Wind Generation

[Hay Dude]

Few power companies are just relying on renewables; but they are shutting down or converting old obsolete coal plants to natural gas. Most power companies are pretty smart (except ERCOT in Texas) about their electric generation strategies and no doubt know a little bit more than you and I about this.

Yeah screw them coal miners. They can work at McDs. Lol
Id be more into the wind farms if everyone was all in and produced them here and set up a wind farm right on that mountainside where the “HOLLYWOOD” sign is.
I bet there’s a constant strong breeze on the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
The little guy with ever decreasing rights, representation & money gets em right out by his mailbox.

 

[jyoutz]

Yeah screw them coal miners. They can work at McDs. Lol
Id be more into the wind farms if everyone was all in and produced them here and set up a wind farm right on that mountainside where the “HOLLYWOOD” sign is.

I’m really not pleased with the aesthetics of wind farms; fortunately in my region they aren’t placed in the most scenic areas. Coal mining is going in the direction of buggy manufacturing. Does it hurt those affected? Yes, but they . have known for decades they were in a declining industry. Environmental issues did start the decline, but economics killed coal. Power companies are simply going to use the most economical sources and natural gas killed coal for good. There is nothing that natural gas cannot do better (and cheaper) than coal. It would be nice for someone knowledgeable about the economics of wind energy to add to this discussion. I have heard from local power companies who have made statements that the solar farms are now producing energy cheaper than coal, but not as cheap as natural gas.

 

[Citydude]

Yeah screw them coal miners. They can work at McDs. Lol
Id be more into the wind farms if everyone was all in and produced them here and set up a wind farm right on that mountainside where the “HOLLYWOOD” sign is.
I bet there’s a constant strong breeze on the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
The little guy with ever decreasing rights, representation & money gets em right out by his mailbox.

Meh, were holding our own on coal production HD. Downsized in 2012, bankrupt in 2014, and now struggling to keep up with the demand of the spot market.

Will it last? Nope. It will get cancelled again.

Our two power plants here are duel fuel. Nat gas and coal. We basically produce our own power from the ground to the consumer here since we have gas and coal right under our feet.

 

[SandburRanch]

Quote : jy - There is too much emphasis on what individual presidents can do with oil production.
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Do you recall what oboma told British petroleum about drilling in the gulf ?

 

[jyoutz]

Quote : jy - There is too much emphasis on what individual presidents can do with oil production.
**************************************************************
Do you recall what oboma told British petroleum about drilling in the gulf ?

Once again, 80% of oil production is on state and private lands. And BP kinda screwed things up in the Gulf of Mexico, didn’t they.

 

[Raul-02]

Nowadays those cinders are considered to be toxic waste full of mercury and they must be handled and disposed of as hazardous waste.

I never thought of that, but it's true. And now I know why Concrete from roads can not be recycled ( at least not in my state) they use coal ash to make concrete for roads. The idea being that the lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, et5c is all locked up in the concrete and crushing it to dust would release it.

I should think that a chemical extraction of those materials would be the smarter thing, because they all do have industrial uses.

 

[workinonit]

The very last thing we need to do in the power industry that I make my living in is to be held captive by a single source of fuel, ie natural gas. At present I don't consider wind or by an even greater extend, solar as viable options for constant generation. Coal plants like the one I'm installing a DCS control system and new voltage regulator at right now are being squeezed out because of NG pricing and federal emissions mandates. By 2030 or so they may all be gone. Nukes are going away because the NRC has so many restrictions on them it's gotten non-profitable unless it is a 2 unit or larger site. No worries gang, it will all come home to roost one day when coal plants and nukes are gone and the NG industry will be driving the power grid. But without the huge MW base load coal and nuke plants at some point we will wake up to a dark house. Most people don't realize just how close we come several days out of the year.

 

[SandburRanch]

It's a conspiracy. Just to make the friends of the politicians rich in the sale and installation of these things.

I actually watched and talked to some electricians wiring in the HV underground services for these turbines. Quite interesting.

The underground plant usually connects to overhead wires at some point and then to transformer stations.

This reply seems to be the only one close to ever seeing a power cable being buried from a wind generator to anywhere but it was only connections for underground services . And no one in the farming / ranching industry has never seen any yellow 811 call flags across a farm field or pasture .