Public money to build electric power lines for wind-generation? 2008

Using public money to build electric power lines for wind-generation companies: If you want to read the latest information, here it is.

This is a multi-faceted problem that is tied to regional politics. Mostly, the issue is about using tax dollars to support business enterprise.

1. Most wind generation is on-and-off since it depends on winds that don’t blow all the time.

2. Most wind generation exists or is planned for rural areas located far from high-use metropolitan areas. The reason for this is: where the wind blows, cost of land, zoning issues > plus an infinite number of local issues I don’t know.

3. To be economical, some say that wind power generators would need backup gas-powered electric generation to pick up slack when wind is not available. This factor would make wind generation a break-even or worse gamble depending on the wind.

4. The owners of wind-generation want their profits underwritten by government [taxpayer] guarantees PLUS they want power lines built at public expense. Yet they don’t want to be a public utility in case they hit a bonanza. In other word, the taxpayer assumes the risk while the privateer assumes the profit.

5. Wind generation projects are proceeding. However other technologies may suddenly emerge that make the entire investment an albatross around investor’s necks. For instance a process for cold fusion could emerge since scientists are working non-stop in the field. Recently too a technique similar to photosynthesis has separated hydrogen from water, which means we could have abundant hydrogen-power without using hydrocarbons and oil as a source for the hydrogen. Innovative wind generation atop buildings could become viable. Solar power could explode, especially if nanosolar technology lives up to their hype. I’ve also read about a couple other power ideas using nanotechnology which may or may not work. Overall, the problem of new technology, the popularity of conservation, plus spiraling construction costs and insurance are why investors want public money to back the whole wind-power scheme.

6. If everybody drove less and consumed less and refused plastic bags and bottles, we would enter the liberal age of conservation. Conservation could be a big killer of any wind-generation project located far from metropolitan areas.

Specific state issues that I know about:

In New York: Graft and corruption looms.
The wind generators are being built mostly in rural upstate. A high-level state investigation has begun over collusion and sweetheart deals and payoffs to local officials. Some problems stem from payoffs to officials who have condemned private land so wind-generation companies can grab the land. Other problems include collusion by wind-generation companies so they are not bidding against each other for land. However, wind generation is a reality and it is coming on-line in NY thanks to the democrats. NY is a unique situation because of their location near the Great Lakes.

In Texas: Greed and self-serving interests.
T Boon Pickens has a plan for wind power across west Texas. His windmills are far from metropolitan areas. He wants the taxpayers to fund power lines, build auxiliary gas-fired generators, AND give him profit guarantees. Yet Mr Pickens owns water rights to vast amounts of land which are worth billions in future dollars. I recently wrote that T Boon Pickens should give the citizens of Texas his water rights in return for the guarantees he wants over wind-generation.

In Texas: The public doesn’t trust the owners of electricity.
Several years ago, electricity was privatized by the Republican-controlled statehouse on the promise that competition would reduce electric bills. Naturally electric bills doubled. The electric companies have taken their profits and refused to re-invest in infrastructure which has caused bottlenecks and surges in price. Instead of working toward the public good, the electric companies have recently began to include fine-print contracts intended to under-estimate their price per kilowatt hour and con the customer into a long-term contract with spiraling costs and hidden fees. These contracts include exorbitant cancellation fees. The electric companies claim that they are doing this to cover the costs of bottlenecks that they refuse to eliminate. Overall, if local news stories typify the public mood, the public is not ready to build electric power lines for corporations that treat people poorly.

In California: Bad past experience with alternative energy.
The Sterling project built a huge solar power generator several years ago but cost overruns and poor performance [due to nighttime condensation behind the mirrors] have led to increased power bills since the cost for generation is shared by state residents. California however has many wind locations located close to metropolitan areas.

Overall, wind generation depends on regional factors. However if your power companies want the public to build a transmission line, it tells you the project may be marginal and the public may get stuck with the bill al la the mortgage scandal.

Gene Haynes