• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

Oil No, Wind Yes

Muddyboots

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Messages
8,540
Location
Michigan
IMG_2202.jpeg
 
The family cat kills more birds than most wind turbines. Turbines do kill birds. So do skyscrapers, cars, your sliding plate glass door.

Anything man builds or does kills birds.

I am not a zealot for renewables. I am not a zealot for fossil fuels, but I drilled oil and gas wells for 25 years.

My energy policy is;

ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Use every technology, and every type of energy in its highest and best use application. Let the market decide how much and where.

Keep the government, politicians, and political parties out of energy. Let the science, markets, and the customer decide.

That would include bird kills within an acceptable % of species not on the endangered species list. There are always tradeoffs and pros and cons from nuclear to wind and solar,
It all has side effects.

Again.....ALL of The ABOVE.

Thats the best policy.
 
The major problem is political, government and other countries even don't keep their nose out of it and jam what ever it is that makes them power or money down the throats of the American people.
Find out who owns some of those wind farms and if it doesn't make you step back and say how is that even possible then I don't know what to tell ya.
 
You also don't want an energy policy with only 1 type of technology or source.

We need a portfolio of energy sources with options.

This is where the true value of diversity comes in and makes sense.

Any country with all their eggs in 1 basket is just set up for a fall.

ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Every source from Nuclear, fossil fuels, hydro, geothermal,
wind, solar, waste, and wood chips, or Firewood.

Its all good.

Keep all the options open.
 
You also don't want an energy policy with only 1 type of technology or source.

We need a portfolio of energy sources with options.

This is where the true value of diversity comes in and makes sense.

Any country with all their eggs in 1 basket is just set up for a fall.

ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Every source from Nuclear, fossil fuels, hydro, geothermal,
wind, solar, waste, and wood chips, or Firewood.

Its all good.

Keep all the options open.
I agree with that 100%
But being in a state that might as well rename the state tree a wind generator I can tell you that the lies those people tell these towns and land owners about how it's going to help lower costs of electricity and it's going to be so efficient and environmentally friendly is a straight up lie.
Not one person or town has seen any benefits to have their electric bill and the environmental part is made using hydrocarbon. Plus each one of those things has 100's of gallons of oil that has to be constantly replaced and so do the fiberglass blades which can only be either buried or layed in giant piles.
But heck yea the city greenie's love it and think it's awesome.
The true energy sources are either hidden away for general use or restricted either by Governments or giant companies so it never reaches the public all so they can get control and money.
 
I agree with that 100%
But being in a state that might as well rename the state tree a wind generator I can tell you that the lies those people tell these towns and land owners about how it's going to help lower costs of electricity and it's going to be so efficient and environmentally friendly is a straight up lie.
Not one person or town has seen any benefits to have their electric bill and the environmental part is made using hydrocarbon. Plus each one of those things has 100's of gallons of oil that has to be constantly replaced and so do the fiberglass blades which can only be either buried or layed in giant piles.
But heck yea the city greenie's love it and think it's awesome.
The true energy sources are either hidden away for general use or restricted either by Governments or giant companies so it never reaches the public all so they can get control and money.
Ditto on that. Eastern Colo getting covered up with them also. I told them I didn't want the **** things on my place. Thinking about the next generation on this ranch. Who is gonna deal with them when they are wore out, broke down, falling apart?
 
I don't have the knowledge to speak about specifics on where the energy that is produced is actually used but wind farms seem to get used to supplement during certain times. If it was to supply all the local power it would seem like they would run more. Most turbine field maybe have 30% of them turning any time I drive by. Plenty of wind in many cases but not being used. Is that a normal thing? Maintenance related? I don't know.
I do know I'd rather not look at any more of those turbines scattered across this beautiful country. I also believe in a balanced approach to energy production but a lot of this renewable hype is just that, hype. If you took government money (our money) out of it, the private sector wouldn't touch it.
The other ugly part is when all these turbines get taken out of service it turns out they aren't very environmentally advantageous. Can't be recycled or reused sooooo, they bury them. Many get hauled to WY for their funeral. It's BS. They don't advertise that part to the masses. The fate of solar panels is similiar but they have more toxic materials present in them. It's not cost effective to recycle them so they aren't.
I like open spaces, clean ground, and big raptors patrolling the skies. Renewables? I think they are better left for small scale use for now.
 
