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- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Yes
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- My company, Series Hybrid Engineering, develops electric vehicles using a minimum of on-board batteries augmented by a small generator-set. This is known as a Series Hybrid and is the ultimate companion to the Pickens Plan since Electric powered vehicles charging at night is the best solution for storing wind energy. My wife and I also promote EV technology through our Freedom Formula Foundation (www.freedomformula.org).
- What excites you about this campaign?
- The underlying fact that domestic natual gas production is up 12% in the past two years with much more on the way is a very exciting development. The wind power aspect of the Plan is only exciting if it is less expensive than a sensible nuclear power plan. But the dovetailing of EV technology with ANY means of electric power generation is what excites me most.
- What do you want to do to help?
- Organize and mobilize my Electric Vehicle connections like Plug-In America, Cal-Cars Initiative and the Florida Electric Vehicle Association to expand the Pickens Plan into a comprehensive Energy package that Congress wouldn't even have to think about.
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We work with ALL the cleaner, safer, local fuels for transportation. CNG is paving the highway back to hydrogen. If you would like to learn more about the state of the state of ALL the fuels, I reccomend my DVD from the Extra Ordinary Technology Conference at th eUniversity of New Mexico. You can call or email to learn more.
Thank You!
Tai Robinson
Intergalactic Hydrogen
www.AmericanFuelVehicles.com
tai@h2go.info
801-201-7370
Linda C
If free trade for CLEAN energy, were available ($.05/KWH @ 20 HP = $1,500/month), then I suspect -as one example- that a lot of farmers would put up multiple 5 HP wind generation systems on freeway light sized poles (that would be able to be lowered to the ground for servicing) as opposed to the 10 story "Clipper Ships" that require much more time and delay to install in limited locations, for the benefit (monetarily) of a very few people.
Another example: this same mentality of "top down" control built up a whole lot of "Mc Mansions" that are now of inflated value .They could be very valuable assets, with just a couple of rooms' conversions. Let me explain; The LP gas utility increases production of thawing methane resources to capture the gas before it can escape to the atmosphere. It sells the gas to the home owner who can turn the gas into heat and electricity for the home, (plus 2 HP constant extra), using a auto engine equipped with an extra catalytic converter that turns the carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate (this is effective for this range of engine conversion size to 40(?) HP constant). for a check from the utility company of $150 each month (about the cost of the LP gas bill, plus that much more for the pocket). -No changes required to utility infrastructure, and the utility doesn't have to build, man, or maintain the energy generation source; they become a _more profitable_ broker.-
If larger generation capacity is wanted, (20 HP for $1,500 return), a larger monthly connection fee is billed the location, for the upgrade in the wire, equipment, and transformer size, and the LP gas bill would be about $750, with a balance of $700 for profit each month. Any windmills or solar would result in reducing the LP gas bill, making small farms more secure in growing food/energy crops instead of some of the crap they now -have to- sell.
Once that is done, 20 HP energy generation (that results in $1,500 / month in return) will allow banks to be comfortable in lending the money for the solar-home / car-convertors (whatever) that do this. With a car payment of $300, and a mortgage payment of $800 (possibly distributed automatically), that still leaves $300 for taxes, and insurance, and food. All this without being any burden on the State.The figures are ballpark, but I would expect the banks to adjust the levels to provide a better level of food / personal income for the kind of return this represents.
More than that; correct type of homes built / upgraded get more jobs, in the local area. Energy costs for manufacturing and transportation go down -and remain low-. Labor benefits improve for workers, because they don't need a job , absolutely, right away, and small business will have more money to move around.
Stable, objective based economics, free home, security, transportation, food, and insurance,... and all a person has to do is sign a paper (and maybe get a vasectomy in the dangerously over populated parts of the world).
Your comment regarding concrete CNG plans on the Palin video blog was the only one worth reading. Good job. I think what would really restore our standing in the world and win the election for either Obama or McCain would be the promise to attempt to negotiate a Global Renewable Energy Free Trade Accord. This would be the first trade accord established by all participating nations related to a particular sector. It would be incredibly difficult to coordinate and execute but it could also be a Global Stimulus package that would unite all, create jobs globally and direct resources where we need them to go..
Sincerely,
Ian McKee
www.greendomainmarket.com
Check out this approach to R&D for our future. We could use your help getting started.
Come join us at the group Paradigm Shift Institute, a proposed nonprofit organization promoting education, innovation, entrepeneurship, and the solving of national and global crises.
I hope you can help us make a future for our children.
