Wind Power: An intermediary Step?

Freightdawg.com is a blog about logistics and supply chain. The thing is that supply chains have become so tied to fuel expenses that inevitably I wind up writing more and more about energy.

Lately I have written quite a bit about the value and possibilities of wind energy. It is among the purest forms of electrical generation. The problem is that wind isn't constant, even in the most turbulent locations. Just to have a wind farm in a given location, the wind has to blow at least 13.5 mph on average.

I looked it up with the National Oceanic and Atomospheric Administration (NOAA).  There are not a lot of places with this much wind. Wind generated power is also limited by the fact that wind energy must go directly into the power grid for consumption regardless of demand. Wind energy cannot be stored.

The article below is a very good one from the Dallas Morning News today.  It discusses these limits as they relate to west Texas. The thing that struck me about this article though is that the majority of thought is related to the infrastructure needed to get the energy to points of consumption. Namely, building the power grid.   

What if...instead of building massive power lines and related corridors, wind energy were converted to potential energy in the form of hydrogen, or some other intermediate fuel? My thought process is incomplete here, but it goes to another article I wrote the other day on the need for a divergent, multi-faceted energy policy. None of the bio-fuel type alternatives is a panacea. 

I find myself thinking a lot about this stuff lately. I'm convinced we borrow this planet from our children.  This energy thing is something that needs to be cured, both as a national, strategic issue but as a global one.

clipped from www.dallasnews.com Debate flares over wind power in Texas 12:28 PM CDT on Sunday, July 6, 2008 By ELIZABETH SOUDER There is such a thing as too much wind power. Sure, wind is among the cheapest, cleanest fuels generating the power Texans increasingly demand. But as officials brag about the state's status as the No. 1 wind producer in the country, they're also debating how much is too much. Building the transmission lines to bring wind power from rural West Texas to population zones will cost billions. And even with enough transmission lines, the on-again, off-again nature of wind can leave coal and natural gas-fired power plants scrambling to fill in the gaps For electricity companies, predicting wind patterns is a new art. The wind blows hardest before the sun comes up, when people aren't using much power. It tends to die down during the afternoon – especially in the summer – just when people demand more juice. Wind developers say wind power is so cheap that the cost to accommodate it is negligible. Coal, nuclear and natural gas plant owners doubt it. "As we add more and more wind, there are some uncertainties and some costs," said Thad Hill, head of Texas operations for NRG Energy, which operates coal, nuclear, gas and wind plants in Texas. "The important thing is, when we decide how much wind is the right amount, that we make that decision understanding these costs," he said. Paul Sadler, executive director of advocacy group the Wind Coalition, said wind must be accommodated fairly, and technology exists to do so. "Integration of wind is not sending a man to the moon," he said. "It's just a matter of having the will to do it."

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Comments

[Clement Wan]

Eric,

For what it's also worth, I came across two other links today: http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/021391.php - notes the massive wind project + video from T Boone Pickens. I'd say that I'm still not convinced compared with the initial investment costs involved versus potential power generation (and ongoing maintenance - compare this to solar). Interestingly Dallas News also has a large profile on Pickens today.

History also suggests that every dominant form of energy tends to be more efficient than the one before it. Imagine if we still had to use whale blubber or horses as an opinion article in today's WSJ points out: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121547405022734039.html

And for levity, no matter where you sit on what should be done about greenhouse gas emissions, this is a good little factoid: a moose produces as much greenhouse gas from their flatulence as the emissions from 13,000 km of car travel (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2310627.ece). In fact if you look at what % of greenhouse emissions are from any cattle and meat, I tend to believe that anyone who still eats meat can't possibly be serious about greenhouse gases.

We have some pretty mindblowing changes coming up ahead when it comes to energy technology. It will be fun to watch - and I'm sure the impacts will be most felt by earlier adopters as at least when it relates to freight, it's obviously those who now have the most modern fleets that are emerging as being far more profitable and sustainable because of energy efficiency.

Best regards,
Clement

[eric]

thanks for your comments guys. Clement your insights are particularly appreciated.

I'll check out the links you suggested!

[Clement Wan]

Eric,

I wouldn't get terribly concerned about the long term outlook for energy. Short term is a different matter of course.

Wind energy is one of the crappiest forms of alternative energy with massive costs to build any given megawatt. Instead if you want to get optimistic, check out out www.nanosolar.com (they are good at hyping but they are backed by some serious money) and claim that they are able to produce a solar cell (not including installation) for about 66 cents. There are also other firms that seem to be on the verge of sub $1/watt panels - and this is what is needed to be competitive with coal plants.

And then yet other biofuel alternatives on the horizon that actually makes sense (corn based ethanol is horrendous for the environment and for cost): http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4270240.html?series=19

The issue is both a supply and demand issue. Check out the automotive x-prize (sponsored by progressive). The race is on to develop the first commercially viable vehicle that gets over 100 mpg.

Of course the day that we can wean ourselves off middle east oil - or at least reduce demand sufficiently that the world isn't dependent on such unstable and hostile governments can't come soon enough... With prices of oil where they are, the incentives certainly are there to get there.

Clement

[Splatty]

I agree with you 100%, we absolutely need a diversified energy plan. The unfortunate aspect to the development of new energy sources is the amount of red tape and road blocks from environmental lobbyists. I can just see it now, "Wind power? You can't build those, just think of all the defenseless birds that will die as a result of their spinning blades".