The second main speaker at the Clean Energy Summit was T Boone Pickens who has been putting all those TV ads together, spending HIS OWN MONEY on it to educate the American Public on how we are transferring our wealth to the Middle East for their oil. He has a plan and he has already started investing the money to make the plan work.
In contrast to Clinton his down-home-folksy speaking style suited him and his use of a marker board only enhanced his simple approach to solving our "energy crisis". Even when he would stumble over his words, like Clinton did, he would recover with a simple ease that endeared himself to the people of the opposite party he was speaking to. It was hard NOT to like him.
As to his message. His main argument is that we are transferring $700 billion every year for oil and we can cut that by 38% in the next 5 years. The way to do this is to change all our vehicles from oil based gasoline to natural gas. ALL of our natural gas is produced in the US and it is cleaner and more efficient than gasoline. He says to start with the truck fleets in the nation which upgrade their semi's, on average, every 2 1/2 years, so by 5 years all semi's on the road should be natural gas. All new cars should start soon after. This would bridge the gap between battery powered vehicles which are, realistically, 10 years away from mass appeal. It is a simple conversion to make engines that run on gas to ones that run on natural gas. This is the biggest step. He called on Senator Reid for the tax incentives to make it happen but he believes the market will pay for the rest.
The rest of the oil that is used for power generation (after the 38% used for vehicles) will be locally produced and not Middle East produced but also will be reduced with wind and solar every year to make up for taking Natural Gas out of the electricity generating process.
What impressed me, contrary to Clinton, was that he came carrying a check. He has spent millions already on this project and is intending to spend hundreds of millions if that is what it takes. Money spoke pretty loudly. I wish he was a Nevada Oil Man and not a Texas Oil Man.
Showing posts with label alternative energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative energy. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Clintonspeak:
So I attended the Clean Energy Summit put on by Harry Reid and UNLV this week. The keynote speaker on Monday night was former President Bill Clinton. I had never heard Clinton speak before (other than on TV when prez and such) and I was definitely not impressed.
Forget the message for a minute but the former President was a mess as a speaker. I have been a Toastmaster for almost 10 years now and speak 3-4 times a week at various groups so I have a little speaking experience. Clinton's speech was a bumbling mess. He tried to speak from some notes he "wrote in the plane on the way here" and it came across like it was a terrible flight. He repeatedly lost his place and referred to point 7 as point 2 and point 8 as his second point and repeated himself or joked until he found his place again. It was to the point that I was uncomfortable for him. I expected a lot more from a guy who gets millions each year just to speak to them.
As to the content of his speech. He showed a depth of knowledge on Alternative Energy that I appreciated. A couple of things like "de-coupling" energy companies that I had not heard of before and his closing on making Nevada a kind of pilot program for total energy independence made me applaud. Clinton did well when he told stories and he could have told a lot more of them. He made great points but I wish his presentation was a lot more professional. With the VAST majority of those attending having Clinton as their hero he got a standing ovation when he was done and the conference went on.
I have said this before and I say it again. Words are great but time slips by as we talk. The time has come to DO something. I would have loved Clinton to put some of his or his foundation's (which he touted over and over again) money into Nevada to make this the pilot program move. We have been SAYING these kind of things since before he was president and still we talk. If he'd have come with a check my ears would have perked up and people from both sides would have cheered.
Forget the message for a minute but the former President was a mess as a speaker. I have been a Toastmaster for almost 10 years now and speak 3-4 times a week at various groups so I have a little speaking experience. Clinton's speech was a bumbling mess. He tried to speak from some notes he "wrote in the plane on the way here" and it came across like it was a terrible flight. He repeatedly lost his place and referred to point 7 as point 2 and point 8 as his second point and repeated himself or joked until he found his place again. It was to the point that I was uncomfortable for him. I expected a lot more from a guy who gets millions each year just to speak to them.
As to the content of his speech. He showed a depth of knowledge on Alternative Energy that I appreciated. A couple of things like "de-coupling" energy companies that I had not heard of before and his closing on making Nevada a kind of pilot program for total energy independence made me applaud. Clinton did well when he told stories and he could have told a lot more of them. He made great points but I wish his presentation was a lot more professional. With the VAST majority of those attending having Clinton as their hero he got a standing ovation when he was done and the conference went on.