Norman
I appreciate your interest and enthusiasm, but I think it's premature to offer Congress a comprehensive U.S. Energy Plan that "you and Mrs Grey had some fun concocting". Let's open this up to the forum for some serious tweaking, then we can call it the Pickens Plan Community's Comprehensive Energy Plan: A few comments, suggestions, additions:
1. The plan needs more emphasis on how electric power production results in vehicles that don't use gasoline (or other petroeum distillates)? Displacing natural gas consumption is part of that (but not mentioned), plus Electric cars (especially the more affordable Plug-In Hybrids like the Chevy Volt that can last thru an average day of commuting/local use without using any fossil fuel) which are able to soak up the wind power produced at night (about 60-70% of a wind farm's output is produced during off peak hours! So where do you store that energy??). Cars like the Chevy Volt not only address the use of alternative fuels, but provide an overall efficiency increase of over 400% (i.e. even with electricity from fossil fuels, they produce only 25% as much CO2 as well as every other combustion product). This means only 50,000 windmills instead of 200,000 windmills!
2. How can you make no mention of coal gasification, especially the modern improved Fischer-Tropsch process: (see http://www.billingsgazette.com/newdex.php?display=rednews/2005/08/02/build/state/25-coal-fuel.inc )
It's the tried and true method originally formulated by Hitler's chemists (Fischer and Tropsch) when Germany's oil was cut off in 1943. S. Africa also used it when sactions cut off their oil in the 1980s. Current production cost is about $1/gallon, and the production process has improved to have virtually zero environmental impact.
3. Let's open up more federal land for oil shale exploration (which is usually loaded with natural gas).
4. How can any of this get started if crude oil prices might drop back to $50 a barrel and scrap all the projects that we start (as happened in 1985 when the Synthetic Fuels Corp was shut down due to OPEC's drop from $38 to $22/barrel). The first step Congress needs to enact is a protective tariff against the OPEC cartel (folks, this is not a Free-Trade commodity, it has been economic warfare since 1973 and we haven't made ANY counter-attack in 35 years). If an import tariff guaranteed the price of imported crude or refined product will never again be less than $75 a barrel, then investors could confidently lay down their billions to solve this problem.
Enough for now. I'll let others chime in and see what develops.
Dr. Mark
PLEASE email the Pickens Plan video to everyone you know. www.pickensplan.com. Ask them to JOIN. Ask them to pass it along. Time is of the essence. If every member had 10 friends join today, we could put the number of members over 1 million very quickly!
If we can not get critical numbers how can we take advantage of this golden opportunity? High gas prices have "woken up" America to our plight and a paradigm shift like not other is in the wind. We need to do this now.
So many new members write "I want to help, what can I do?" This is a start. We may not get to the next step if we can not get this one done.
Our leaders can not ignore millions of members of the Pickens Plan. We are not there yet. One person can make a difference.
I have put a sign in my car window that reads...
" 700 BILLION IN FOREIGN OIL ANNUALLY. STOP THE LARGEST TRANSFER OF WEALTH IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.....TO OUR ENEMIES. JOIN www.pickensplan.com."
I also have small business card size notes with the same message that I can hand to friends. It's grass roots, but that is what this is going to take.
If you have a connection to the press- get them to cover this.
Have a nice day! Let me know how it goes.
I would like to invite you to send this letter to your congressional delegation. In contains the Pickens plan and some other important legislation for all our benefits. Mrs. Grey and myself had fun developing this plan and we shared this plan with Pickens' people and they sent a "Great Idea!” I just want to share you our opportunity to make a difference. A copy of the letter is at the bottom of this comment
Best Wishes
Clyde Childers
Dear Senator or Representative:
We the people of the United States of America deserve a coherent energy policy that looks toward an energy independent future.
There are numerous examples of nations working toward energy independence. Brazil, for example, has already achieved this goal through sugar cane ethanol and increases in their domestic drilling program, resulting in stable fuel prices not subject to international fluctuations. Please note that many Brazilian alternative fuel vehicles are manufactured by Ford and General Motors but are not available for purchase in the United States.
Iran has initiated a government-subsidized program to convert all cars to natural gas or bifuel (natural gas and gasoline) capability, and to make both fuels available at filling stations.
China’s alternative fuel of choice is methanol. It’s more corrosive than ethanol but doesn’t require organic food sources to produce, instead being made from coal, natural gas, organic or industrial wastes, or even power stations’ smokestack emissions, reducing greenhouse gases and fueling cars at the same time.
