Wind Farms or Coal Mines

[W. Gray]

Congress has mandated that incandescent light bulbs be twenty-five percent more efficient by 2012.

If manufacturers cannot produce, we will be using those CFLs.

We have tried them but they are not good for a number of applications.

[Diane Amberg]

 (Hey, there Frank...that was no argument, that was a good healthy debate. Nobody was angry, it was just a great exchange of different ideas. At least I thought so.)
       We have very few incandescent bulbs left here at our house, maybe one or two in lamps that are rarely used.  We had a program several months ago, when we were all able to get a couple of free CFLs at our library. Newark got a grant somewhere. 

[Ole Granny]

Thirty years or so-- ago, a family outside of Andover supplied their house with electricity through a electric generator connected to a water wheel and a small windmill.  Extra electricity sold back to the electric company.  It was attractive and soothing. This was a large family so not sure it supplied all their needs but certainly helped. 

[Judy Harder]

I think what I was wondering is if the utilites are dragging their feet about this idea.

I know the average person can't have his/her own wind farm......but, if there is a co-op like in grain, would the electric and gas company's and the people who get income  from it,  keep it from happening.

I am for all natural energy........just get confused when the "powers that be" make all the decisions and TELL us what is going to be.

Just thinking outloud......and I know I can't do anything about it............but............who can and will?

[greatguns]

Those that thought they were  a bad thing was because they weren't going to be on their land and they weren't getting the  income.  My guess is the electricity is going to other states because they make more money by crossing the state lines.  The tax that is.

[Tobina+1]

The only thing that bothers me is that KS is not benefitting from lower electricity prices for having either coal or wind in the area.  In CO (can't remember exactly where), the wind farm "gave" one tower to the local town to use the electricity.  Any excess electricty that the town doesn't use, they get "reimbursed" for. 

[pam]

uh, didn't jimmy irvin build his own wind generator out of junk like 15 20 years ago and everybody laughed at him?? just go to show ya lol

[flo]

  yes he did, I'd forgotten about that.

[indygal]

It's been mentioned a few times that a new wind farm is being constructed in the western part of Elk County. I'm not very knowledgeable about its progress, who owns the ground, who is building it, etc.

But I did happen to read this very short piece in the Kansas Traveler newspaper, that reported:

"Jetmore, in Hodgeman County ... has decided to become the first town in the state to tap this energy source to feed directly into the city's power grid and help to stabilize power costs for the citizens of Jetmore (pop. 900)."

For more information, it gives a phone number 620-357-8831 and email address hodgeman1@fairpoint.net

It would be awesome if more small towns, like those in Elk County, would tap into nearby wind farms to supply electricity at a reduced cost and protects the environment at the same time. Is this something the county could investigate?

[pepelect]

That would be hard to tap into the Howard grid since it is not owned by Howard.  Yes,Westar builds, built, and is building wind farms  but the majority of the power comes from either Wolf Creek or coal or Nat gas plants around the state.    I don't know how a for profit utility would buy more expensive green power if its bottom line say otherwise.

They answer to their stockholders not their customers.  If you don't believe me just try to ask them a question.  The simplest question has very complex answers.  Unless you speak computer receptionest.  Press 1 for english, press 3 for wind power...

I think there is more 24/7 365 energy in coal than wind until there is wind farms across the entire globe to tap into that source consistantly. 

If there is no wind there is no power.   Solar has the same drawback.  No light no power.   Storage is the biggest hurtle for the energy of the future.   How to save the power until we need it is more critical that where it comes from.   Superconductors can provide cheaper energy transportation costs but we have to use it as we make it.

We need to build a better battery.   Like pumping water up a hill to use when the water level is low.