I have said this before and I say it again. Words are great but time slips by as we talk. The time has come to DO something. I would have loved Clinton to put some of his or his foundation's (which he touted over and over again) money into Nevada to make this the pilot program move. We have been SAYING these kind of things since before he was president and still we talk. If he'd have come with a check my ears would have perked up and people from both sides would have cheered.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
BLM Pushes Solar Power back FIVE YEARS!
We've been hearing about it now for a few weeks but the Fed's, the BLM: Bureau of Lame Management, er, sorry, the Bureau of LAND Management has decided to put a moratorium on disposing of or leasing land for Solar projects. They complain that they have gotten "so many" applications in the last few years that they need to do an environmental impact study to see if the new shade offered to the desert turtles will hurt them or not. Read the PVT article.
They want to push any approvals back for 22 months! That is almost TWO YEARS! How long does it take to find out whether a turtle likes the shade of a solar panel or not? Add that two years to the current THREE YEAR process to get the proper permits and we are still at least FIVE YEARS away from any new Solar Power in rural Nevada. That is not even counting the time it take to build the solar or wind plants.
I put this solidly in Senate MAJORITY Leader Harry Reid's lap. He is the freekin' head of the US Senate with a majority in Congress and what have we seen for all his LIP SERVICE to renewables in Nevada. Back when new coal plants were being proposed and he came out saying "over my dead body" he should have said "No to coal but I will get the BLM to release 50,000 acres for solar and wind projects"
I am TIRED of the lip service to renewables by ALL OUR POLITICIANS. It seems like this Ed Goedhart from Nye County is the ONLY ONE who gets it!
They want to push any approvals back for 22 months! That is almost TWO YEARS! How long does it take to find out whether a turtle likes the shade of a solar panel or not? Add that two years to the current THREE YEAR process to get the proper permits and we are still at least FIVE YEARS away from any new Solar Power in rural Nevada. That is not even counting the time it take to build the solar or wind plants.
I put this solidly in Senate MAJORITY Leader Harry Reid's lap. He is the freekin' head of the US Senate with a majority in Congress and what have we seen for all his LIP SERVICE to renewables in Nevada. Back when new coal plants were being proposed and he came out saying "over my dead body" he should have said "No to coal but I will get the BLM to release 50,000 acres for solar and wind projects"
I am TIRED of the lip service to renewables by ALL OUR POLITICIANS. It seems like this Ed Goedhart from Nye County is the ONLY ONE who gets it!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Ethanol and/or Food
The LVRJ had a major editorial on Ethanol calling it"magical beans" and a scam. As the price of food goes up and the price of grain goes up I find I am torn.
My brother is an Indiana farmer and is now enjoying, for the first time in my 48 years of memory, a price for corn that he can actually make a living off of. $2 per bushel corn was the standard for almost 50 years, imagine that, imagine YOUR wages staying the same as they were in 1958! Instead of complaining and fighting (okay there has always been a little complaining and subsidies) the American farmer buckled down and became more and more efficient, and more efficient. They produced more and more grain off the same few acres. NOW suddenly we have corn at $6 per bushel because of the dream of ethanol fueling the US economy. Hooray for the farmer!
But on the other hand food is more expensive because corn also feeds animals that feed us both milk and meat. It still takes a lot of energy and water to produce ethanol and while I believe we will get better at it, there might be a better way to spend our resources. Like on Wind, Sun, and Geothermal.
PRONevada covers and area that doesn't include many corn growers, although wheat has gone up in price too. But PRONevada has to push alternative energy in Nevada and we would like to see the cost of food go down for many reasons while producing renewable energy in other ways.
My brother is an Indiana farmer and is now enjoying, for the first time in my 48 years of memory, a price for corn that he can actually make a living off of. $2 per bushel corn was the standard for almost 50 years, imagine that, imagine YOUR wages staying the same as they were in 1958! Instead of complaining and fighting (okay there has always been a little complaining and subsidies) the American farmer buckled down and became more and more efficient, and more efficient. They produced more and more grain off the same few acres. NOW suddenly we have corn at $6 per bushel because of the dream of ethanol fueling the US economy. Hooray for the farmer!
But on the other hand food is more expensive because corn also feeds animals that feed us both milk and meat. It still takes a lot of energy and water to produce ethanol and while I believe we will get better at it, there might be a better way to spend our resources. Like on Wind, Sun, and Geothermal.
