Pickens Mesa Power Orders 1,000 MW of Wind Turbines

Per press release, edited slightly:

Mesa Power LLP, a company created by T. Boone Pickens, has placed an order with General Electric to purchase 667, 1.5 megawatt wind turbines for the worlds largest wind farm, capable of generating 1,000 megawatts, nameplate, of electricity, enough to power more than 300,000 average U.S. homes. The order is part of the $2 billion first phase, see previous post, of the Pampa Wind Project planned in the Texas panhandle by Mesa.

When all the phases of the project are completed it will become the world's largest wind energy project, with more than 4,000 megawatts, nameplate, of installed capacity. When completed, projected to be in 2014, the wind farm will be five times as big as the nation's current largest wind power project, now producing 736 megawatts.

Pickens said he expects that first phase of the project will cost about $2 billion. When complete, the Pampa Wind Project will cover some 400,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle.

Pickens envisions that large scale renewable energy projects like his Pampa Wind Project will permit the United States to become less dependent on foreign oil. Large scale renewable energy projects such as this are difficult to execute because they rely upon the Federal Production Tax Credit, which provides incentives for development of renewable energy. However, large scale renewable energy projects require commitments years in advance, while Congress has only extended the Production Tax Credit one or two years at a time.

Mesa Power is hopeful that the Pampa Wind Project will qualify for the Federal Production Tax Credits in 2010 and 2011 when the project will begin commercial operations. "I believe that Congress will recognize that it is critical not only to this project, but to renewable energy in this country, that they enact a long-term extension of the Production Tax Credits," Pickens said.

"You find an oilfield, it peaks and starts declining, and you've got to find another one to replace it," said Pickens, who once operated one of the largest independent oil and gas production companies. "It can drive you crazy. With wind, there's no decline curve."

An Austin-based Resource Inc. economic impact study, commissioned by Mesa Power, projects that the Mesa Power wind farm will bring significant increases in jobs and income for the five counties of the project investment zone (Carson, Gray, Hemphill, Roberts and Wheeler counties).

The study forecast the project would generate an estimated 1,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 720 during a typical year of the operation phase; personal income in the project investment zone will rise by $68.7 million per year during the construction phase, and $120 million during the operation phase. The more significant impact during the operation phase is largely due to lease payments to be made to landowners in the project area amounting to $65.3 million per year.

Resource Economics estimates that the total value of economic output in the region due to the project will be $380 million per year during the construction phase and $1.6 billion per year during the operation period, and additions to the tax rolls of school districts in the project investment zone will amount to $2.4 billion by 2018, assuming the school districts approve an application to limit appraisal values during the project's first 10 years.

Lots of news about big wind projects lately.  Pickens claim that the project is dependent on Federal Production Tax Credits is disappointing. It is too bad that wind power is not commercially viable without subsidies on a project of this size.  Others have claimed that it is competitive with natural gas power plants, I suppose that is dependent on the cost of power where the plant is built. Pickens said “I believe that Congress will recognize that it is critical not only to this project, but to renewable energy in this country, that they enact a long-term extension of the Production Tax Credits." The WSJ commented ". . . state-level incentives, such as laws requiring utilities to purchase clean energy, are bolstering growth in the sector."

Too avoid some comments, it must be remembered that with wind power, most of the news uses the  nameplate or nominal capacity, the power produced when the wind is blowing at some stated value, rather than the actual power that is produced.  The actual production is 25% to 35% of the nameplate capacity because the wind does not blow hard enough, all of the time.  This means that wind power especially, and to nearly the same extent solar power, must be backed up by some other generation means, unless it is tied into an extensive grid that uses geographical distribution, over a large region or even nationally, or combined with energy storage, to compensate for the intermittency of wind and solar power. Solar has the advantage of being fairly predictable as to when the sun will shine. Without backup power, energy storage or geographical diversity, it is usually estimated that sun and wind power can only be used for 20% to 30% of total power requirements. Tidal or wave power have some advantages that I will not go into here because their use is very dependent of favorable geographical conditions. Progress is being made on energy storage, but it is not quite ready for prime time. I support using  hot dry rock, HDR, geothermal power as baseline power to reduce the expense of interconnecting transmission lines, which will always be required to some extent. 

