North Dakota #3 in Wind Power; The EPA To-Do List Updated

Nice review of possible Obama order to kill the domestic nuclear industry: nuclear power vs wind power.

The article includes an update of wind energy in the US. North Dakota is #3, behind Iowa and South Dakota. The data comes from the American Wind Energy Association.

I hope these are still photographs 'cause the blades aren't turnin':

Wind Farm, Dickey County, North Dakota, December, 2012
Dickey County is in the southeast corner of the state, bordering South Dakota. With about 6,000 people, it has a population density of about 5 people per square mile.

March 8, 2014: because the Dickey County video above was removed, a new one in its place:

Wind Tower Fail

***********************************

Back on November 9, 2012, I posted the EPA To-Do Checklist:

Rough draft:
✓ Permitorium in the Gulf of Mexico
✓ Delay drilling in the Arctic another year (repeat annually)
    Double CAFE standards five years earlier than current timetable
    Increase penalties for migratory bird kills
✓ Unlimited waiver of liability for wind turbines (migratory bird kills)
✓ Confirm tortoises have been relocated (solar farms)
    Increase emissions standards on coal plants
✓ Close 90% of federal land to further oil shale exploration (think sage grouse)
    Federal regulation of hydraulic fracking on state land
    Ban all hydraulic fracking
✓ Kill Keystone XL 1.0
    Re-define "clean coal": [kleen kohl], noun, mythic fossil fuel found only in Australia and China
    Ban export of coal

I need to update the EPA to-do checklist.

Revised draft, #2:

✓ Permitorium in the Gulf of Mexico
✓ Delay drilling in the Arctic another year (repeat annually)
    Double CAFE standards five years earlier than current timetable
    Increase penalties for migratory bird kills
✓ Unlimited waiver of liability for wind turbines (migratory bird kills)
✓ Confirm tortoises have been relocated (solar farms)
    Increase emissions standards on coal plants (that's being worked (March, 2013)
✓ Close 90% of federal land to further oil shale exploration (think sage grouse)
    Federal regulation of hydraulic fracking on state land
    Ban all hydraulic fracking
✓ Kill Keystone XL 1.0
    Re-define "clean coal": [kleen kohl], noun, mythic fossil fuel found only in Australia and China
    Ban export of coal
    Destroy the US nuclear power industry
    Executive order requiring all energy permits to meet international standards

*****************************

Speaking of destroying the domestic coal and nuclear industry, it looks like we only have to look to Europe to see where we will be ten years from now (if not sooner) if all this progressive thinking continues. One can take bits and pieces away from this article, but the problem with Europe, in addition to everything everyone always talks about: Europe doesn't know how to manage its energy assets.

Indeed, just four days before the Holy Week came this heartbreaking report from Caritas (one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations): more than 3 million people in Spain currently live in extreme poverty (families with an income of less than $390 per month), and more than one million are barely surviving on charitable donations -- an increase of 150 percent from the pre-crisis levels.
 
And there seems to be no end to this, Chancellor Merkel says that at least five more years are needed to put this horrible human suffering behind. But five years sounds like a short time to produce a German euro area. And a more important question is whether that objective can be achieved without tearing apart the social fabric already stretched to the breaking point in France, Italy and Spain - to say nothing of smaller countries like Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Slovenia, etc.

For the U.S., the euro area chaos is not just an issue of bleak outlook for one-fifth of American exports going to Europe. It is a question of political stability of its key ally and a pillar of the largest and, arguably, the most successful military alliance in history.

 Google "energy" in the linked article. The word does not appear. "The most successful military alliance in history" is now a paper tiger. Spain's extreme poverty: Spain can thank their wind and solar renewable program for much of their problems. Germany is going to have a major problem with energy: won't frack; won't nuke; back to coal. "For the US, the euro area chaos is not just an issue of bleak outlook for one-fifth of American exports going to Europe....." Folks, get real. The world is changing. The shift is moving to China. And it could happen faster than folks realize.

*******************

I can't make this stuff up. President Obama proclaims the month of April to be the month to teach young people how to budget responsibly:

President Barack Obama, who has increased the national debt by $53,377 per household, has proclaimed April “National Financial Capability Month,” during which his administration will do things such as teach young people “how to budget responsibly."

“I call upon all Americans to observe this month with programs and activities to improve their understanding of financial principles and practices,” Obama said in an official proclamation released Friday.

Let's get real, folks.