PRONevada covers and area that doesn't include many corn growers, although wheat has gone up in price too. But PRONevada has to push alternative energy in Nevada and we would like to see the cost of food go down for many reasons while producing renewable energy in other ways.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Nye County Direction
Nye County has approved "A $492,000 renewable energy study (that) will examine planning issues associated with various wind and solar projects proposed around Nye County"
This study will look at the "feasibility" of Wind Power, Biomass Power from landfills, Solar Power and infrastructure issues in Nye County. You can read about this here in the Pahrump Valley Times.
Now PRONevada is ALL FOR alternative energy in rural Nevada and we believe that there is no reason why Nevada can not be energy POSITIVE by the end of the next decade but this study has the smell of a stall tactic. I understand that Nye County has to go through proper channels and has to make sure they don't step on any toes but LET'S GET MOVING!
EVERYBODY KNOWS alternative energy is the right thing to do so instead of doing another feasibility study, let's knock down some of the barriers! Read the March 14 blog below and let's get moving instead of talking about it and studying it for another year!
PRONevada praises Nye County for their steps, even though they are baby steps, at least they are in the right direction.
This study will look at the "feasibility" of Wind Power, Biomass Power from landfills, Solar Power and infrastructure issues in Nye County. You can read about this here in the Pahrump Valley Times.
Now PRONevada is ALL FOR alternative energy in rural Nevada and we believe that there is no reason why Nevada can not be energy POSITIVE by the end of the next decade but this study has the smell of a stall tactic. I understand that Nye County has to go through proper channels and has to make sure they don't step on any toes but LET'S GET MOVING!
EVERYBODY KNOWS alternative energy is the right thing to do so instead of doing another feasibility study, let's knock down some of the barriers! Read the March 14 blog below and let's get moving instead of talking about it and studying it for another year!
PRONevada praises Nye County for their steps, even though they are baby steps, at least they are in the right direction.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Desalinization Desmalinization
The Las Vegas Sun took time out of its busy schedule of panning everything Republican and conservative to pen an article on Desalinization, even giving it a title "Desalinization Gets a Serious Look"
Unfortunately they didn't give it that look. Clouded by the unassuming smoothness of Pat Mulroy at the Water Authority and by Californian environmental groups they gave desalinization as an option less than a paragraph in the article. The rest of the time they praised the pipeline, lamented the possibility of dead fish, and crooned about the impractical if not impossible.
They did end it on what I am sure they consider a positive note with a PRO Nevada quote from Launce Rake "“This is a country that put a man on the moon, a country with enormous intelligence and financial resources. We can do this if we have the political will.”
While I am sure Launce meant well and was probably misquoted or taken out of context like the Sun tends to do but desalinization is NOT the equivalent of a moon shot. A desal' plant is the equivalent of building a factory, happens all the time and everywhere. The issue continues to be the amount of POWER needed to make it worth the effort. Unlike the moon shot, the technology is there and waiting.
For a mere $250 million we (meaning Nevada) can build a plant in Mexico and get the credit towards drawing more water from Lake Mead. Okay, $250 million is not chump change but compare that to the LVVWA plan to spend $2 billion on a pipeline (which will probably grow to $4-5 billion by the time there are done) we could build EIGHT DESAL' PLANTS for that!
Many Desal' plants already have alternative energy sources using waves and wind to power the process. Environmental groups complain that the salt goes back into the ocean and kills fish due to its high concentration. 1st that is a literal drop in the bucket and 2nd that salt can be a commodity for some entrepreneurial desal' plant operator.
So check out the article but keep the pressure on Mulroy and her friends in the Sun to push the Desal' plants as a legitimate alternative.
Unfortunately they didn't give it that look. Clouded by the unassuming smoothness of Pat Mulroy at the Water Authority and by Californian environmental groups they gave desalinization as an option less than a paragraph in the article. The rest of the time they praised the pipeline, lamented the possibility of dead fish, and crooned about the impractical if not impossible.
They did end it on what I am sure they consider a positive note with a PRO Nevada quote from Launce Rake "“This is a country that put a man on the moon, a country with enormous intelligence and financial resources. We can do this if we have the political will.”
While I am sure Launce meant well and was probably misquoted or taken out of context like the Sun tends to do but desalinization is NOT the equivalent of a moon shot. A desal' plant is the equivalent of building a factory, happens all the time and everywhere. The issue continues to be the amount of POWER needed to make it worth the effort. Unlike the moon shot, the technology is there and waiting.
