Will The 'Pickens Plan' Work?

It looks like we have similar ideas on this subject.

Like every other Pickens plan, this is another scheme to rob you and me. See the movie Wall Street. In the early 80's Pickens green-mailed Phillips Petroleum for $300 Million. Last year he 'donated' $165 Million to his alma mater, Okla State U. - turns out the Okla legislature passed a law that they would match private donations - guess which Okie taxpayers picked up the bill on that. Now TB is harvesting federal tax incentives, while the locat rate payers get to fund the infrastructure to tie his systems into the grid.

Mr. Pickens is investing in Wind energy; he has a vested interest in the US adopting Wind Energy, just as he had for Petroleum. I see that he sees the petroleum writing on the wall, is moving his ducks, and is promoting his new found money maker. Wind has been around for a long time; he is only now getting on the band wagon for personal gain and less for energy or security reasons. The rest of us have been doing our part since the '70s.

Peter Ouellet has a very valid point. Our social and political barriers may be greater than our technological barriers. Socialy, we are reluctant to give up our rights [as we perceive them to be] in order to achieve the larger goals of mankind in general, though we expect others to do so without hesitation. [NIMBY].
Politically, we distrust any one not of our particular persuasion. Eminent Domain is negotiable if it meets our need, but is "Big Brother" politics if it infringes on our own sacred turf.
Time is not on our side. We have the means to debeate, adnauseum, but not the liberty. "Being bothered" by the needs of the many, to out weigh the comfort of the few, may be an inconvenience we must afford to allow ourselves.

I can''t dispute the factual parts of Pickens plan, but unless I missed it, the website neglects to mention something he said in his television address. That is that a government mandate would be required to establish a "wind corridor", presumably by confiscating land from whomever owns it now. Is anyone else bothered by this? Does it seem legally possible? Does anyone think it can be accomplished in a reasonble amount of time?
Is this yet another illustration that our energy problems are not technological, or even finacial, but social and political?

Mr. Pickens plan is a bit nebulous. It seems that on surface the project is attainable, though the outcome does not factor in conversion costs. What are we to do about the current 25% of power production using natural gas? Do we convert it to a more costly fuel? Is there sufficient production of natural gas to allow both industries to coexist without exceeding supply at established cost? While wind energy for electric production may be our future to reduce the use of fossil fuels, [and I believe this to be true] along with the help of solar, it will only meet our future growth needs, not our current usage which will grow exponentially. To get us off of our current addiction to fossil fuels will require complete re-engineering of our propulsion industries. For the moment I would rather promote Hydrogen fuels, as this fuel can be used to retro-fit our existing vehicles and allow us to salvage our current investments which are considerable. The key to getting us out of the mess we are currently in; is to allow us to develop new energy and conversion concepts without pralyzing governmental restrictions on the concept of proven American ingenuity. We can do it, we are capable. Let's get started.

My hat is off to Mr. Pickens for sharing his thoughts on the energy topic. Although I believe Mr. Pickens' wind-energy production forecast is soemwhat beyond reality, I hope to read a lot more of such ideas and a lot less of the politically motivated nonsense.

Why the hell wouldn't it? It's all proven technology. We have to get off our collective butts and reduce oil consumption as much as human possible. We have to look no further than North America for our energy. Otherwise, we're held hostage. I don't know why the Washington does not understand this.

There is a public discussion forum about Pickens Energy Plan Called :
www.pickensenergyplan.com
Cheers !