Local Journalist has a Plan
The following article was recently posted on The City Wire (Fort Smith, Akansas's community oline).
AN ENERGY WASTE OF TIME
by Michael Tilley
What follows is a waste of time — like telling a drunk to quit drinking or Congress to quit spending or Joe Biden to quit thinking he’s a big f*&%$#@ deal.
What follows is a big-picture idea probably not as picture-perfect as presented but would likely succeed despite a few as-of-yet unknown kinks. It’s an idea floated to a few folks in the know who say it’s not unreasonable.
Here’s the thing. We probably shouldn’t spend the remaining $378 billion in federal stimulus funds yet unspent. But if we do spend ourselves past the estimated $13 trillion debt, maybe we spend it less on the politically favored (unions, ACORN, protecting a mouse habitat in San Francisco, developing a colony of robot bees, etc.) and more on projects that will create short- AND long-term jobs all while increasing our use of domestic energy — which is very similar to reducing our dependence on foreign energy.
Natural gas and nuclear energy are the most cost-effective and quickest ways to reduce our oil dependence, reduce dangerous emissions from coal-fired plants — and take your clean coal BS to another venue — and create permanent, high-paying jobs.
Here’s the thing. Of the remaining $378 billion in federal money the Chinese will buy for us, let’s spend a portion on the following.
• $1.5 billion — 5,000 CNG (compressed natural gas) pumps at convenience stores
• $1.5 billion — retrofit about 200,000 government and private fleet vehicles to CNG
• $10 billion — 2 million $5,000 vouchers to retrofit personal vehicles toCNG
• $75 billion — fast-track the approval and construction (begin construction within 18 months to 3 years) of 15 nuclear power plants (The U.S. has 104 active nuke plants.)
• $10 billion — begin converting older coal-fired plants to natural gas
• $200 million — marketing and administration of the effort
That’s roughly $98.2 billion of the $378 billion. Nancy and Harry and Barry can have the remainder to create their circle-jerk programs around the country.
Here’s the thing about jobs. Each nuke plant creates an average of 2,400 jobs during construction (36,000 people over the course of 3-5 years), and then employs 700 to operate (10,500 high-paying jobs for a 60-80 year lifespan). Once operational, a nuke plant on average generates $40 million in local labor income and more than $400 million in goods and services sales. The construction, maintenance and installation of CNG pumps and retrofit equipment will create thousands of temporary and permanent jobs — not including the jobs from continued natural gas exploration, production and distribution.
Not only have we created jobs, but we'll do more for the environment than any dicked-up climate bill from Waxman or Markey or Larry, Moe and Curly.
“The problem is your proposal is infused with too much common sense and is result oriented,” noted a expert with many years experience in the natural gas sector after reviewing my notes. “Until we as a country decide what we want, I predict continued spending of a vast number of taxpayer dollars with little or no visible result.”
Another expert was somewhat skeptical of the timeframe for nuke plant construction, but said my idea is similar to many posited during the past several decades. Gov. Mike Beebe believes biomass (wood chips) will have a better chance of gaining consumer approval than CNG (That’s a story to be posted this week elsewhere on The City Wire.).
However, I’m told all of the points in the plan are doable. AT&T just announced it converted its 2,000th vehicle in its 10-year plan to convert 8,000 fleet vehicles to CNG. UPS and other fleet-intensive companies are doing the same. The rolling average is that CNG is a little more than $1 per gallon less expensive than gasoline. Also, maintenance on CNG vehicles is considerably less than for diesel or gasoline engines.
The plan outlined above is not the complete fix. It’s a kick-start to a long-term approach. CNG usage outlined in the above plan would reduce by just 1% the 130-plus billion gallons of gasoline and diesel we Americans consume annually. The belief of many experts in the field is that subsidizing CNG infrastructure will provide such clear benefits that the market demand will push for more private-sector development and adoption.
Also, adding 15 nuke plants will boost by 5%-7% (from about 20% to up to 27%) the amount of electricity generated in the U.S. by nukes. Again, the first 15 plants will set the stage for more. We can do this. How do I know we can do this? The French get 80% of their electricity from nukes. If the spoiled children of Europe can do it, we can do it.“Nuclear energy has progressed from its overly optimistic early years, through a turbulent adolescence, and is now a mature technology. It is a clean, secure and sustainable base-load source of electricity and an essential ingredient in meeting the world's increasing energy demand. Frankly, there is no solution without it,” energy guru Mike Lawrence noted in this opinion piece first posted in The Seattle Times.
