Wind has overtaken coal for energy use in Texas

[Mr Natural]

Very picturesque. Is this?

Now it's picturesque. Before it was just barren wasteland.

 

[depotoo]

Tell me why it is stupid? Ever dealt with west Tx sand blowing toward the east? Ever had asthma or severe allergies? Seen what the SAL does when it hits the US, blowing in from the Saharan desert?
Saharan Dust Triggers Allergy and Sinus Symptoms in the Rio Grande Valley - South Texas Sinus Institute

And you basically said that having a lot of wind turbines will make it worse somehow. Do you actually believe that those wind turbines have an effect on the wind and are able to stir up sand ? Do you also believe the sun revolves around the earth and that Trump works for Putin ?

When the wind blows, turbines force the silt higher into the atmosphere. It also has been found to raise the ground temp by .05c
Here, educate yourself-
Wind farms lift the temperature in their region
Wind Power Found to Affect Local Climate
Harvard Study: Wind Farms Raise Temperatures | TexAgs
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.4353.pdf
Finally, as discussed above, wind-blown sand is also the main source of mineral dust aerosols.
We briefly review the wide range of impacts of wind-blown sand and dust on Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan in the next sections.
1.2.1 Impacts of mineral dust aerosols on the Earth system
Mineral dust aerosols can be entrained by numerous atmospheric phenomena (see Section 5.1.2), the most spectacular of which are probably synoptic scale (~ 1000 km) dust storms (Figure 1.2a). The interaction of dust aerosols with other components of the Earth system produces a wide range of often complex impacts on for instance ecosystems, weather and climate, the hydrological cycle, agriculture, and human health. The importance of many of these impacts has only been recognized over the past few decades, resulting in a strongly increasing interest in the study of aeolian processes (Stout et al. 2009).

 

[depotoo]

Very picturesque. Is this?

Now it's picturesque. Before it was just barren wasteland.

Sorry, I just have to laugh.

 

[Hellbilly]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blues Man]

Wind power is 4 times more expensive than they would have you believe.

A wind turbine barely generated 25% of its rated output so in order to get 2 MW or actual power from wind you have to install four 2 MW turbines.

Why we are spending so much money and cluttering up so much of our natural spaces with these things is a mystery to me

Really? You can't think of any reasons? Try reading OP's post #14.

There is not one good reason to waste that much money on an intermittent power supply that runs at 25% of capacity

 

[Blues Man]

Very picturesque. Is this?

Now it's picturesque. Before it was just barren wasteland.

A natural landscape of any kind beats those fugly things

 

[depotoo]

Yes, it was barren in these places

 

[Carl in Michigan]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

When I was driving through Indiana back around 1990, I saw many farms like this--it makes sense. My family powered their whole point of land, with three homes and two large barns, with one a hundred years ago. They work. It's a shame that has been poopooed by the people who are earning their billions on oil and coal.

Very picturesque. Is this?
View attachment 270990

It's gotta come from somewhere. They're not so bad looking, actually.
Is this?
View attachment 270991

You know that's WATER VAPOR dont you?

Sure it is, darlin.

You are a fool. I know you think that's "smoke." Do a little research, otherwise you look like a fool.

Water vapor and INVISIBLE "PLANT OXYGEN" are BY FAAAAAAR the major byproducts of combustion.

 

[Aletheia4u]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

Thank God for gassy cows! The more, the better.


The nation's largest manure-to-natural gas plant got up and running on November 5 in the heart of Texas dairy country, a project expected to produce enough energy to power 11,000 homes a year.


In a high-profile example of the growing need for alternative energy, Huckabay Ridge gets manure from local dairy farms, processes it with grease and other restaurant waste, purifies it and turns it into natural gas.


''The beauty is that you take the waste products and you create a useful form of energy,'' said Richard Kessel, president and CEO of Portsmouth, N.H.-based Environmental Power Corporation. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Microgy Inc., owns the facility. ''We look at these as non-depleting gas wells with a long-term supply of renewable energy.''


The Lower Colorado River Authority buys the gas and uses it to power homes in central Texas, officials said. Next fall, San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Company will buy natural gas from Huckabay Ridge, which will generate the energy equivalent of 4.6 million gallons of oil annually.


Environmental Power has started similar projects in California and a few other states. It also has three digesters on small family-owned Wisconsin dairy farms that produce enough electricity for about 1,800 homes.


''This is a turning point in agriculture. ... Agriculture is no longer just food and fiber; it is now food and fiber and fuel,'' state Rep. Sid Miller (R-Stephenville) said at the Texas plant's opening ceremony, where only a faint odor of manure wafted through the air. “Agriculture is going to responsible for producing a large percent of the world's fuel.''
Texas corporation turning cow manure into energy


As bizarre as this may sound, scientists claim that farts contain some toxins, which when inhaled in small amount go a long way in the fight against cancer. They also claim, the medicinal value of farts extends beyond just helping curb cancerous cells growth, smelling farts also help in curing many other diseases.
Smelling Farts Is Good For You; Helps Fight Cancer | Innov8tiv

 

[the other mike]

You are a fool. I know you think that's "smoke." Do a little research, otherwise you look like a fool.