For a mere $250 million we (meaning Nevada) can build a plant in Mexico and get the credit towards drawing more water from Lake Mead. Okay, $250 million is not chump change but compare that to the LVVWA plan to spend $2 billion on a pipeline (which will probably grow to $4-5 billion by the time there are done) we could build EIGHT DESAL' PLANTS for that!
Many Desal' plants already have alternative energy sources using waves and wind to power the process. Environmental groups complain that the salt goes back into the ocean and kills fish due to its high concentration. 1st that is a literal drop in the bucket and 2nd that salt can be a commodity for some entrepreneurial desal' plant operator.
So check out the article but keep the pressure on Mulroy and her friends in the Sun to push the Desal' plants as a legitimate alternative.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Little boy, why do you hit yourself in the head with a hammer?
I walked around the corner in our neighborhood and found a young boy hitting himself in the head with a hammer. "Little boy," I said, "why do you hit yourself in the head with a hammer?" He looked up with a smile on his face and said, "Because it feels so good when I stop."
The Pahrump Valley Times has another in a series of articles in ALL the local papers on the next attempt by the DOE to "revive" Yucca Mountain. They will send another bright scientist to head the project and then cut back the money and manpower ... again ... while getting now further in the process. More delays, more money down the drain (or hole). I makes you want to ask: "DOE, why do you keep hitting your head with a hammer?"
Well it is long past time to MAKE IT STOP!
It is time to spend the billions of dollars on recycling nuclear waste and not hiding it - "oooh, that feels so good!"
It is time to spend the billions of dollars on technology that WON'T PRODUCE the waste in the first place - "yessss, that feels so good!"
Let's get the DOE to STOP banging themselves with Yucca, I am sure they will thank us for it.
The Pahrump Valley Times has another in a series of articles in ALL the local papers on the next attempt by the DOE to "revive" Yucca Mountain. They will send another bright scientist to head the project and then cut back the money and manpower ... again ... while getting now further in the process. More delays, more money down the drain (or hole). I makes you want to ask: "DOE, why do you keep hitting your head with a hammer?"
Well it is long past time to MAKE IT STOP!
It is time to spend the billions of dollars on recycling nuclear waste and not hiding it - "oooh, that feels so good!"
It is time to spend the billions of dollars on technology that WON'T PRODUCE the waste in the first place - "yessss, that feels so good!"
Let's get the DOE to STOP banging themselves with Yucca, I am sure they will thank us for it.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Access to BLM Land for Alternative Energy!
Now that is a great idea! The LVRJ tells us that Sen. Reid is proposing opening up Federal BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Land for use in alternative energy.
If ANY OF YOU have tried to get the BLM to release or "dispose of" land (I have) you know that it is like rolling over an elephant by yourself. It literally takes an act of congress to get it done. While Clark County has done some innovative (and lucrative) coordination between the BLM, environmental groups, and businesses all the rural counties have not. So you are stuck with some arbitrary 10 year plan in our rural counties for disposing of land. All of us know how well 10 year plans work out. Anything outside of that planned disposal takes an Act of Congress.
PRONevada is PRO ANYTHING that will free up the 67% of Nevada held by the BLM, ESPECIALLY for use in alternative energy.
(But let's not forget our farmers and ranchers who can also turn that BLM desert into food on your table)
PRONevada.org
If ANY OF YOU have tried to get the BLM to release or "dispose of" land (I have) you know that it is like rolling over an elephant by yourself. It literally takes an act of congress to get it done. While Clark County has done some innovative (and lucrative) coordination between the BLM, environmental groups, and businesses all the rural counties have not. So you are stuck with some arbitrary 10 year plan in our rural counties for disposing of land. All of us know how well 10 year plans work out. Anything outside of that planned disposal takes an Act of Congress.
PRONevada is PRO ANYTHING that will free up the 67% of Nevada held by the BLM, ESPECIALLY for use in alternative energy.
(But let's not forget our farmers and ranchers who can also turn that BLM desert into food on your table)
PRONevada.org
Monday, February 18, 2008
Nevada HAS TO LEAD!
It is time for Nevada to step up. The LVRJ again this past Sunday touted the potential in Nevada for being the leader in alternative energy. Again and again editorials and bloggers have touted the POTENTIAL in Nevada. They have told us over and over again how we SHOULD or COULD be leading in this.
