@Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!: Some people are begging to be entered into the douchebag awards again... :)

johnnyabnormal

who ownes the turbines? its gonna suck if the local power company has these erected just to charge the same amount as the previous power source with no cost advantage to the customer...there needs to be competiton in order to lower the price of power.on the bright side- at least its a clean source of energy.

ravedown

@Rabid Penguin: Who did that? Bush? Oh, nevermind. 300% gas inflation is pretty sweet profits for his oil buddies.

johnnyabnormal

@robinandtami: hahaha Jimmy Carter. Thanks for the laugh. Increasing the cost of gasoline to the consumers even more is the solution huh?

Rabid Penguin

@tamoko: About 40 years ago a similar population issue came to head in a book by Paul Ehrlich called "The Population Bomb". Ehrlich wrote that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over ... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." Ehrlich also stated, "India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980," and "I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks that India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971."

What happened instead? Norman Borlaug happened, that's what.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Borlaug proved that mankind is entirely capable of dealing with issues such as population increases without needing to throw female babies in dumpsters.

I have little doubt we will be able to meet the same needs again in the future.

IamNotToddDavis

Who knew Jimmy Carter had it exactly right 30 years ago? If ony we had listened to Jimmy......

robinandtami

@IamNotToddDavis: Perhaps the problem isn't overpopulation, but rather the social and economic structure that encourages over consumption of resources, i.e. the US. We are 5% of the planets population, yet suck up 25% of the petrochemical reserves...

I'm more concerned with feeding the almost 7 billion and growing people then providing them with power.

tamoko

@gallasm: While I can understand the sarcasm/skepticism you do realize that it isn't three ENTIRE counties. That's 75 windmills over three counties. There's 63 alone in the Mendota Hills Wind Farm in Illinois and they're all in one single county. They even look to be spread between three or four individual farms.

CubFan81

@sweetendo: I still call shenanigans. There is NO WAY the wind blows consistently enough that the turbines ALONE provide ALL of the electricity.

IamNotToddDavis

@SneakerFiend: Don't forget geothermal power, too.

jabber

Please read the original article. While there are many wind turbines in the county (and surrounding counties) the four turbines in Rock Port supply the town with their entire need.
That is unless Al moved there.

sweetendo

@SneakerFiend: Hydro is maxed out in the US and currently generates around 7% of our electricity nationwide.

Wind and solar combined produce anywhere from 1-2% tops.

@dead_red_eyes: The planet is hardly overpopulated. This is ridiculous scaremongering.

IamNotToddDavis

@Monty: I'd say we shipped them to Mars. I hear there's potential on that planet. I hear it's pretty dry so bring moisturizers.

jabber

I think that they'd have to combine all of the current means of renewable energy to power the whole country.
I think that Wind Turbines, Solar Panels, and those wave generator's or w/e they're called would be the best way to go.
Well maybe not the wave thing since it'll cost so much but hydro power would be a good means of getting energy.

SneakerFiend

@Joseph_Shaw_520: ala "Logan's Run?"

jabber

Fifteen hundred people off the grid and only 6,713,764,805 people to go. Woo-hoo!

@Joseph_Shaw_520:

I still think the only way to save the planet is population control.

Monty

@chrstphr: Al Gore was going to move there, but had to cancel his plans when it was discovered the "simple home" he intended to build would have needed another two counties worth of windmills to power it.

bosskev

@Joseph_Shaw_520: - "I still think the only way to save the planet is population control."

Seconded. I wish there were laws in place here in the states, like there is in China ... limiting you to only 1 child, or 2 if you want to pay a fine. Still, overpopulation is a huge problem ... and it's only going to make things worse.

dead_red_eyes

I heard Al Gore is moving there.

chrstphr

Lemme get this straight... it takes wind turbines stretched across 3 counties to power a town of 1,400 people? Yeah, definitely the wave of the future. So, roughly 1 county of generators for every 467 people... so we'd need an estimated 642,398 counties with generators to power the entire population of the US. According to USGS "There are 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the 50 States and the District of Columbia." Damn.

gallasm

This is great.

Beyond the energy savings, there's a certain ammount of resource commitment necessary to run and maintain power lines to small cities and counties like this. By being self sufficient they cost/energy not only for what they use, but what it takes to get the power there in the first place.
(Now if they all traded up to electric cars, they'd be golden.)

