| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front Economy |
| U.S. becomes top producer of wind power |
| 2008-08-04 |
| (Xinhua) -- The United States has become the world's leading wind power producer and is expected to see rapid growth in places like Texas, the Great Plains and California, according to figures released on Saturday. The U.S. wind industry now tops Germany in terms of how much energy is being produced from wind, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said. Germany still has more installed capacity -- 22,000 megawatts vs. 17,000 in the United States at the end of 2007. But the average wind speed is stronger in the United States, which means more energy is being generated, the group said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #17 An oil price stability floor definitely needs to be in place. It needs to just high enough so enough alternatives are profitable to replace import the imports. I think it is $50+-10. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-08-04 22:42 |
| #16 I've turned that idea over for quite a while now and don't really see any other way to guarantee an orderly migration. As much as I hate to admit that a new tax might not be a bad idea I must agree with you on that one. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2008-08-04 22:34 |
| #15 AZCat, thats why you'll see me advocate somethign I never do: an exicse tax to guarantee an equivalent of $100/bbl for energy, mainly on imports. Use this to fund the stuff to self sufficiency, and write off the expense as part of the cost of strategic national defense. Energy independence, combined with drying up money to Chavez, Wahabbit/Saudi, etc, is a vital, survival issue to the US. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-04 22:17 |
| #14 Drilling will not be a permanent solution, but between that and shales, we buy plenty of time to move away from petroleum as a fuel. Trouble is if we embark on a serious exploration campaign here in the US I don't theink the equilibrium price of oil will settle at a level that will continue to make a broad array of alternatives economically feasible. Then we're right back in the 70s when Carter threw a lot of federal money at economically unviable alternatives which shriveled away as soon as the subsidies ran out. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2008-08-04 21:49 |
| #13 GNG now, we have plenty off shore. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2008-08-04 19:55 |
| #12 Thats exactly what Im pushing - do it ALL. Get us 100% self sufficient on energy, excepting imports from Canada and possibly Mexico. Drilling will not be a permanent solution, but between that and shales, we buy plenty of time to move away from petroleum as a fuel. Had we gone there in 1990, when Bush I the stooge put in that executive ban, we would already be producing from the OCS and ANWR. And don't forget there are massive amounts of natural gas - that can be used as-is for transportation fuel while the electric vehicle gets sorted out and the power grid it needs gets built. That's what pisses me off about Obama and the fecking Sierra club - they want to do it all by cutting consumtion and in the proce4ss destroying the government. Better "fleet fuel mileage" and tire inflation is NOT the answer -- it MUST be attacked form the supply side as well as the demand side. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-04 19:44 |
| #11 If we had cheap energy in this country, it would help offset cheap labor from other countries. We might be able to pay decent wages and still compete with foreign countries. If we pulled out the stops on energy in the USA, you would see the economy soar like it hasn't in a long time. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-08-04 17:49 |
| #10 OS - How about BOTH! Lets do everything. Drill, Gasification of Coal, Natural Gas Conversion for buses and other fleets. Nuke, 2nd Gen bio-fuels, Wind, Solar Thermal, GeoThermal, everything... |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-04 15:58 |
| #9 Just imagine how much we could produce if Sen. Kennedy wasn't so preoccupied with the view from Martha's Vineyard.... |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields 2008-08-04 15:57 |
| #8 4000+ jobs created. Hmm. Just imagine what would happen with jobs were we to start dilling and refining here? |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-04 10:45 |
| #7 LOL OS. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-08-04 09:46 |
| #6 And when the wind dies down? You mean like now with Congress in recess? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-08-04 09:34 |
| #5 And when the wind dies down? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-04 09:04 |
| #4 The American people will re-gain some overall megawatt totals after GAS-ASS BO quits flapping his jaw and ass, and Congress quits their G'D constant farting on Presidential concerts, "educational" gatherings and G'D junkets. Hold yer noses folks, it's brutal ... especially around rotten belly & GASEOUS Pelosi, Feinstein, Boxer, Murtha, John Conyers, Alcee Hastings, Barbara Lee, Joseph Biden, Kennedy, Sheila Jackson Lee, Landrieu, Leahy, Reid, Sanders, Schumer and incontinent Arlen Specter PU!! |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2008-08-04 02:54 |
| #3 U.S. becomes top producer of wind power Breaking News: "Breaking Wind" is nullified from the overall megawatt totals which knocks America down to 7th place. bummer dude... :( /hopefully |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2008-08-04 01:33 |
| #2 No net wind from congress. The wind they generate is countered by the vacuum they create. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-04 01:32 |
| #1 We could set up some wind turbines in Congress, but the excess output would destroy the whole electrical network... |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2008-08-04 01:18 |