U.S. TAKES WORLD LEAD IN WIND PRODUCTION

In a widely publicized appearance before Senator Joseph Lieberman’s Senate Hmeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee July 22, T. Boone Pickens again touted wind energy’s potential and railed against the $700 billion dollars the U.S. spends to import liquid fuel.

In case anybody reading this has just recovered from 2 weeks of deaf blindness, Pickens has been preaching a plan of wind development on the U.S. grid and compressed natural gas vehicles for U.S. transportation to solve the problem of foreign oil dependency.

Right on cue, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) leaked its latest good news: The U.S. wind energy industry has this month passed Germany to take over world leadership in wind capacity.

There is bad news, too, though anything to do with the Senate’s recalcitrant minority of fossil fools and their adamant opposition to New Energy incentives only barely qualifies as news. Call it “old news”: Without extension of the production tax credit (PTC) set to expire on December 31, the U.S. wind industry is likely to fall into the doldrums.

Pickens told Lieberman’s committee the industry needs a good, solid 10-year extension of the PTC in order to make long-term plans. The industry, however, will be lucky to get a 1-year extension out of this divided, shortsighted Senate.

Pickens’ overall plan is problematic. While his championing of wind energy is a great, great thing, his longtime advocacy of compressed natural gas vehicles is of uncertain merit. Vehicles can run on natural gas; many do. But why build a new gas-fueling infrastructure? Plug-in vehicles can be run off the existing grid via standard electrical outlets and the gas can continue to go to the making of electricity until New Energies are ready to take on that load.

In this sense, Pickens embodies the kind of conflict that is tearing the New Energy community into shreds, leaving fossil fuel advocates in control of the debate and allowing an opening for the so-called “nuclear renaissance” and the “clean” coal movement to emerge.

In the last 2 weeks, President Clinton called for “clean” coal, Senate Leader Reid condemned coal and Al Gore called for 100% New Energy. Is it time for New Energy “bosses” to hold a metaphorical “sit-down,” like the classic gatherings of New York’s Five Families?

Leaving the development of a good energy policy to politicians may be possible next year but even the best leaders will inevitably flounder in a cacophonous environment. Can leaders in the New Energy community begin a dialogue toward compromise and consensus?

Can leaders of the New Energy community begin developing comprehensive plans and replying to one another’s plans, moving toward a program that may include ideas not everybody likes but could evolve into a program political leaders can, after 2009, move on?

There is a lot of disagreement about the way forward but everyone agrees the world is reaching the turning point in the fight against climate change. If there is no concerted action from the U.S. on mitigation, the discussion will soon begin turning toward adaptation. To prevent that, cohesion must be developed by the people who care the most and know the most.

Deals must get cut. New Energy must get built. The world needs clean gigawatts, not pedagogic puritanicals.

To paraphrase the master of transmission, Bob Dylan:

“You are right from your side and I am right from mine,
We’re just one too many mornings and [ten thousand gigawatts] behind.”

NewEnergyNews will be happy to publish any legitimate group's plan and can create a permanent space on its page with links to position statements and ongoing dialogue. (Submit to NewEnergyNews@gmail.com)

click to enlarge

U.S. blows by Germany in wind-energy output
Steve Gelsi, July 22, 2008 (MarketWatch)
and
Pickens urges action on energy crisis; Oilman turned wind guru tells Congress that his plan would reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil by 38%
Ben Rooney, July 22, 2008 (CNNMoney)

WHO
The U.S. wind energy industry; the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) (Randall Swisher, executive director); The U.S. Department of Energy;

WHAT
Preliminary data indicates the U.S. now generates more electricity from wind energy than any other nation in the world including Germany, the previous world leader.

All are moving in the right direction. Supportive policies can drive them on. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- Presently, wind generates 1%+ of U.S. electricity.
- 2030: The wind energy industry intends to generate 20%+ of U.S. electricity and a recent DOE report says that is feasible.

WHERE
- Texas leads the U.S. in wind capacity and is laying the groundwork for more.
- Pickens is building the world’s biggest wind farm at Pampa in the Texas Panhandle.
- There is much talk in the U.S. wind industry of shifting manufacturing to China if the PTC is not extended.

WHY
- Pickens Pampa wind project will eventually be 4,000 megawatts.
- As reported July 21 by NewEnergyNews, Texas’ is doing more than building wind. It created Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZs) to encourage entrepreneurial wind development and the Texas Public Utility Commission just approved a $4.93 billion dollar build out to its transmission infrastructure to support new wind.
- Top wind energy producing nations in the world, 2007: Germany, U.S., Spain
- Top new wind energy producers, 2007: U.S., Spain, China

Less than 250 gigawatts in a world desperate for terawatts.(click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Randall Swisher, executive director, AWEA: "Wind is now a mainstream power source…it's not just an alternative energy…"
- Swisher, on the Texas program of wind development: "Texas is the leading wind-powered state in the country…It's a growing industry in the state, and they've figured out [that] if they invest in transmission, that's going to keep the growth going. It'll also save consumers about $1.7 billion a year in reduced fuel costs."
- Swisher, on the PTC extension: "We're hoping that the leadership will cut a deal and get this done within the next two weeks…"