Comments

[Maraschino]

As the Democratic Convention wraps up and the hoopla of the Republican Convention heats up Americans are still left with a sense of a lot of hot air of any concrete plans to end the energy crisis in America. Northerners dread the upcoming onset of fall and colder weather wondering how they will be able to afford how to keep their homes and families warm. Southerners have been sweating the high cost of energy raising the thermostat to save on their electric bills. Families everywhere are wondering where else they can cut back to cover the cost of fueling up the family vehicle to get back and forth to work and take care of the necessities of life. There is no money left for relaxation and family fun. The stress level continues to rise. The average electric bill has risen 16% to cover the power companies additional production costs. A gallon of milk is almost as precious as a gallon of gas. The cost of every consumer product has risen sharply. American's are stretched to the limit. Jobs are being lost, foreclosures are increasing at an alarming rate. Seems even the family pets are suffering the high cost of fuel as almost daily a new story is on TV about shelters being forced to euthanize record number of surrendered pets from those forced out of their homes or no longer able to care for them. The energy crisis in our country is far reaching and needs immediate attention. I am hoping whoever gets elected will get their act together and make this their #1 priority.

An interesting site to share...

www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
www.howmuchenergydoesmycaruse.com

[Paul Cummings]

Thanks for the update James! Here's hoping Mr. Fraser is back soon then;-)

[eric]

I is a relief to hear that the owner is OK.

I guess the good news is that there will be tons of material for him to pick from when he is ready to start things up again..

[hydraulic power unit]

The project looks interesting. I agree to other who comment on your blog that it would be more attractive if you put pic on your blog.

[Steve Grace]

Pickens and his love of windmills misses the point . We need liguid petroleum to power cars the electric grid only uses less than 5 percent petroleum . We don't have electric plug in cars and won't have for many decades so what is the rush to wind mills . They won't help gas prices for maybe 50 years . We need ethanol and / or natural gas to break the opec cartel . All this other renewable electrical products are not neccessary and will not lower gas prices for many decades .

[Clee]

There are no electric cars in Pickens' plan. The wind power will reduce the amount of natural gas (not oil) used to produce electricity for homes, industries and businesses. He wants to free-up that natural gas to be used in cars and trucks that run on natural gas instead of gasoline and diesel.

http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan

[Kit P]

There is no plan in Picken's plan. In the US, after the the 70s energy crisis, we were able to drill and build nuke plants to solve the supply problem. The amount of drill rigs working has tripled in the last 7 years and 18 nukes applications have been filed.

We should continue to build wind farms as fast as we can but grandiose claims are either delusional or a scam. No need to provide a link ot Picken's Scam, Clee has provided that service already.

[Soylent]

"There's development on new airfoils for turbine blades that get the amount of power @ 4-5 meters per second that normal airfoils get @ 7-8 meters per second."

I don't see how that's useful. The power that is available from wind is proportional to the cube of wind speed. At 15 m/s the amount of power that's available is 25-50 times that available at 4 m/s.

Wind turbines are designed with a coefficient of power that peaks at 0.4-0.45 at ~12-15 m/s and then slowly declines. At 7-8 m/s they power coefficient is 0.1-0.2 and they generate essentially no power(a few percent of rated).

I fail to see how the abillity to generate essentially no power at 4-5 m/s instead of 7-8 m/s is going to be decisive for wind energy.

[Payday Loan]

The articles in this energy blog are very interesting. I love reading here and being more informed about new things. Alternate sources of energy are just the things we need. We are better off concocting new ideas that will seriously help us in during times of financial crisis. All people are benefited by blogs like this. I would like to share some the news, tips and articles here. http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/ This will help us become more aware of what is happening around us. The more knowledgeable we are, the better, wiser decisions we will make.

[Writer to the World]

Pickens is a national hero. He's doing the right thing, but the politicians are too busy playing fast and loose with the facts.

