Comments on: Wind could produce 20 percent of U.S. power by 2030 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/ Exploring Science and the Environment Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:02:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: John http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1634 John Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:10:30 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1634 Where do you dump the byproducts of nuke reactors? To heal the earth, we need to stick on to the natural resources to fulfill our needs. Thanks. Where do you dump the byproducts of nuke reactors? To heal the earth, we need to stick on to the natural resources to fulfill our needs. Thanks.

]]> By: Bob McNuke http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1623 Bob McNuke Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:51:47 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1623 Windfarms are an eyesore... hundreds of square miles of giant turbines spinning across our once majestic mountainside... how sad :( Give me a little nuke reactor that takes 1 square mile of land and produces 1,000 times the energy anyday. Windfarms are an eyesore… hundreds of square miles of giant turbines spinning across our once majestic mountainside… how sad :(

Give me a little nuke reactor that takes 1 square mile of land and produces 1,000 times the energy anyday.

]]> By: Dan Kulpinski http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1571 Dan Kulpinski Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:50:08 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1571 I'd love to see that USEIA link. How much are those subsidies in dollars? Renewable energy sources provide less than 1 percent of our electricity right now, so they don't generate many megawatts -- whereas coal, nuclear and natural gas generate a bunch more megawatts. Thus the subsidy per megawatt will be less for coal, nuclear, etc. If you are all for wind power, you should buy some for your home. See the EPA Greenpower link in my post above. You can purchase wind power directly or indirectly. As for your taxes, you can pay now to jumpstart renewable energy production, or you can pay later for the impacts of pollution and global warming. Nothing's free. I’d love to see that USEIA link. How much are those subsidies in dollars? Renewable energy sources provide less than 1 percent of our electricity right now, so they don’t generate many megawatts — whereas coal, nuclear and natural gas generate a bunch more megawatts. Thus the subsidy per megawatt will be less for coal, nuclear, etc.

If you are all for wind power, you should buy some for your home. See the EPA Greenpower link in my post above. You can purchase wind power directly or indirectly.

As for your taxes, you can pay now to jumpstart renewable energy production, or you can pay later for the impacts of pollution and global warming. Nothing’s free.

]]> By: Steve http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1570 Steve Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:15:22 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1570 The subsidies for solar and wind are way out of proportion for the energy produced. For subsidies related to electricity production,U.S. Energy Information Agency data shows that solar energy was subsidized at $24.34 per megawatt hour and wind at $23.37 per megawatt hour for electricity generated in 2007. By contrast, coal received 44 cents, natural gas and petroleum received 25 cents, hydroelectric power 67 cents, and nuclear power $1.59 per megawatt hour. I'm all for wind power just not paying for it with my taxes. The subsidies for solar and wind are way out of proportion for the energy produced. For subsidies related to electricity production,U.S. Energy Information Agency data shows that solar energy was subsidized at $24.34 per megawatt hour and wind at $23.37 per megawatt hour for electricity generated in 2007. By contrast, coal received 44 cents, natural gas and petroleum received 25 cents, hydroelectric power 67 cents, and nuclear power $1.59 per megawatt hour.

I’m all for wind power just not paying for it with my taxes.

]]> By: Mathieu Pard http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1560 Mathieu Pard Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:38:31 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1560 Why We Need Energy Alternative We are in the midst of an energy crisis. The price of a gallon of gas is sky high and there is a great deal of trouble-brewing in the Middle East, Iraq and Iran and other areas. These problems have made it clear to many United States citizens that we have an oil-driven economy. Why We Need Energy Alternative

We are in the midst of an energy crisis. The price of a gallon of gas is sky high and there is a great deal of trouble-brewing in the Middle East, Iraq and Iran and other areas. These problems have made it clear to many United States citizens that we have an oil-driven economy.

