd join the Virtual March on Washington and call or email our Representatives, Senators and the Whitehouse and make it known that we are ready to become energy independent. Please join us at www.pickensplan.com. The time to act is NOW.
The Pickens Plan is organizing a Virtual March on Washington to be held April 1-3, 2009, RSVP and let's all make the commitment to recruit 10 other people to take part, too.
The Pickens Plan is organizing in every Congressional District in the country to maximize our voice in Washington. Support the Pickens Plan and join your district group today.
Click here to join your Congressional District Group.
Thanks for all you do, Leslie
.
Let's make this 50,000 Wednesday!
We have sent over 30,000 messages to our Senators in just 2 days. THIS IS THE MOMENT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. Real action is on the table. Let them hear from us.
Boone's team has made it so easy - it takes just one minute to forward a simple message to your Senators. PLEASE do it today. Please get the folks in your home, family and office to do the same.
Here is the easy link to our Senators:
http://capwiz.com/pickensplan/issues/alert/?alertid=12548996&ty...
Let's really push the needle today. Have a great one!
Best,
Kim
Best Regards and with Respect,
Mike Kendall
Thanks for the info, but I am only a volunteer member and like you it is a little out of my price range. Will they show a video of the meeting on the site? Did you check out the EVENTS to see if he will be speaking in your area?
Leslie
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
Thanks for the comments. We will do what we can here in the TX-04. Thanks for the link. I will pass it on.
Welcome Ralph and THANK YOU for joining Pickens Plan. Below are some links and suggestions on how you can help. Take your time and check out the site. If there is any way I can help, please, let me know. If I don't have the answer, I will do my very best to get you the answer.
Click here to help organize the New Energy Army in your Congressional District.
Contact and "Friend" the New Energy Army Regional Leader for your state.
Go to THE PLEDGE Lend your voice to the call for American energy independence.
Here is the link to the form for manual sign ups: MY ENERGY
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Thanks again for joining this historical effort. TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS.
Leslie - Welcome Wagon Volunteer