I wrote an article about the farce surrounding domestic drilling at my blog, http://writertotheworld.com, and I urge people to read and circulate it.

The facts are in front of our eyes, and if we don't pay attention, we'll pay a heavy price.

[Kit P.]

Checked out writer’s web site and it is not going to replace Jim’s analysis that stimulates good energy discussions.

[Matt D. Olson]

This is by far one of the best Oil, Gas & Energy forums I have ever seen. The world needs more dedicated associates to stimulate this industry.

Great Site!!

Glasnoft Oil & Gas
www.glasnoft.com

[John Moore]

Interesting discussion you have here. the comments are also brilliant.
Thanks folks.

[Rebecca Talbot]

http://blog.consumerchoices.co.uk/2008/08/08/green-energy-as-high-as-a-kite/

[Kit P]

Beccy, label me one of those misanthropist ridiculing this idea. It appears from your writing that critical thinking is not required for journalist. Just about every college professor has some idea they they need funding for.

[Andrew Knight]

Hi Jim,

I emailed you a while ago but never heard back, can you please email me so we can discuss my proposal.

Thanks,
Andrew.

[Chris]

This is a great plan. We need more wind energy initiatives in America. Even if wind isn't always consistent, every little bit helps.

The National Wildlife Federation recently finished a send-a-letter-to-the-EPA widget and Facebook application that sends an official message to the Environmental Protection Agency urging them to recognize the impact greenhouse gases are having on our planet. We're trying to drum-up up some support for their cause. If you're so inclined, we'd appreciate a link to either application or simply spread the word! Thanks so much!

Widget: http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/48dd4c8e92491714

Facebook Application: http://apps.new.facebook.com/speakupforwildlife/

[Kenneth Schulte]

I'm always pleased to see blogs like yours because they share my point of view. If you'd like, you can check out
http://www.alternative-energy-secrets.com. I often go there for I have the same sentiments when it comes to cO2 emissions and how to save up money using alternative, energy-saving methods.

[Efficient Planet]

Just build your own windmill generators here...

http://www.efficient-planet.com

launches on monday and is advertised to cut 80% off your electricity bill.

[Anne Noble]

Jim Fraser is my uncle -- I just wanted you all to know he's had some health issues in the past month, but hopes to return to blogging in the near future. I sure hope he does!

[Kit P]

Thanks Anne. Hope Jim’s health improves, we all enjoy his insight.

[rsnably]

I prefer the "small wind" power... for example...

Skyline Turbines brings Virginia a new weapon in the fight against rising electricity costs.

Skystream 3.7TM is the first fully integrated wind generator designed specifically for the grid-connected residential market and it is now available in Virginia.
A combination of new technologies, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, resulted in a product that quietly produces electricity for a fraction of the cost of current technologies. Skystream's low cost and low profile provides homeowners an affordable energy supplement that's appropriate for installation in many residential areas around the country. With no batteries, Skystream 3.7 connects directly to the home to supply power. When the wind is not blowing, the home is powered by the electric utility. Depending on the local utility, excess electricity can be sold back to the utility or used at a later date.
Also there are incentives for the state of Virginia. Go to the website to see all the incentives for green living.

"Skyline Turbines will change the way many Americans power their homes and take control of their energy costs."

"Wind energy for the individual homeowner is finally mainstream."

"This new technology is an important step forward for small wind,"
said Robert Thresher, director of NREL's National Wind Technology Center. "As technology becomes more efficient at harnessing energy at low wind speeds, smallscale users will become more and more able to take advantage of wind power."

"Skyline turbines is leading the way to a cleaner safer energy thats affordable for the the people!"

for contact info go to:
www.skylineturbine.com

[Paul Cummings]

Thanks also Anne- I do hope he is able to return- this has been my favorite blog on Energy- but mainly I hope he doing well;-)

[Jigar Y. Patel]

We can use engineering to solve energy crisis and global warming. I think we are human. We are much more intelligent and we can solve this problem easily. I am mechanical engineer. So I try to solve it using my engineering knowledge. I made it open source. So anyone can use it. You can download research report from following link.
http://rapidshare.com/files/152619349/Energysecurity.pdf

[kim]

Kit P said, "Show me your plan to put 4000 windmills in San Francisco. And another 4000 windmills in Oakland, 4000 windmills in San Jose ans so forth."