Jim Williams, a Mitsubishi Power Systems exec responsible for the construction of the wind-turbine nacelle assembly plant at Fort Chaffee, said the same thing during a recent Fort Smith chamber meeting. He said there is a place for wind power, but nuclear power is the best solution to meet future electricity demand.
Ardent tree huggers, global warming disciples and loyal NPR listeners will spew on and on about wind power and biofuels and mass transit and other heavily-subsidized yet marginal ways to solve our energy dependence problems. These are the same folks who promoted ethanol. And we listened to them. And we drove up the price of corn and food and dumped a Grand Canyon-load of chemicals into the Mississippi River and New Orleans delta trying to grow enough corn to produce ethanol AND feed your bacon and your steak and your frito chili pie. These are often the same folks who have have said for the past 40 years that electric cars are just a year or two away. Remember when the Toyota Prius was going to save the day?
Other than being too vague on details, the best criticism of my little plan is it leaves the process in political hands. I was reminded that a Congress controlled by hundreds of special-interest levers will buy, relocate, destroy and then rebuild in the original spot a restaurant managed by at least three federal agencies under court supervision following a class-action lawsuit related to discriminatory hiring practices when the original purpose was simply to order a ham and cheese sandwich.
See ... you were warned this was a waste of time.
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Comment
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Comment by Jay Rosenberg on July 20, 2010 at 9:06am -
Hi Michael. Lets forget the Pols, they're pols. And the Journalists are journalists, and their energy comments, well intentioned, miss the critical elements, sometimes technical, sometime Real Politics. Since you digressed from energy, here another, why universal health care, healthcare reform is an essential and will permit employer and inventors of/in alt. energy to use their $ for alt. energy). People get older, and need more operations. However, many doctors refuse to operate, patient too old, unstable.... There's a unobvious benefit to the health care cols, the older folks -premium includes prob. of operations, which aint goinna happen because MD's don't want to do them, loose their rating. My Dad, BTW, was NOT operated on by the best bone doc, because he did not want to spoil his record. Mike, good intentions we all have, Dems/ Repubs/ indep and new hybrids. But, not undertanding the details on any multi-hundred billion $ or larger subject, just fogs the battlefield.
Business,in the US is a Civil war, amongst our own troops, not so overseas.
Re energy. My company Sannerprojects Inc, Sannerwind@gmail.com is intent on commerializng a high efficiency, low cost Natural Gas Turbine (RET) to replace diesels in trucks, cars, buses, marine .... Per Mr. Pickens, retrofitting even some of the 8 million 18 wheelers/ buses, with RET would save 1 or more billion bbls oil. annually for starters. Big companies with vested interests are terribly affraid of high efficiency, long life, and low cost. Contacted some myself The truckers would get an ROI in 2 years or less. Impossible to get through to Mr. Pickens for an elevator speech, a white paper, updated status et. Or via his many diplomats. He does not know it, I tried to communicate the Wind Trubine Energy status and details, way before he realized it was a no-go, or there were/ are better options. Much appreciative to Mr Pickens, because when I present my RET value propositions to prospects (mostly foreign, much more receptive), there is credibility, and solid references from the PP, support of pro-gas legistlation etc.. Just like most all other technology advances, it will come from skunk works, tiger teams, visionaries, not the assemblages. Mr. Pickens most likely does not realize the significant pro-NG developments beyond the earshot of his coterie. But, my thanks regardless
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Comment by DubleDeuce on July 20, 2010 at 1:28am -
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Geesch!!It sounds like a mini reread of all of the PickensPlan bloating these past two years.
Yada Yada Yada.
Here is the significant obstacle to all that is said above. Barry wants to prod the Repubs into supporting an extension to the unemployment insurance program. They say YES to this plan IF you will take the already allocated (and borrowed) money for the stimulus plan and NOT make another trip to the finance company. In other words, NO MORE DEBT.
Now. The premise is simple enough, we'll pass your bill, You take the money from an existing source of funds. But the answer is NO!! It is MY way or the highway. WHERE is the statesman in THAT comment?
This idiot hasn't got the best interest of the country at heart. Only a leftist, liberal agenda.
Want to talk about all of the things your "friend" speaks about. Get a new President-and a new Senate-AND a new House. That is the thing to be talking about.
