What is FWE's opinion on this?

[Swells]

Well I didn't mean to sound like a blow-hard, but golly, if some company wants to blow their capital on wind power, more power to 'em. These days, it's hard to get all the permits for anything. The easiest has been drilling in the Eagle Ford shale formation, since unless there are wetland issues, you only need a Railroad Commission permit.

I guess I don't know why wind power is so "liberal." Huge parts of West Texas are covered in wind turbines, as well as a monster down by King Ranch. It's Big Bidness. Florida Light & Power is into wind power bigtime.

Maybe I should tell the story how a long time ago, natural gas was considered "woosie." We used to flare that stuff off as junk "tail gas." Only a commie would actually use that junk. Along came Dow Chemical and put in a huge natural gas pipeline to their plant down by Lake Jackson, and they made power from the gas and some chemicals, too. Nowadays, natural gas is considered macho, hard to imagine back in the 50s.

[JT]

Maybe I should tell the story how a long time ago, natural gas was considered "woosie." We used to flare that stuff off as junk "tail gas." Only a commie would actually use that junk. .

Right up until the time it sold from about a nickle a mcf to a couple of dollars. Ahhh the good old days when it was around $12/mcf.

My grandfather lived on an oil and gas lease in the E. Texas field and was a gauger. they use to just run "drip gas" from the wellhead in a trench out into the woods/fields because it had no value. Drip gas/condensate is pure, unleaded gasoline that sells for about $3.60 a gallon right now.......or about $4.50 a gallon if you buy at a marina and robalo can not buy enough of it. of course he gets a lap dance when he fills up and a free windbreaker jacket.

[Oleander Kayaker]

if you buy at a marina and robalo can not buy enough of it. of course he gets a lap dance when he fills up and a free windbreaker jacket.

OK, where do we clip the coupon, so this offer will work for the rest of us?

[Robalo]

Yeah, but who wants JT dancing in their face in a manly g-string while he laughs at you paying for the gas!!

Windbreaker-dontcha mean a "Members Only" jacket-man they sure were "neato" 20 years ago along with a Nik Nik shirt or a Nehru jacket.

[Robalo]

The $12/mcf bankrupted good ole Columbia Gas when the "economists" kept projecting gas price escalations into infinity!! I was amazed and appalled when I saw that BS and asked WTH are these folks thinking-geez, alternative fuels plus collapsing the economy (steel mills can't make steel at $12-15 mcf and will shut down, starting a ripple effect) will cause prices to rebound back to $2-4 mcf. The brainiacs at Columbia Gas thought buying down their Take or Pay gas contracts to $6 was a coup. Ha Ha, they learned. They sold us to pay down more contracts 3 years later.

Swells: As you know, King Ranch Inc. fought against wind turbines and was pizzed at Chapman ranch and others for wanting them-but when did King Ranch do anything that didn't put $ in their pocket-if I had 880,000 acres, my own militia and basically controlled most of S. Texas, I would do what I want and if a wind turbine dint please me, I'd fight it. The cell towers made some jack for them also!!

[Muddskipper]

Most of you guys that have posted here really need to do your research and understand one thing. If Nat Gas reamins low wind energy is to expensive, but when Nat gas goes back up to $7 - $9 mmbtu, you will see wind as a cheaper alternative.
here is a good link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine

Keep in mind, the US needs to have numerous outlets, to goto, when one soucre gets to expensive.

Texas currently leads the nation in wind power, but I don't think you will be seeing offshore power for some time.

REASON- its cheaper to produce it, and maintain it on the soil.

Biggest issue- where it's real windy, there is not a huge population, and the further you send power over power lines the more power is used. So Dallas will get cheaper wind power from W Tx, and Houston will merly break even with wind, or it will cost a little more.

BTW
They have these turbines in the N. Sea, so if they can survive there, they can make it through storms in the gulf.

[JT]

yeah yeah yeah ...thats because Muddskipper carrys his associate around w/ him when he makes his spill and dammmm, wouldnt you buy into too?

[Muddskipper]

The twins do help close the deal!

[rha]

The difficulty with wind energy is that alternate current cannot be stored. So utility companies cannot use wind energy in building their base load capability. So reliant energy is required by the State of Texas PUC to have plants that can produce 115% of their highest demand day (think mid-August on a hundred and three temperature day in Houston) to meet peak demand. In calculating their output capacity, wind mills are excluded because Reliant cannot count on the wind blowing at the right time. On windy days they can help produce low cost energy, but it is so small that it is not too relevant in the grand scheme. As long as gas and coal are as cheap as they are today, wind is not economic. But PUCs around the country mandate wind farms and we rate payers cover it in our electric bills.

[Muddskipper]

...... So reliant energy is required by the State of Texas PUC to have plants that can produce 115% of their highest demand day .....

Im not sure about this statement....

Reliant has the ability to generate power, along with numerous other power generators ...

My company is the 3rd largest in the state, and we have the ability to to generate up to 33% of power for our customers....BUT
When we generate it, it goes out on the grid, and our customre don't nessacarly get what we produce.....

The majority of REP's (regulated energy providers) in Texas do not have power generation.... and you are not required to.

According to the EIA (energy informaion association) Approx. numbers-
50% of texas electric comes from Nat Gas
25% of Texas electric comes from Coal
20% of Texas electric comes from Nuclear
5% from Renewables, mostly wind

SO Texas leads the USA in wind production, but it is a tiny fraction of it annual consumption
.

[Robalo]

hey Bryan-Bring your assistant by-I think I need a closer look before converting my condo to Direct Energy.

[Gilbert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty-vH42H_7k&feature=relmfu

[Oleander Kayaker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty-vH...feature=relmfu

I declare that the White House needs one of them thar contraptions installed on the lawn in front of the Oval office.

[rha]

[QUOTE=Muddskipper;137756]Im not sure about this statement....

Reliant has the ability to generate power, along with numerous other power generators ...

My company is the 3rd largest in the state, and we have the ability to to generate up to 33% of power for our customers....BUT
When we generate it, it goes out on the grid, and our customre don't nessacarly get what we produce.....

The majority of REP's (regulated energy providers) in Texas do not have power generation.... and you are not required to.

According to the EIA (energy informaion association) Approx. numbers-
50% of texas electric comes from Nat Gas
25% of Texas electric comes from Coal
20% of Texas electric comes from Nuclear
5% from Renewables, mostly wind

SO Texas leads the USA in wind production, but it is a tiny fraction of it annual consumption
Agree. Reliant doesn't need to produce 100% from their own plants. It can buy from your company or the grid, but cannot rely on wind for base load because the wind may not blow when the power is needed at peak demand.

[007]

Actually there were three of them there back in the late 80's, right at the city limits on Bluewater Hwy.

The story I heard was they didn't make any money. Abandoned, deteriorated, and eventually scrapped out.

They were all on land though! They were a reference point to a good surf sand bar.