It's funny how every person I hear say that is the one being the fool. Never fails.

 

[OldLady]

Wind power is 4 times more expensive than they would have you believe.

A wind turbine barely generated 25% of its rated output so in order to get 2 MW or actual power from wind you have to install four 2 MW turbines.

Why we are spending so much money and cluttering up so much of our natural spaces with these things is a mystery to me

Really? You can't think of any reasons? Try reading OP's post #14.

There is not one good reason to waste that much money on an intermittent power supply that runs at 25% of capacity

Technology always improves as we go along. Would it not be awesome to cut back on our polluting, fossil fuel use? To use a source that will never run out? Are you in favor of just continuing to burn coal and oil until it's gone and then taking one of Elon Musk's space shuttles to Mars?

 

[Carl in Michigan]

You are a fool. I know you think that's "smoke." Do a little research, otherwise you look like a fool.

It's funny how every person I hear say that is the one being the fool. Never fails.

You made a great point I bet.

 

[Blues Man]

Wind power is 4 times more expensive than they would have you believe.

A wind turbine barely generated 25% of its rated output so in order to get 2 MW or actual power from wind you have to install four 2 MW turbines.

Why we are spending so much money and cluttering up so much of our natural spaces with these things is a mystery to me

Really? You can't think of any reasons? Try reading OP's post #14.

There is not one good reason to waste that much money on an intermittent power supply that runs at 25% of capacity

Technology always improves as we go along. Would it not be awesome to cut back on our polluting, fossil fuel use? To use a source that will never run out? Are you in favor of just continuing to burn coal and oil until it's gone and then taking one of Elon Musk's space shuttles to Mars?

We should be going all in on nuclear power.
It is the only available power source that can be ramped up fast enough to make a significant impact on our fossil fuel consumption. And they will run at better than 90% capacity 24/7/365

 

[the other mike]

You are a fool. I know you think that's "smoke." Do a little research, otherwise you look like a fool.

It's funny how every person I hear say that is the one being the fool. Never fails.

You made a great point I bet.

You're welcome.
I'll teach you about solar, geothermal, tidal
....anything you want.

 

[Andylusion]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

The total amount of ALL renewable energy (including wind), is less than 5% of the total energy produced in Texas. Most of then energy is from Nature Gas, and Oil.

Coal has been on the decline, without renewable energy. It would have declined if wind power didn't even exist.

Regardless, renewables surpassing coal, is more about coals decline, than any real advancement in renewables. Wind power has a massive long way to go, before it is anything but a joke.

 

[the other mike]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

View attachment 271006

The total amount of ALL renewable energy (including wind), is less than 5% of the total energy produced in Texas. Most of then energy is from Nature Gas, and Oil.

Coal has been on the decline, without renewable energy. It would have declined if wind power didn't even exist.

Regardless, renewables surpassing coal, is more about coals decline, than any real advancement in renewables. Wind power has a massive long way to go, before it is anything but a joke.

Did they forget to list clean water sources ?
(Not contaminated by human activities like hydrofracking )

And doesn't Texas export 90% of it's oil and gas ?

 

[Carl in Michigan]

Biologists estimate that millions of U.S. birds are killed every year by wind turbines and the power lines and infrastructure that supports the wind energy industry

Understanding the Threat Wind Energy Poses to Birds | American Bird Conservancy

 

[Blues Man]

We Can't Solve Climate Change without Nuclear Power

 

[Dana7360]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

Here in the west, we started building our wind farm in the 90s. Now we have one of the largest wind farms in the nation.

We started closing our last coal fired plant in 2005 and it should be close to being closed if not closed by now.

We have a law that requires a certain percentage of our energy comes from alternative sources.

We also have the 3rd lowest energy rates in the nation. Idaho and West Virginia have one tenth and two tenths of a penny lower rates than we do. We have a cleaner environment than those states.

I cheer Texas on in switching to clean sources of energy from the dirty and climate change causing dirty coal and fossil fuels.

 

[Andylusion]

It also enables us to reserve or export more petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Wind energy is booming in Middle America and creating a huge demand for workers who can keep turbines spinning.
Not blowing smoke: Wind has overtaken 'risky' coal for energy use in Texas for the first time

View attachment 271006

The total amount of ALL renewable energy (including wind), is less than 5% of the total energy produced in Texas. Most of then energy is from Nature Gas, and Oil.

Coal has been on the decline, without renewable energy. It would have declined if wind power didn't even exist.

Regardless, renewables surpassing coal, is more about coals decline, than any real advancement in renewables. Wind power has a massive long way to go, before it is anything but a joke.

Did they forget to list clean water sources ?
(Not contaminated by human activities like hydrofracking )

And doesn't Texas export 90% of it's oil and gas ?

Yes, they do export tons of oil and gas. We're talking about power generation in the state.