Solving Our Nation’s Energy Predicament
T Boone Pickens wrote an editorial that appeared in papers on Tuesday morning. In it, he applauded the new stimulus package that was approved last week. “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan has $90 billion of investments and incentives for energy efficiency in buildings and homes, renewable electricity and other clean-energy programs that could potentially create 500,000 jobs while reducing energy use and saving oil.” I’m actually on-board with what Pickens says next. He lists what he feels should be the top three priorities to come out of the stimulus package.
1) Fix the grid. The current energy grid is archaic and outdated. The new grid must be reliable, efficient, and have the ability to handle the transmission of new alternative energy sources.
2) Develop “smart grid” technology. A smart grid uses digital technology to efficiently deliver electric at a cost savings.
3) Reduce our foreign-oil dependency and develop a clean, alternative transportation fuel infrastructure.
They really boil down to two main points: a) fix the grid by updating it to this century and beyond and b) develop new alternative fuel sources for transportation. If we can fix these two things, then the United States can be well on it’s way to energy independence. People on the east coast could be receiving power from a solar concentrator in Arizona. Wind power could be delivered across the grid without much degredation. Tidal power, algae power, cowshit power, whatever could be delivered across the country if the grid were sufficient. Now we have that opportunity.
This leads to things that are available and could be even more readily available like smart meters. Meters that will give you real-time residential pricing on your kilowatt. Meters that can shut down your air conditioner for periods of time to save energy.
All in all – I liked the piece that Pickens put out. It didn’t overtly push his plan. I hope that some people who are already invested in this dream read it, too.
I wish I knew where I read it but I read somewhere that Pickens just wants the water rights to part of Texas so he can sell the water. He has been trying to get them for a long time but Texas won’t give him eminent domain but if he does wind power they will. I don’t trust him at all.