AaronZ

@Joseph_Shaw_520: Reminds me of that age test in the Simpsons.

"So I'll live to be.....forty two?? Awwwwwww I won't live to see my children die! *sob*"

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Put Rush Limbaugh in front of one and this beats nuclear power.

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

It's good to see that after all of our technological advancements we're going back to using windmills for power.

Rabid Penguin

@Joseph_Shaw_520: seconded.

doofusgumby

I call shenanigans. There is no way the wind blows consistently enough to run the town all the time.

SHENANIGANS!

IamNotToddDavis

So did the base jumper made it in one piece?

ripfire

@dan: Haha...I'm planning on adopting. Wouldn't want to bring a kid into a world that I will probably see end.

Joseph_Shaw_520

@Joseph_Shaw_520: Lead by example.

dan

I was going to make a joke something to the effect of "and when questioned whether or not they thought the massively deployed turbine powered system commandeering acreage over three counties and powering their entire infrastructure was effective, all 500 residents agreed that..."

Then I finished reading the article, only to discover that my joke had effectively already been made.

bosskev

Wow, that's great. Now Rock Port can power their one street light and dozen post 1960 television sets. No more cranking the radio every night! They gots power down there in Rock Port!

Hectorvex

I still think the only way to save the planet is population control.

Joseph_Shaw_520

Straight from the billionaire oil man's mouth:

+ Watch video

johnnyabnormal

@johnnyabnormal: Funny, we've had "renewable" resources available since the beginning of mankind, and no one needed to be dragged "kicking and screaming" in to using them. Then we found sources that wer cheaper and more efficient than renewable resources. When they are no longer cheaper and more efficient then we will use an alternative.

Wind and Solar, despite the flailing from Mr. Pickens, is not anywhere near capable of providing even half of what nuclear power currently does either today or in the next ten years. Nuclear power is the only feasable alternative to generating electricity in the amounts needed for the US for the forseeable future.

I'm not ruling out the chances for a major breakthrough in efficiency for wind or solar, but without it it's not happening.

IamNotToddDavis

Oh man, anyone see the episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit last night, the one about the eco-freaks?

HardcoreLilly

@the gas huffing "misunderedjumicated" crowd : Maybe you should look at what T. Boone Pickens is up to in Texas. Even the oil men are starting to invest heavily in wind, so shut your traps and stop being a bunch of pussies. Renewable is the future, even if you're going to be dragged kicking and screaming into it.

johnnyabnormal

@johnnyabnormal:
True, unless there is a significant investment in the development of it, which is my point.

Do you wonder WHY there hasn't been a significant investment (or at least one that wasn't FORCED by the government) in the development of it yet?

I'll tell you. IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

Nuclear is great, but can still run out

Um, nuclear power could probably supply our electricity needs for our entire planet for the next several thousand years. I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

Renewable efficiency breakthroughs are happening all the time!

Great! They still dont amount to a hill of beans in terms of production. I said MAJOR breakthrough.

You should do a little more research before pontificating about subjects you don't know much about.

That's a nice glass house you got there. You know if you keep throwing those stones the windows will break, right?

IamNotToddDavis

@gallasm: No. It doesn't take all of those turbines just to supply Rock Port. Rock Port actually only uses a small fraction of that. They're just the only community so far that has made the switch to rely 100% on the power from these turbines. Not surprisingly, Gizmodo doesn't have it's facts straight again. And we wonder why this country is in the state it's in now. People are too damn dumb to question things. Especially if it's something they wanna believe anyhow.

Use your freakin' melons for once in your life folks. These turbines aren't free and T.Boone didn't invest millions making commercials for something he won't make any money on. A business had to go into a bank somewhere with a plan and be able to prove that these turbines were profitable to secure a loan. Obviously they did that. It's also obvious that if they'd come in and said it will take enough turbines to cover three counties just to power one town then the bank would have laughed and told them to take a hike. Not to mention the business persons that put this together wouldn't have wasted their time if they were gonna lose money on it. It's not rocket science people.

Here's an idea. Read and learn.