We actually had a plan for something like that. It had to do with lining the bay and studding the bridges with wind generators. Most of the bay shore is industrial or wetlands. Industrial is already ugly so wind generators could only improve it, and wind generators don't need to disturb wetlands much. I am under the impression that the newer wind turbines don't fool the birds into running into them like the old ones did. And the area around the bay doesn't have many houses or fancy stuff precisely because it's always so windy.

by the way, why aren't there any new posts or comments since May?

[Greg Morrison]

I am interested in becoming a Right Of Way agent. I have almost a quarter of a century of experience in petroleum and real estate. I am very familiar with the Texas area as I have had varied business interests in a number of Texas counties.

I would appreciate any consideration for a right of way position. Thanks very much for your time.

Greg Morrison
pk.realtor@hotmail.com

[Greg Morrison]

I am interested in becoming a Right Of Way agent. I have almost a quarter of a century of experience in petroleum and real estate. I am very familiar with the Texas area as I have had varied business interests in a number of Texas counties.

I would appreciate any consideration for a right of way position. Thanks very much for your time.

Greg Morrison
pk.realtor@hotmail.com

[Simon Mallett]

Very useful post, in particular the detail about Flour which I have added to my record of renewable energy projects in the UK,
See: http://www.renewables-map.co.uk/details.asp?pageid=405&pagename=Inner%20Gabbard .
Interesting the way the designation of the project has changed from Inner Gabbard to Greater. Greater (I think) originally defined the sum of many wind projects in the area.

[Drew Stevenson]

Ultimately, this type of energy resource will reduce our dependence on other resources, and help propagate the environment.

Everyone is pointing fingers..... "he has a vested interest", blah, blah, blah!

Since when is profit a dirty word? So he stands to profit, or he doesn't, that's not even the issue here.

If having a vested interest in something that you stand behind, or God forbid, promote, is back-handed, then I guess all of us that are trying to make a living online better close the shop.

[Michael Bragg]

Disconnect electricity as an off-set for oil crisis... Wind farms have no connection with truck transportation, plastics, farm equipment, construction equipment, chemical industries, etc. Wind is great, when the wind blows, but is not competitive with oil.

[Building Turbines]

What about creating energy in the cities where it is going to be used? This would eliminate the billion dollar transmission lines (that lose up to 80%).. We have been working on a horizontal axis roof mount wind turbine that is safe for both building roof tops as well as the people and cars below. Please see our site and advise.
http://buildingturbines.com

[Rick L.]

i agree with Mike's comment, he explained it great.
thanks a bunch>

[Clee]

The Pickens-backed California Proposition 10 to subsidize natural-gas-fueled vehicles was voted down at the polls. I don't think there's enough spare natural gas supplies in the US to displace much oil as a transportation fuel anyway. I don't think Pickens' new wind plants will reduce our current consumption of natural gas for electricity any time soon. I think it would only slow the increase in demand for natural gas for electricity.

Pickens is also slowing down his wind farm project.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/30/windpower-energy

[Kit P]

Clee

We are importing LNG, so there is no spare natural gas. There are no new Pickens wind farms or old ones either.

Clee is good at research. Maybe he could compare the number of proposed nuke, coal, natural gas, and wind projects canceled. It is a long road between an idea and making electricity.

[Clee]

That would be some interesting statistics. Maybe some day I'll find some numbers. But for now the Pickens future wind farm is just delayed, not cancelled.

[Alan K Villaroel]

visit the pickens plan for america
www.globalenergyamerica.com

[Alan K Villaroel]

http://www.neutralexistence.com/shop

[John Graham]

Energy transportation losses are very high transporting from wind farms to cities. We need to generate power where we use it. These turbines are placed on the edge of building roof tops harnessing the buildings updraft wind. http://buildingturbines.com

[Cyril R.]

