Solar and Wind

[Supe]

So why do we want to put him in charge of more money?

WE don't. Societal scum do, because he'll give them cell phones.

 

[chaosiscash]

Well, we may have the hole, but we're not going to use it.

That was my point. We built a perfectly good hole, and now we can't use it. The same thing happened with the Breeder Reactor in the 70s. We designed (not built) a perfectly good prototype, and then Carter decided not to build it. And now we're 30 years behind where we could be in nuke tech.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

What killed me about Carter killing the breeder is that he was NAVAL NUCLEAR!!!!

What was he thinking?

 

[Wolverine]

When do the utility companies who paid that "insurance" money to the government in advance to develop the solution to the nuclear waste disposal, (oops) I meant nuclear waste "STORAGE" problem get their money back?

 

[snickerd3]

When do the utility companies who paid that "insurance" money to the government in advance to develop the solution to the nuclear waste disposal, (oops) I meant nuclear waste "STORAGE" problem get their money back?

when the lawsuits start flying in and head to court

 

[Chucktown PE]

I was thinking more like when we start getting social security checks.

 

[snickerd3]

I was thinking more like when we start getting social security checks.

so you mean never

 

[Chucktown PE]

so you mean never

correct

 

[Supe]

Solar and wind? How dare you tear up our pristine, otherwise useless desert!

http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2009/...-and-solar-too/

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Pelosi has blocked a PV generating array in the Mojave.

Ted Kennedy blocked a wind farm off Nantucket.

I'm beginning to suspect they are purposely blocking this projects so that alternative energy isn't exposed for the inefficient scam that it is.

 

[Dleg]

No. They're just NIMBY dumbasses, like most people are.

 

[Guest]

I am surprised nobody brought this up in this thread ...

Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs, report says

:huh:

:deadhorse:

Pelosi has blocked a PV generating array in the Mojave.
Ted Kennedy blocked a wind farm off Nantucket.

I'm beginning to suspect they are purposely blocking this projects so that alternative energy isn't exposed for the inefficient scam that it is.

No. They're just NIMBY dumbasses, like most people are.

I would say that is a fair assessment .. seeing some of that some thinking in my new hood. :true:

JR

 

[Wolverine]

Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs, report says

Thanks JR, that's an interesting read.

Simply harnessing the wind in relatively shallow waters -- the most accessible and technically feasible sites for offshore turbines -- could produce at least 20% of the power demand for most coastal states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, unveiling a report by the Minerals Management Service that details the potential for oil, gas and renewable development on the outer continental shelf.
The biggest wind potential lies off the nation's Atlantic coast, which the Interior report estimates could produce 1,000 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to meet a quarter of the national demand.

The report also notes large potential in the Pacific, including off the California coast, but said the area presented technical challenges.

Yeah right; cynical me is screaming, "Yeah? Well we could power 1000% of the nation's energy needs if we could tap into the sun, or geothermal, or celestial mechanics for that matter! Now get real." The reality I'm guessing is about 20-30% efficiency on total capacity for wind. I'm all for it, but I hate when articles quote theoretical values versus reality. The truth is that much less than that is economically feasible (20%) and much less than that is fully available (20%).
I'm thinking it would be helpful if we could get maybe 5% on wind, and I'm all for it, but they've got to stop presenting this fluff as magic.

 

[MonteBiker]

I am a big fan of low profile green technology. While I think wind has it's place, why not take advantage of things which do not take up any real additional real estate and generate relatively continuous power. I have done a little bit of reading about underwater turbines for use in constant low flow environments. They generate electricity by having a constant current turning a "fan blade". The turbine is moving slow enough as to not harm wildlife... This is about the same idea as wind but with consistent power generation as opposed to just when the wind is blowing or when the sun is shining.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4213223.html

There are also ideas out there to install piezoelectric materials in sidewalks, floors and roadways and generating electricity on a pretty small level but over a large area. This could help offset the cost of public sidewalk or roadway lighting. I have read about where they had installed a similar system in a subway station. The continuous foot traffic and shifting of feet was able to produce much of the power needed to light the underground station.

http://www.seas.yale.edu/admin/uploads/465...ed06b348ec7.pdf

http://hubpages.com/hub/Piezoelectric-Energy-Harvesting

Just a couple of different ways to look at alternative energy sources...

 

[Dleg]

We have all kinds of carpet baggers show up out here with questionable schemes to sell us OTEC (ocean thermal energy something), underwater turbines, wave energy harnessing, solar, wind, nuclear, and all kinds of crazy crap (like the Chinese guys who told me they had a new machine that could convert used oil to 90% diesel fuel with no emissions and no waste - turned out it was a coal-fired, 1960s portable refinery). I know I live ina weird place, but it seems like the biggest problem with all the schemes I see are the promoters - who are usually not what you would call "credible" in any sense of the word. Alternative energy is (unfortunately) the flavor of the decade for the shoe-salesman class.

 

[wvgirl14]

We may need an alternate source. They are trying to get rid of what I work in which provides energy. I am in the coal industry. They say we hurt the enviroment, but windmills kill birds and bats which eat they insects, and then they will have to spray for the insects which pollutes the air etc... Everything affects something.

 

[Supe]

We may need an alternate source. They are trying to get rid of what I work in which provides energy. I am in the coal industry. They say we hurt the enviroment, but windmills kill birds and bats which eat they insects, and then they will have to spray for the insects which pollutes the air etc... Everything affects something.

Same here. Granted I could always make the swing to our nuclear division, but I've got a lot more freedom in what I do here on the Fossil side (albeit a mixed blessing). We're putting in bids on two coal jobs here in TX, and I'm hoping we win them so I can come back here in 2 1/2-3 years!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

They're building a coal plant in SC and there has been nothing but bellyaching about it from the greenie weenies. Even more noise that they are generating over the two reactors going in at Jenkinsville.

 

[Supe]

They're building a coal plant in SC and there has been nothing but bellyaching about it from the greenie weenies. Even more noise that they are generating over the two reactors going in at Jenkinsville.

I think I've posted this before, but this is the job I'll probably end up at in 2 months: http://www.stopcliffside.org/news.php

We're also going to be the ones doing those reactors in Jenkinsville, as well as two more in GA and FL. They're just too far out for anyone to make a huge stink yet.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I think I've posted this before, but this is the job I'll probably end up at in 2 months: http://www.stopcliffside.org/news.php
We're also going to be the ones doing those reactors in Jenkinsville, as well as two more in GA and FL. They're just too far out for anyone to make a huge stink yet.

Are there actually nuclear power plants being constructed now? I thought there was a moratorium on them after TMI.