The Deuceman
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Comment by WALTER REED on July 20, 2010 at 12:51am -
Hi Monte:
Generally, your friend is on the right track. But yet, he does not understand the LIFE-CYCLE cost of nuclear fission plant. If he did, he would dramatically alter that suggestion to other alternative energies for such major investment. Two years ago, the Chinese accounted for only 5% of the world's production of solar PV panels; today they account for 60% of the worlds production of solar PV panels; a government commitment was made.
Life cycle costs beats Nuclear even now and that technology is moving forward. Nuclear fusion power plant is another matter, if ever the many billions invested ever see a payday. Then there is ocean thermal and wave power systems, wind and geothermal; each having life-cycle and safety issues for far competitive to nuclear fission power plants. Just the stored 5% spent fuel in the glowing complex of holding pools, now re-racked and re-racked to capacity, still has no place to go. Life-cycle costs has not included demolition costs of crumbling plants and disposal or same for the spent fuel. That cost is enormous.
Walter
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Comment by Dave Howard on July 20, 2010 at 12:18am -
To Bad its just a dream ! What is real is a nightmare , Party politics is running the Free give a way programs for the so called poor . Where 1 cent of every 100 dollars spent actualy pays for a life time welfare person to have more babys to get more ADC coming in .Or free meals at school the cost taxed workers "That really do work for a weeks pay " about 2o bucks a meal $18 is pocket money for all the paper work ! A truck load of gravel to fill in a road baving job cost $1000 a truck full . Just because The out of control government will pay it . Worst case I have first hand knowledge of was ,A military contractor building mulit fuel Motorcycles Diesel KLR 650 with Hiper cycletec Engine {Burn almost anything } was built by F1 inc . The US military had them built for scouting partys . F1 built a few for Daddy Bushes war in the Gulf .I few hundred . Now a KLR did cost about $3400 back then , F1 just chanced the engine and installed a fuel system with FI and Heaters for thick fuel . That KLR cost the Taxed people almost $25,000 a pop , When Desart Storming Fraud ended F1 was not selling anymore KLRs . What do you think F1 set out to find Dealers accrost America that would survice and sell their Diesel bike .For a decent "Almost" price of $10,000 each , Soon they had orders and dealers signing on ,They started hiring people to do real production ,not military cost plus scam crap . They had a small plant making Military Multi fuel engines for Mules{atv} ,Gama Goats ,and Motorcycles ,Military dune buggys . The plant would cast and cnc parts three shifts ,to meet the already signed up demand at a cheaper price ,They would build only Motorcycles and ATVs ,Then like a black cloud over this land More War ! ,Clinton then Bush jr. The Military wanted More disposable scout Biks and ATVs ,F1 had a parking lot full of bikes that was ear marked for East coast Kawasaki dealers , The Terminator,s State was holding off on their EPA,s rulling ,but in Deisel # 1 brand motorcycle rulls the F1 was passing with colors . Any how The military Overpaid for a Parking lot full of bikes and signed on for all they could build for 5 more years ,Gamas to as well as mules and tons of spair motors . Guess what happened ,Production slowed down to the same old numbers and Second and third shifts vanished before they started .Since the military would pay almost three time what the bikes realy wher eworth . "This wjhole mess revolvers around A military ingrustral complex and their dam wars " Until Wars stop for good and the Navy funding is cut to the bone so ships can't supply more fun money grabbing war we will not recover . If acommon people can buy a M16 with three less small parts for $900 why dose a M16 with Three more small parts cost $3000 a pop ! Part of the faild system is War followed by paying people not to work and paying them to have more Babys that will never work .since they have no work ethics ,only theving off others since its a way of life to them > Like Mother and Father . In Ohio Welfare leaches even can get a free cell phone and lots of free gab time .Look at porn on their free camera phones .what is next free HD-Cable .They already have free vaigra for old people that don't need it . This will end some day but its going to be Bad ,Real Bad . Some one like a Mao will put bumbs to work or they will be shot like Pigs in a Barn Yard . Since the government flat refuses to stop outragous give a ways at a high cost to people that will work . As far as electric ,the government wants paying ebverything we have so we all will become dependents of the state . soon or later the lights will go out . The the hurd will take a big hit ,since the Rich power base will not give up one dime to fix things ,They are smart ,they keep their wealth . The Mess in thegulf is still on and that might speed things up a little ,in the long run the working class is going down for the long count .Then Dumbing down will kill off the rest ,The rich will keep a few slaves to feed them and cut the grass .thats about it . Sounds grim right !
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Comment by W. Dan Chance on July 19, 2010 at 11:56pm -
Now how can this guy get elected to congress from your area?
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