Soylent: explained here:

http://www.whalepower.com/drupal/?q=node/2

and here more comprehensively:

http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:WhalePower_Corp

[Sherry]

Not enough credit is being given to the high gas prices this past year and it's serious damage on our economy and society. That one factor alone has caused serious stress in both individuals and businesses. A record number of homes and jobs have been lost as a direct result. And, while we are doing the happy dance around the lower prices at the pumps OPEC is announcing cuts to manipulate the prices upward again. We must get on with becoming energy independent.We can't take another year like this past. There is a wonderful new book out about the energy crisis and what it would take for America to become energy independent. It covers every aspect of oil, what it's uses are besides gasoline, our reserves, our depletion of it. Every type of alternative energy is covered and it's potential to replace oil. He even has proposed legislative agenda's that would be necessary to implement these changes along with time frames. This book is profoundly informative and our country needs to become more informed and move forward with becoming energy independent. Green technology would not only provide clean cheap energy it would create millions of badly needed new jobs. The Book is called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW. Our politicians all need to read this book. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com

[Kit P]

Thanks for the spam Sherry! Somebody is selling an over priced book and post the same fake essay under different names.

[Car News]

Good Blog ...
Nice one thanks alot...
crashnash...

[Alexander]

Full truth about wind turbines is never told by lobbyists and gvts.
How could the very weak and extremely unreliable initial energy source of a wind turbine ever produce a steady power of any significance ? Please think ! And read “Windenergy- the full truth”

Please visit: http://www.windenergy-the-truth.com/

[Bob Wallace]

alexander - I paged all this way just to find delusional crap?

[Kit P]

Hi Bob, is this your idea of a civil response?

Your evaluation is also incorrect. Wind turbines are mechanical failure test platforms.

[Cyril R.]

There is no reason to respond in any civil manner to a hypocrite propagandist, nor to well established trolls for that matter.

[Kit P]

The reason to respond in a civil manner is that it makes for much better discussion. Second both Bob Wallace and Cyril have asked for others to be more civil.

So Cyril, that is two reasons to be civil.

That is very judgmental statement Cyril. In California being judgmental is bad or some I am told. I am very judgmental too or my sister tells me. What a hoot, telling someone they are judgmental is in fact being judgmental. However, that is what adult do. The merit in being judgmental is how you do it.

This is why I like discussion on energy and the environment. While the topic is complex, it can be judged on scientific merit. First, how much electricity is produced. Second, does it make electricity when we need it. Third, what is the environmental impact of making that electricity.

Alexander how wind could ever be a significant source of electricity based on its physical limitations. This a valid question and the answer is wind is not a significant source of electricity.

I think the GE wind turbines that Pickens bought are good machines. GE also does a good job of explaining different aspects of their product. It would be very good for the US if wind could become a significant source of electricity. This why we should keep building them as fast as our industrial capacity allows us. This cheer is dedicated to GE:

Build em high

Build em low

Build em where

The wind blows, blows, blows

[Cyril R.]

There is nothing wrong with being judgemental, as long as there is a considerable logical basis for being so.

In your case, Kit P, there is a huge amount of empirical evidence gathered in the archives of The Energy Blog that you are a troll. It is only logical to conclude you are a troll, and do not know much about scientific objective research. Your head is too far up your ass, Kit. So deep for so long you can't even smell your own stench anymore.

As for Alexander, anyone that references that site is a propagandist.

[Cyril R.]

I do not debate with propagandists for the simple reason that they are so transparantly lying it isn't even necessary to point out the lies. It is also pointless to debate with them, as seen in a recent thread where Dahun was spreading lies and half-truths about nuclear and wind power, and when pointed out his flaws politely by Clee, with a credible reference, he just kept on spreading the same lies. That is propaganda.

[Bob Wallace]

It's time for someone to create a site where blogs can be posted and discussed with the ability to bury trolls and other bad citizens.

Play nice or get voted off the island....

Too many good people abandon sites such as this one because there is so much crap diluting the useful stuff.

James writes some very good pieces that inform and provoke thought. But the discussion devolve into junk and spam.

Any IT people looking for a project? I've got some ideas but not the skills....