Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Pickens Plan, Part 2

T. Boone Pickens has invested $2 billion of his own money in windmills. He is before Congress seeking tax benefits for his investment. More importantly, he is asking Congress to pass legislation to exercise eminent domain for vast swaths of land for power transmission lines from the wind belt to populated areas.

I see his actions as those of a businessman. His $2 billion investment would probably triple or quadruple in value if he gets what he’s seeking. More power to him (ha).

But wind power cannot solve our problems unless we are willing to live with part-time electricity. The economy that we depend on cannot exist with part-time electricity.

The answer is nuclear power, not wind. There needs to be a ‘fast-track’ permitting process that shoves new plants, built on federal lands, down the throats of communities. I don’t think our current form of government can accomplish this.

So hang on.

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