This is where it talks about the wind farm the powers Rock Port. It's only connected to 4 turbines. Those turbines generate 1.25 MW of power each. So, there's clue number one. Obviously it does not take "3 counties" to house just 4 turbines. My fuckin' backyard could hold at least two. Those 4 turbines actually manufacture enough power that Rock Port is selling the excess.

[www.windcapitalgroup.com]

As for the moron that commented about the wind not being able to blow enough, that's just pure stupidity. Some days more than others but I challenge this clown to find a city where there is no wind blowing at any given time.

The least windy city in the country is Oak Ridge, Tennessee and even it averages wind speeds of 4.1 mph which is plenty enough to keep a prop turning and generating power. Missouri is in the midwest. There are no mountains there like there is in Tenn. to block the wind until you hit the Ozark mountain portion which is in the deep southern part. In fact, if you take the time to look it up, you'll see that the midwest is where the highest average windspeeds in America occur. Dodge City, Kansas, which isn't very far west of Rock Port, has the highest average at 13.9 mph. Anyway dunces, don't make yourself look like complete retards by speaking before you think. Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot than open it and remove all doubt.

Thrillcekr

@johnnyabnormal: OK then, so Bill O'Reilly. More wind, more heat!

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Isn't there a town somewhere in the midwest that was able to cut their energy consumption in half by changing the names of every citizen to either Earnest Borgnine or Boutros Boutros-Ghali? I don't think it would work in a city, but for a small town, I was surprised no one thought of it before.

frigg

@johnnyabnormal: I've seen Pickens stuff. It's fascniating, but he avoids discussing the main problem with wind power-that the wind doesn't blow all the time, which makes it inefficient.

Here's an example of the forthcoming problems Mr. Pickens appears to ignore in his discussions-

[www.thisismoney.co.uk]

Just weeks before the Government publishes its energy review White Paper, a research paper by National Grid shows that on some days, even in winter, wind turbines are virtually motionless.
The Government is said to want wind power to supply 20% of energy needs from 2020. Advocates argue that the UK is the world's windiest advanced nation.

But, according to the National Grid, in the period between October 2006 and February 2007 there were 17 days when output from the existing 1,632 windmills was less than ten per cent of capacity.

During that period there were five days when output was less than five per cent and one day when it was only 2%. In the whole five months, the wind turbines were operating at only 35% efficiency.

This is why I call shenanigans about this Missouri story. I simply don't believe the wind is blowing consistently enought to always provide all of the electricity for the twon.

IamNotToddDavis

@robinandtami: I laugh my ass off when hearing about GM's profit losses.

johnnyabnormal

@IamNotToddDavis: "Funny, we've had "renewable" resources available since the beginning of mankind, and no one needed to be dragged "kicking and screaming" in to using them."

Uh, huh, and the technology has been available since the beginning of mankind? Poor analogy.

"Then we found sources that wer cheaper and more efficient than renewable resources. When they are no longer cheaper and more efficient then we will use an alternative."

Again, you lack a understanding of availability of technology vs. resources.

"Wind and Solar, despite the flailing from Mr. Pickens, is not anywhere near capable of providing even half of what nuclear power currently does either today or in the next ten years. "

True, unless there is a significant investment in the development of it, which is my point.

"Nuclear power is the only feasable alternative to generating electricity in the amounts needed for the US for the forseeable future."

Time to take the horse blinders off. Nuclear is great, but can still run out.

I'm not ruling out the chances for a major breakthrough in efficiency for wind or solar, but without it it's not happening.

Renewable efficiency breakthroughs are happening all the time! You should do a little more research before pontificating about subjects you don't know much about.

johnnyabnormal

@Rabid Penguin: Actually Jimmy had a lot of great plans 30 years ago. Funding alternative energy sources, mandating higher fuel efficiency, improving public and mass transportation; all with a goal towards decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, which of course in the long run would have decreased energy prices. Then Reagan jumped in and said screw all that hippie shit, reversed everything Jimmy had begun; and an unsurpassed period of greed, consumption and unnecessarily large SUV's ensued.

Every time I see a newish SUV driving down the road with a "for sale" sign on it, I just laugh my ass off. Why? Because in all likelihood, they will end up having to trade/sale that SUV at a big loss and end up making the same size monthly payment for an econobox, just so they can afford to drive to work.

robinandtami

@johnnyabnormal: I love that video.