Nevada is in a unique position right now. Sure we hear the bellyaching of our Schools with the decreasing of their INCREASE in funds this year but there is a lot of money out there for alternative energy solutions. We have state representatives like Ed Goedhart of District 36 (a Republican) and we have state senators like Dina Titus (a Democrat) who are working to make changes along with a handful of others but they need help.
Here are a few ideas:
1] Take away the "incentives" of companies to be LEED certified and give the money to our Public Schools to be used ONLY FOR SOLAR POWER on their facilities - the gift that keeps on giving. LEED certification is still too nebulous and still too easy for a smart businessman to get around. There is enough incentive in businesses to go green without the state sponsoring it.
2] Newspapers, who constantly tout alternative energy, sponsor Alternative Energy Awards and grants. They can raise awareness and promote experimentation by offering $1 million in prizes for companies and/or individuals in categories like: Most innovative use of alternative energy; Most dramatic decrease in traditional power usage; Gadget with most potential; Most innovative new idea; or WHATEVER.
3] How about making all the neighborhood associations get involved! Recycling projects, collection locations and how about each neighborhood association haveing to generate 10% of their own power! There is enough garbage and enough sun and wind to power the neighborhood if they want to coordinate it.
I am sure you have ideas too, so respond to this blog and I will make sure they get posted and sent to people who can do something about it. This isn't a political issue, it is a practical issue. Can you imagine Nevada being the first state in the Union that is TOTALLY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SELF SUFFICIENT! Can you imagine? I can!
Nevada is in a unique position right now. Sure we hear the bellyaching of our Schools with the decreasing of their INCREASE in funds this year but there is a lot of money out there for alternative energy solutions. We have state representatives like Ed Goedhart of District 36 (a Republican) and we have state senators like Dina Titus (a Democrat) who are working to make changes along with a handful of others but they need help.
Here are a few ideas:
1] Take away the "incentives" of companies to be LEED certified and give the money to our Public Schools to be used ONLY FOR SOLAR POWER on their facilities - the gift that keeps on giving. LEED certification is still too nebulous and still too easy for a smart businessman to get around. There is enough incentive in businesses to go green without the state sponsoring it.
2] Newspapers, who constantly tout alternative energy, sponsor Alternative Energy Awards and grants. They can raise awareness and promote experimentation by offering $1 million in prizes for companies and/or individuals in categories like: Most innovative use of alternative energy; Most dramatic decrease in traditional power usage; Gadget with most potential; Most innovative new idea; or WHATEVER.
3] How about making all the neighborhood associations get involved! Recycling projects, collection locations and how about each neighborhood association haveing to generate 10% of their own power! There is enough garbage and enough sun and wind to power the neighborhood if they want to coordinate it.
I am sure you have ideas too, so respond to this blog and I will make sure they get posted and sent to people who can do something about it. This isn't a political issue, it is a practical issue. Can you imagine Nevada being the first state in the Union that is TOTALLY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SELF SUFFICIENT! Can you imagine? I can!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Coal Plants in Rural Nevada
I have to say that PRO Nevada is torn over the building of new Coal Plants in Rural Nevada. On the one hand bringing 800 temporary jobs and 110 permanant ones and the revenue generated by all those construction guys renting, buying food, and paying for there stay in rural Nevada is a GOOD THING. On the other hand PRO Nevada has been a staunch supporter of alternative energy in rural Nevada. We are so rich in natural resources for producing energy. Resources like the SUN, the WIND, and even geothermal are available in Rural Nevada. The price of turning these resources into energy is coming down all the time and with a boost from the feds and state it will get over the top. Back to the first "hand" PRO Nevada supports alternative energy because so much of our current energy needs are supplied by people who want to kill us and we have a hard time supporting terrorists by buying their oil. But coal is a "home grown" product and in abundant supply here in the states. So coal plants will support Americans and American jobs. Also, the energy is still cheaper and cheaper energy bills are good for rural Nevada.
I said all that to say this: PRONevada doesn't seem to have a horse in the race for the coal plants in Nevada. But we welcome any comments to help pursuade.
I said all that to say this: PRONevada doesn't seem to have a horse in the race for the coal plants in Nevada. But we welcome any comments to help pursuade.
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