Sherrel Farnsworth'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:

I am a long-time environmentalist. My father designed bicycles and rode his everywhaere to avoid using fossil fuels. I have tried to add solar panels to my house in Brooklyn, but NYC will apparently not connect individuals to the main grid, compromising the utility of the solar installation.

What excites you about this campaign?

This is the right idea, LONG OVERDUE!!!! We need to get this up and running as soon as possible. I salute T. Boone PIckens. who has the strength of character to put his money where his mouth is!!

What do you want to do to help?

Let me know

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At 10:13pm on January 28, 2009, Michael Shawn Kendall said…: Hi Sherrel, I have been pushing for the sell of US Treasury "Energy Independence Savings Bonds". Savings bonds are normally purchased in $25 increments. This gives a way for just about any American to tighten their belts just a bit by skipping a meal at McDonalds or Pizza Hut and buying a RE savings bond to support a renewable energy project and save money at the same time for themselves. I need help pushing this project, I've faxed and emailed many in Congress/Senate already.If you agree with this plan please consider passing to other people in your district as it will be a great tool to get funding for PickensPlan projects. This is a way to help and give tools to all of us for getting more RE projects started. My email is ke6cvh@yahoo.com. Here is a copy of a fax sent to Nancy Pelosi yesterday:
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

At 6:27am on August 6, 2008, Sherrel Farnsworth said…: Thanks a lot for that info Mike. How many units is your building? More than 4? And what do these crazy people need exactly to allow reverse metering? (I think they just are greedy and don't want to be in a position to credit any electric back). You seem to have gotten much more information than I have. Do we need incividual approval from NYSERDA? I have a two unit building and a friend of mine has a 4 unit building. I believe federal guidelines consider buildings 4 residential units or less to be residential, and NYC considers less than 3 units to be non-commercial. Maybe I can avoid this silly NY regulation. Or, if you have any numbers I would appreciate it. Keep me posted!

At 8:01pm on August 5, 2008, Mike Edwards said…: Interesting, Sherrel - I was told that the reason I could not have reverse metering is because my bldg is considered a commercial enterprise as opposed to a residential one. Meaning my individual tenants could pursue this (like they're gonna lay out that kind of dinero to install solar panels for a rental apt!), but I as the landlord could not. Typical New York logic! -- Over the last couple of months, I have decided to have (ask) my residents to sign a permission slip/letter that allows NYSERDA to look at their apt's energy consumption (ConEdison mostly, Keyspan some) in the past. I ask them to sign this in conjunction with their lease renewal. I have had mixed results so far, but at least it gives me a chance to talk with residents one-on-one about what I am trying to do. I figure when I get a majority signed up, NYSERDA may be willing to look at me. It's a very old bldg with high energy costs; I believe the analysis will show how much energy is being wasted. At that point, I'm hoping that common sense will prevail and I'll be approved for help in installing solar, even if it's just solar water.--We'll see how it goes!
-m

At 6:32am on August 5, 2008, Housedna said…: Hi Sherrel
You can find more information about the Grid and utility companies at http://www.solarelectricpower.org/ www.google.org and http://www.brookings.edu/
you can also try contacting Jacqueline at Univ of Delaware at 302-831-7024. they are working Vehicle to Grid Research, they might have an answer.

At 8:45am on August 4, 2008, Sherrel Farnsworth said…: Do you have any suggestions about who I could contact regarding the connection of individual solar electric to tne New York City electrical grid? I would like to put solar panels on my Brooklyn house that would feed into the NYC grid. Please let me know if you have any phone numbers.

At 2:19pm on July 29, 2008, Housedna said…: Hi Sherrel
I have started Pickens Plan Meetup in NYC. Please join us at

http://alternativeenergy.meetup.com/240/

Our first meeting is on Wednesday July 30th, 6pm at Gallery Bar NYC
From
Jag

Pickens Plan Meetup NY
Peer group for energy entrepreneurs to share ideas, experiences, and plans: look for best solution to energy crisis, solution could be within Pickens' Plan, Al Gore, or our own, The presentations will be done in monthly meetings