IamNotToddDavis

@Rabid Penguin:

"There's nothing wrong with making a profit"

Yeah, when you're the only one making one! Now you know why I hate oil companies making record profits while we line their pockets.

"If there are better alternatives than use them"

I actually do, but most people can't choose as easily as I have. Basically, I'm saying the development of renewable alternatives should have intensified many decades ago. Now we're caught asleep at the wheel.

"If you want cars to run off of alternate energy than bitch to the car manufacturing companies."

I have. Next car = electric MINI.

"Maybe our entire naval fleet should go back to row and sails."

I thought most were nuclear?

johnnyabnormal

@johnnyabnormal: lol. That cracks me up every time.

Rabid Penguin

@IamNotToddDavis: I think you're actually trying to break into my glass house, but according to my security cam, it wasn't successful. :)

+ Watch video

johnnyabnormal

@johnnyabnormal: That was basically Jimmy Carter's plan. Increase the tax on gasoline and the use of solar power.

There's nothing wrong with making a profit, that is what they are in business to do. But to increase the tax on gasoline so I have to spend EVEN MORE?? I don't know why you would demonize oil companies. If there are better alternatives than use them, the oil companies aren't stopping you. If you want cars to run off of alternate energy than bitch to the car manufacturing companies. It's not the job of the oil companies to make cars.

@johnnyabnormal: That doesn't mean it's the way to go. He has a lot of money and doesn't know what to spend it on. I guess throwing your money away on windmills is as good a choice as any. Maybe our entire naval fleet should go back to row and sails. I'm all for new things, but I don't think wind is the answer.

Rabid Penguin

@Thrillcekr:
As for the moron that commented about the wind not being able to blow enough, that's just pure stupidity. Some days more than others but I challenge this clown to find a city where there is no wind blowing at any given time.

I am the moron. I have answered your challenge above. The UK (a very windy continent) has had to build excess power stations that run on fossil fuels to back up their wind power sations because.........ready?.....

THE WIND DOESN'T BLOW ENOUGH.

I'll repeat the quote because apparently you missed it.

"But, according to the National Grid, in the period between October 2006 and February 2007 there were 17 days when output from the existing 1,632 windmills was less than ten per cent of capacity.

I like your argument that "hey, if he invested millions, he HAS to be right!"

That is golden.

IamNotToddDavis

@johnnyabnormal: Oil companies are not the only companies making profits... they're not even the only people making profits off of oil.

"Basically, I'm saying the development of renewable alternatives should have intensified many decades ago."

Maybe that's true, but I don't see how it's the oil companies fault.

I'm all for alternate, cheaper, more efficient energy sources. I have no deep, spiritual connection to oil or anything.

Rabid Penguin

@Rabid Penguin: Increasing taxes on gas was only one small part of a comprehensive plan. Mandating higher fuel efficiency 30 years ago, would have left us in a much better position today. Funding research into alternative fuels 30 years ago, would have put as much further along today. Instead, Reagan decided it would be a much better idea to appease our middle eastern oil lords so that we could all drive land yachts and feel wealthy. Most land yacht drivers aren't feeling very wealthy these days.

robinandtami

@jeffimix: Two things-

a.)There doesn't exist any battery capable of "storing" the needed electricity load for a small town, even in nowhere Missouri, which is why they have back up power stations that run on -Surprise!- fossil fuels. Maybe someday, not today or in the forseeable future.

b.) Wind power isn't consistent enough to generate excess capacity for that long.

IamNotToddDavis

@IamNotToddDavis:

You are completely correct, wind does not blow consistently, nor is sunlight consistent... It's called batteries, they're these neat things that store charge for still days/nights with chemicals like Nickel Metal-Hydroxide. Basically with these fuel sources you have to add enough batteries and essentially 'overkill' when conditions are good to create a backup. Usually you want 3-5 days of backup for solar. This requires an energy 'budget' and well, we all know how good us Americans are at budgets.

jeffimix

@IamNotToddDavis:
There are plenty of batteries large enough, they just don't say duracell on them. A common one is pumped storage, another is using the energy to heat something (water, salt, whatever) which later allows you to recover the energy.