]]> By: Lawsuit loan http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1114 Lawsuit loan Tue, 20 May 2008 05:34:26 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1114 Great, wind energy will really prove fruitful in near future. Great, wind energy will really prove fruitful in near future.

]]> By: Dan Kulpinski http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1100 Dan Kulpinski Fri, 16 May 2008 15:46:45 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1100 Yes, wind power is somewhat subsidized, but all energy sources are subsidized in some way by the U.S. government. See this FAQ from the American Wind Energy Association, http://www.awea.org/faq/wwt_policy.html#Is wind energy heavily subsidized More than other forms of energy Older industries such as fossil fuels get larger subsidies than the younger industries such as wind and solar. You can read more about Ten Most Distortionary Energy Subsidies in this entry in Encyclopedia of Earth, http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ten_most_distortionary_energy_subsidies Also, wind is reliable enough that wind power-generating capacity jumped almost 30 percent in 2006. Wind power supplies 3 percent of the European Union's electricity and 11.6 percent in Germany alone. More than 20 U.S. states have passed renewable energy mandates that have spurred investment in wind and other renewables. (See 'Vital Signs 2007-2008,' by The Worldwatch Institute, p. 36) Companies put wind farms in places that have lots of wind. They know how much wind to expect each year. In addition, some people are working on technologies to store energy from wind power to make this power source even more useful. I still don't understand your anti-government beliefs. Sure, governments are not perfect, but neither are individuals. Most, if not all, technologies get some type of government support at some point. The Internet is a good example; it was created out of work done by the Advanced Research Projects Agency in the 1960s. See Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet Yes, wind power is somewhat subsidized, but all energy sources are subsidized in some way by the U.S. government. See this FAQ from the American Wind Energy Association, http://www.awea.org/faq/wwt_policy.html#Is wind energy heavily subsidized More than other forms of energy

Older industries such as fossil fuels get larger subsidies than the younger industries such as wind and solar. You can read more about Ten Most Distortionary Energy Subsidies in this entry in Encyclopedia of Earth, http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ten_most_distortionary_energy_subsidies

Also, wind is reliable enough that wind power-generating capacity jumped almost 30 percent in 2006. Wind power supplies 3 percent of the European Union’s electricity and 11.6 percent in Germany alone. More than 20 U.S. states have passed renewable energy mandates that have spurred investment in wind and other renewables. (See ‘Vital Signs 2007-2008,’ by The Worldwatch Institute, p. 36)

Companies put wind farms in places that have lots of wind. They know how much wind to expect each year. In addition, some people are working on technologies to store energy from wind power to make this power source even more useful.

I still don’t understand your anti-government beliefs. Sure, governments are not perfect, but neither are individuals. Most, if not all, technologies get some type of government support at some point. The Internet is a good example; it was created out of work done by the Advanced Research Projects Agency in the 1960s. See Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

]]> By: Benjamin Napier http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1099 Benjamin Napier Fri, 16 May 2008 14:24:54 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2008/05/15/wind-could-produce-20-percent-of-us-power-by-2030/#comment-1099 Wind power is a highly government subsidized and unreliable power source. Please read up on the industry. It will not provide 20% of the power needed by the United States at any time in the future. It will simply eat tax dollars and cause outages. Please understand, any technology that needs government support is a bust. Also, government is the most inefficient, bumbling method of doing anything. I have no problem with people and businesses building wind plants and trying to cut their own electric bills. There should never be a subsidy that is stolen from the taxpayer and given to a beneficiary. It is wrong and won't work. Wind power is a highly government subsidized and unreliable power source. Please read up on the industry. It will not provide 20% of the power needed by the United States at any time in the future. It will simply eat tax dollars and cause outages.

Please understand, any technology that needs government support is a bust. Also, government is the most inefficient, bumbling method of doing anything. I have no problem with people and businesses building wind plants and trying to cut their own electric bills. There should never be a subsidy that is stolen from the taxpayer and given to a beneficiary. It is wrong and won’t work.

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