I don't have the knowledge to speak about specifics on where the energy that is produced is actually used but wind farms seem to get used to supplement during certain times. If it was to supply all the local power it would seem like they would run more. Most turbine field maybe have 30% of them turning any time I drive by. Plenty of wind in many cases but not being used. Is that a normal thing? Maintenance related? I don't know.
I do know I'd rather not look at any more of those turbines scattered across this beautiful country. I also believe in a balanced approach to energy production but a lot of this renewable hype is just that, hype. If you took government money (our money) out of it, the private sector wouldn't touch it.
The other ugly part is when all these turbines get taken out of service it turns out they aren't very environmentally advantageous. Can't be recycled or reused sooooo, they bury them. Many get hauled to WY for their funeral. It's BS. They don't advertise that part to the masses. The fate of solar panels is similiar but they have more toxic materials present in them. It's not cost effective to recycle them so they aren't.
I like open spaces, clean ground, and big raptors patrolling the skies. Renewables? I think they are better left for small scale use for now.
What I don't get is now the green weinies are going after hydroelectric???
You can't possibly get a better, more stable and zero emissions power source so why tear them out?
Just part of the agenda, I guess.
 
I agree with that 100%
But being in a state that might as well rename the state tree a wind generator I can tell you that the lies those people tell these towns and land owners about how it's going to help lower costs of electricity and it's going to be so efficient and environmentally friendly is a straight up lie.
Not one person or town has seen any benefits to have their electric bill and the environmental part is made using hydrocarbon. Plus each one of those things has 100's of gallons of oil that has to be constantly replaced and so do the fiberglass blades which can only be either buried or layed in giant piles.
But heck yea the city greenie's love it and think it's awesome.
The true energy sources are either hidden away for general use or restricted either by Governments or giant companies so it never reaches the public all so they can get control and money.
Developers have sold their power out of wind farms as low as 3 cents per kwh. range is more like 4 to 7 and has been going up with inflation, cause all that steel, gearboxes, and blades are going up too. The issue is they sell wholesale to the state and local utilities who are all regulated monopolies.
Those are the guys that have the distribution lines into your home. They are the ones who decide what your retail price of power is, say 10 to 12 cents per kwh.

The real value to a community of any energy project is never going to be cost of power or gasoline or natural gas. If anything it will be the local tax base for property taxes, and in the money schools, hospitals, fire depts., and libraries get.

But, whether oil and gas, wind, or wood chips, energy companies just like all manufacturers want to negotiate some tax breaks to locate in a city or county.

Usually the taxes they pay are lower first few years, then phase in. Benefit is longer term, and number of jobs is always discussed.

There is too much green washing, too much propaganda against fossil fuels, and not enough education amongst low information people who dont read. Every technology has benefits and uses. And Oklahoma is blessed with huge oil and gas reserves and huge wind resources too. I believe they once made a musical and in it, the wind was called Mariah!

Now, you wont see any wind projects in Georgia Alabama or Mississippi to speak of. They do not have a wind resource except maybe offshore.

Not much oil and gas there either......

But you will see some solar.

I worked for a major oil company for 25 years.

I have worked in wind and solar at a utility scale level developing projects for 20 yrs. off and on.


Dont just do oil and gas. Dont just do wind and solar. Dont just do nuclear. Do it all where it works and fits.

Use the resource base where you are. Oklahoma and Texas
have huge oil and gas reserves
and huge wind resouces.

Us'em wisely.

Just don't rob the taxpayers to make musicals about climate change with their tax dollars.

That's corruption and BS.

We need more energy, not stupidity. Seems like we have a huge resource the latter in this country too.

Find a way to make electricity outta that! We'll all be rich!

Better than the Gushers they drilled in the movies where it rains oil.🙂
 
Ditto on that. Eastern Colo getting covered up with them also. I told them I didn't want the **** things on my place. Thinking about the next generation on this ranch. Who is gonna deal with them when they are wore out, broke down, falling apart?
And, also how much does it really cost to construct and put these things into motion. The amount of concrete underground as well as above ground not to mention the labor that is being paid out. Pretty good deal for those involved in the construction. Does anybody really know the cost of constructing one of these eye sores?I have a hard time believing they will ever pay for themselves. Another typical government project.
Don't know if it is factual but also have heard realtors stating property values already 30% more without the wind towers.
 
Last edited:
Ditto on that. Eastern Colo getting covered up with them also. I told them I didn't want the **** things on my place. Thinking about the next generation on this ranch. Who is gonna deal with them when they are wore out, broke down, falling apart?
In all the projects I am familiar with, the issue of decommissioning a wind farm always gets addressed up front.

Usually, in the leases the developer has obligations to remove, salvage, and haul away the old equipment.

But, on top of that legal obligation, the county that is granting zoning permits or a special use permit will stipulate that no permits can even be issued until the developer has posted bonds, letters of credit, or other financial assurance in a 3rd party escrow account sufficient to pay for removal or decommissioning. There is usually a look back review every 5 years to top off for inflation.

This is all pretty standard industry wide. No permit to build without first posting money to take down..
..
 
Top