More Fun in Homerland

What happens when you get a "Model A" Ford up to 65 mph?

Aging Nuclear Plants Pushed to the Limit - Chicago Tribune

"When Exelon upped power output by nearly 18 percent at its Quad Cities plant in 2002, key components began shaking so badly that vibration monitors were thrown from their mounts and insulation fell from steam lines.

Later, Chicago-based Exelon, the largest U.S. nuclear plant operator, found that vibration in the steam system had caused gaping cracks in heavy metal plates. Steel fragments ended up in places they decidedly shouldn't be, like stuck in a key steam pipe and wedged in the bottom of the reactor."

More Fun in Homerland

What happens when you get a "Model A" Ford up to 65 mph?

Aging Nuclear Plants Pushed to the Limit - Chicago Tribune

"When Exelon upped power output by nearly 18 percent at its Quad Cities plant in 2002, key components began shaking so badly that vibration monitors were thrown from their mounts and insulation fell from steam lines.

Later, Chicago-based Exelon, the largest U.S. nuclear plant operator, found that vibration in the steam system had caused gaping cracks in heavy metal plates. Steel fragments ended up in places they decidedly shouldn't be, like stuck in a key steam pipe and wedged in the bottom of the reactor."

Tom Friedman - Windy Guy

Last month I got a nice present in the snail mail from my dear friend and frequent correspondent, N.   Enclosed in the envelope was a commentary piece from the local paper titled "Bush Can Put Wind Back in His Presidency" by NY Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman.  All NY Times columns are now pay-to-read from the NY Times but often they get reprinted in other virtual papers and this one Googled up too.

Harnessing Wind Would Aid America — and Bush - Kansas City Star [print version]

"Which state produces more wind-generated electricity than any other? Answer: Texas. Next question: Which politician launched the Texas wind industry? Answer: George W. Bush.

There are many things that baffle me about President Bush, but none more than how the same man who initiated one of America’s most effective renewable energy programs has presided over an administration that has dragged its feet on alternative energy, used its regulatory powers to weaken efficiency standards for major appliances, and stuck its head in the sand on global warming."

First let me tip my hat to Mr. Friedman for making this rare connection.  I personally enjoy bringing the connection up with conservative types who automatically disregard wind technology as being strictly some kind of hippy left-wing conspiracy.

On the other hand, with a bit more research Friedman might have discovered that when then Gov. Bush was doing his bit as a wind energy pioneer it just so happened that the only large scale wind turbine manufacturing company in the USA. was owned by, then Friend-of-W's, Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Lay's Enron Corporation. 

Probably just a coincidence.  <grin>

Newly Released Documents Indicate that as Texas Governor, Bush Helped Promote Enron’s Business Interests - Public Citizen - Feb. 15, 2002

"In 1998, Lay wrote Bush to bring his attention to a federal tax bill relating to wind production tax credits that Lay was supporting for Enron’s wind energy business and asked Bush to send a letter to U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer in support of the measure."

When Enron went into corporate self-destruct mode, one of the few things that still had value and could be sold in short order was the Enron Wind division.  General Electric ended up picking up Enron Wind (originally a combination of the American Zond and German Tacke wind turbine companies) for a comparative song.

Enron Acquires Zond, A Major Wind-Power Company - NY Times - Jan. 7, 1997
Enron Acquires Zond, Launches Enron Renewable Energy Corp. - AWEA News - Jan. 6, 1997
Enron Wind Corp. Acquires Assets of Tacke Windtechnik GmbH, a Leading German Wind Turbine Manufacturer

G.E. to Buy Enron Wind-Turbine Assets - NY Times - April 12, 2002
GE Completes Enron Wind Acquisition; Launches GE Wind Energy - Press Release - March 10, 2002

Friedman makes a case for a national program to power hybrid cars by clean and renewable wind energy from the Plains and delivered by a beefed up national grid designed to take the wind power generated and shift it to the big cities.  He's right on the money with this one -- only I'd upgrade his hybrid solution to the more advanced "Vehicle to Grid" (V2G) [2] hybrid car technology that is waiting in the wings.  This adds the final piece to the puzzle of a rather radical shift to a large injection of wind power, and other intermittent renewable sources, into the national energy equation.

Tom Friedman - Windy Guy

Last month I got a nice present in the snail mail from my dear friend and frequent correspondent, N.   Enclosed in the envelope was a commentary piece from the local paper titled "Bush Can Put Wind Back in His Presidency" by NY Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman.  All NY Times columns are now pay-to-read from the NY Times but often they get reprinted in other virtual papers and this one Googled up too.

Harnessing Wind Would Aid America — and Bush - Kansas City Star [print version]

"Which state produces more wind-generated electricity than any other? Answer: Texas. Next question: Which politician launched the Texas wind industry? Answer: George W. Bush.

There are many things that baffle me about President Bush, but none more than how the same man who initiated one of America’s most effective renewable energy programs has presided over an administration that has dragged its feet on alternative energy, used its regulatory powers to weaken efficiency standards for major appliances, and stuck its head in the sand on global warming."

First let me tip my hat to Mr. Friedman for making this rare connection.  I personally enjoy bringing the connection up with conservative types who automatically disregard wind technology as being strictly some kind of hippy left-wing conspiracy.

On the other hand, with a bit more research Friedman might have discovered that when then Gov. Bush was doing his bit as a wind energy pioneer it just so happened that the only large scale wind turbine manufacturing company in the USA. was owned by, then Friend-of-W's, Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Lay's Enron Corporation. 

Probably just a coincidence.  <grin>

Newly Released Documents Indicate that as Texas Governor, Bush Helped Promote Enron’s Business Interests - Public Citizen - Feb. 15, 2002

"In 1998, Lay wrote Bush to bring his attention to a federal tax bill relating to wind production tax credits that Lay was supporting for Enron’s wind energy business and asked Bush to send a letter to U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer in support of the measure."

When Enron went into corporate self-destruct mode, one of the few things that still had value and could be sold in short order was the Enron Wind division.  General Electric ended up picking up Enron Wind (originally a combination of the American Zond and German Tacke wind turbine companies) for a comparative song.

Enron Acquires Zond, A Major Wind-Power Company - NY Times - Jan. 7, 1997
Enron Acquires Zond, Launches Enron Renewable Energy Corp. - AWEA News - Jan. 6, 1997
Enron Wind Corp. Acquires Assets of Tacke Windtechnik GmbH, a Leading German Wind Turbine Manufacturer

G.E. to Buy Enron Wind-Turbine Assets - NY Times - April 12, 2002
GE Completes Enron Wind Acquisition; Launches GE Wind Energy - Press Release - March 10, 2002

Friedman makes a case for a national program to power hybrid cars by clean and renewable wind energy from the Plains and delivered by a beefed up national grid designed to take the wind power generated and shift it to the big cities.  He's right on the money with this one -- only I'd upgrade his hybrid solution to the more advanced "Vehicle to Grid" (V2G) [2] hybrid car technology that is waiting in the wings.  This adds the final piece to the puzzle of a rather radical shift to a large injection of wind power, and other intermittent renewable sources, into the national energy equation.