There are many other nations that are either working toward energy independence or have already achieved it, including Iceland, India, Israel, Denmark, and Sweden. The too-often vocalized opinion that the United States is incapable of achieving this same goal is absurd.
For too long we have been hostage to external influences over which we have no control. Reliance upon foreign oil has allowed the politics of our international friends no less than those of our enemies to undercut our economic and industrial freedom. This must stop.
Also for too long we have been polluting our own land, air, and water. All forms of toxic emissions must be reduced to preserve a heritage for our descendants.
The elements for energy independence and a more livable environment are present throughout America, including natural gas, wind and solar power, and nuclear energy. The necessary technology is readily available to achieve this goal, allowing for electricity generation and transportation needs by alternative and cleaner means. All that has been lacking is a logical plan to put these pieces together and the leadership to see it through.
Such a plan has recently been proposed by Mr. T. Boone Pickens. As a citizen of these United States, I ask you to support the modify Pickens Plan in your sphere of political influence and to help us achieve energy independence for now and for our children’s future. Enclose is copy of modify Pickens’ plan
Sincerely,
Our Plan that we would like to be enacted into legislation
1. We need a modern, updated national grid system capable of handling alternative energy sources from multiple providers as advocated by the Pickens Plan. We propose that Congress legislate this national grid for harvesting wind, solar, and other power sources from appropriate locations, including the interior wind corridor, offshore wind sources, the solar corridor in the Southwestern states, and others as established through ongoing research and development. Design and preparation for upgrades and/or new construction should be undertaken in the next 24 months, financed by Federal loan guarantees and a $500Bn grant building program.
2. We need a national net metering standard enacted for all states.
Discussion: Net metering is a tariff that allows you (the people) to have your own renewable energy system located at your house or place of business, allowing you to generate electricity on your premises and trade it against your power usage. Essentially, this means your power meter would run backward when you generated power.
A tariff limitation of 10 kW or 100 kW, as is the case in some states, is generally too small for many businesses. The limitation is tied to transmission line capability, and a recent study conducted in Oregon concluded that 2 MW is an appropriate limitation standard. Several states, including California, Nevada, Oregon, and now New York, have already enacted that standard.
Solution: Make 2 MW the national standard for the net metering tariff limitation and apply it both to individual premises, such as residences or businesses, and to community solar or wind parks.
3. We need community solar and wind farms, not only to supply power within local load and service areas, but also to supply electricity to the grid through net metering. However, the current definition of “customer” in the concept of net metering limits its application to individual locations, such as a residence or business, and does not allow for the application of community co-ops. We need to change that definition to allow for such local initiatives within load and service areas, and to allow for orderly grid management of distributed energy systems.
4. We need a comprehensive incentives program, much like the Europeans but different. We need an energy trust of $50Bn, to be managed by the states, as incentives for individuals, businesses, and industries. These incentives can take the form of either tax credits or rebates to encourage the adoption of the renewable energy technology.
5. We have the technology today for wind and solar energy production, and private venture groups are funding all manner of systems. For example, organic dyes developed by the MIT and new work by spectral spitting by the University of Delaware have the potential for solar efficiencies 50%. In addition to these private groups, the Department of Energy has enacted a $10Bn loan guarantee program, which in June 2008 entered its second round of solicitations. We need to support this program. As well, the SBA’s Office of Technology includes award programs to encourage high-tech and alternative energy research and development projects among America’s small businesses. We need to pass their new Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs to provide $300K for phase I (startups) and $2.1Mn for Phase II (expansion and evaluations) with a national goal of $2Bn for these programs.
6. We need a real incentive, not only for American manufacturers to develop more fuel-efficient and alternative energy cars for the American marketplace, but also for Americans to buy and drive these cars.
Discussion: Today Americans are faced with increasing inflationary pressures on their pocketbooks, with higher prices in the areas of energy, food, clothing, and housing. Many Americans are unable to purchase more fuel-efficient cars or convert their current cars to run on alternative fuels. Currently available and future alternatives include the 30 electric car companies in America, some of which have products ready for the market, as well as large automobile manufacturers with forward-looking NG, Flex, hybrid, and electrical cars.
Solution: We need a Federal tax credit ranging from $4K to $16K to assist with the cost of upgrading American automobiles to a minimum mileage of 35 MPG, with an additional $1K credit for every 5 MPG increase above that level.
In addition, the current tax credit of $4K for converting a vehicle from burning gasoline to natural gas should be increased to 50% of the cost of conversion over a three-year period.
7. Finally, we need to enact a 10-year Production Tax Credit for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources, forcing an end to the “stop and go” policy of past Congresses.