Topic: Rural (5)
Pickens' Plan to Escape the Grip of Foreign Oil - wind and solar
[Watch video of Pickens speaking on same webpage as full news story.]
"One of the benefits of being around a long time is that you get to know a lot about certain things. I'm 80 years old and I've been an oilman for almost 60 years. I've drilled more dry holes and also found more oil than just about anyone in the industry. With all my experience, I've never been as worried about our energy security as I am now. Like many of us, I ignored what was happening. Now our country faces what I believe is the most serious situation since World War II.
...The future begins as soon as Congress and the president act. The government must mandate the formation of wind and solar transmission corridors, and renew the subsidies for economic and alternative energy development in areas where the wind and sun are abundant."
DOE to Guarantee $10 Billion in Loans for Efficiency, Renewables
Heat of Battle - Utilities Struggle with Sales versus Savings
"Utilities are now in the heat of battle. While they would like to maximize their sales, they must now persuade their customers to save energy. It's a quest that will help defer investments in expensive and contentious infrastructure and in doing so, prevent the release of some harmful emissions.
Instead of investing millions in power plants to meet the 100 or so hours a year when energy demand is highest, utilities are turning to their customers to reduce energy usage...."
Duke Energy defends practices in hearing
"Critics: Conservation efforts fall short."
Background information on this story: Duke Energy is seeking approval from the NC Utilities Commission for several energy efficiency programs, some including repackaging of old approaches to load shifting and curtailment, while some of their proposals hinge on a new regulatory approach to cost recovery for real energy conservation measures. Their requested approach to cost recovery for these energy efficiency efforts, generally referred to as "demand side management," is highly unconventional in the amount of money Duke is asking to be paid and will likely not result in the most cost effective approach for NC to realize its vast potential to become more efficient in our electricity generation, delivery and use.
GE Study Finds Tax Revenues from Wind Farms Offset Tax Incentive
"GE Energy Financial Services has released a study estimating that the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power that is set to expire December 31, 2008 more than pays for itself through tax revenues from the projects' income, vendors' profits and individual workers' wages."