It doesn't remove the issue, but it does lessen it alot. Pumped storage has been popular for handling peak demand for decades so its not like its anything new.

citizensmith

The US should be 90% nuclear for electricity, eliminating the biggest source of CO2 emissions, saving natural gas and coal for much more important uses, and making sure Rock Port citizens don't freeze to death some windless January night.

Ralph48

@Rabid Penguin: I know you go to Oil Church, you can't fool me. Just kiddin'.

"Maybe that's true, but I don't see how it's the oil companies fault."

Well, it appears most are going till bust, rather than invest seriously in wind, geothermal, water and solar. To me, all of this seems like a classic case of too little too late.

johnnyabnormal

@IamNotToddDavis: See? There! We agree on something!

johnnyabnormal

@Ralph48: Agreed. Nuclear should never be viewed as the end-all solution, but it's what we need for the next few decades. Then maybe solar (and still later, fusion) will be ready to serve us in an effective way.

A massive nuclear push adding dozens of new facilities, with reactors that can take advantage of fuel reprocessing (this allows the re-use of 95% of the spent fuel, but Carter banned it) is the answer to our near-term needs. That is what we need to spend our resources building, not more offshore oil platforms.

macserv

If I were king for a day every new building would have solar and/or wind foils installed. If the building is not self-sufficient in electrical generation (hear this Vegas?) then it would not be built.

I have no problem with nuclear although it would be nice to find a solution to the spent fuel.

JChristopher

You know what I find humorous? That the majority of the comments come from people who live in larger cities, mostly likely on the coasts and think the middle of the country is a backwards place.

Hmm. A small town in northern Missouri twon between Kansas City and Omaha is off the grid. The first in the country to do so. Looks like they acted while the rest of you posted ridiculous concepts on a silly technology gadget blog.

Shoghon

@Joseph_Shaw_520: "I still think the only way to save the planet is population control."

Thank you, Chairman Mao.

@doofusgumby: "@Joseph_Shaw_520: seconded."

Another proponent of forced abortions and sterilization!

@chrstphr: "I heard Al Gore is moving there."

He uses more juice than that all by himself. But it's OK, he buys carbon offsets from himself.

@dead_red_eyes: "Seconded. I wish there were laws in place here in the states, like there is in China"

I don't think he's kidding. Anybody else see a problem here? Maybe we should just kill all the first-borns? No, too jewish.

@tamoko: "I'm more concerned with feeding the almost 7 billion and growing people then providing them with power."

It's not your job to do either. Just get out of the way of those whose job it is.

@robinandtami: "If ony we had listened to Jimmy..."

Jimmy's going to have a second term if we're not careful.

@robinandtami: "Funding alternative energy sources, mandating higher fuel efficiency, improving public and mass transportation; all with a goal towards decreasing our dependence on foreign oil"

We did all of that. And the only thing Reagan reversed was to take off the eyesore solar panels that were symbolically desecrating the White House.

@IamNotToddDavis: Are you just pretending not to have heard of batteries?

GadgetPlay

I don't really find this too surprising. Here in West Texas my town could EASILY power itself with all the wind turbines we have, though most of the energy produced goes towards dozens of cities across Texas.

ttech10

They've done studies on the Danish wind miracle. Fact is that they sell all of their wind power to Britain and their own consumption is powered by coal fired plants. In fact, after spending that much money on wind, they haven't closed any fossil fuel plants.

[www.theglobeandmail.com]

strangesnow

@Ralph48: Ralph,nice try skeezix,but there are no windless nights in Rock Port.

enzyme

@bosskev: Except that we're powered by four turbines grouped together on the eastern edge of town and the entire wind farm here,which provides power for about 20,000 homes,is just a few square miles in area.Know what you're talking about before you start carrying on like an idiot.

enzyme

The headline is highly misleading. The town is still connected to the grid and pulls power from fossil and nuclear fueled power plants. They just have enough windmills to produce more power than they need on average. They put power on the grid when the wind is blowing and pull power off when it is calm. Unfortunately, the surge power comes from coal and gas powered plants which run at lower efficiency because they have to cycle up and down with every wind gust. The lower efficiency probably means higher CO2 emissions and the net impact is no reduction in CO2 or even a small increase!

LemuelaWellwood