A map of slicers and dicers in the United States. (It may be a problem to load; it loaded the second time I tried.)
This map contains nearly 1,000 total wind farm locations, including: in service, under construction, proposed and decommissioned locations. All locations (excluding decommissioned sites) have a combined wind power capacity with potential for generating up to 53,700 MW.Compare those 1,000 wind farms with what one nuclear power plant can do, and do it more cheaply than wind, from the EIA:
In 2011, the "average" nuclear power plant in the United States generated about 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). There were 65 nuclear power plants with 104 operating nuclear reactors that generated a total of 790 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or slightly more than 19% of the nation's electricity.This about sums it up:
U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., favors extending the production tax credit, known as PTC. But he struggles to find a scenario in which a majority of his colleagues in the Republican-controlled House will agree.
"Wind energy is way down the list of priorities [of tax breaks] for extensions," Peterson said. "I just don't see how this gets done."
Among those who don't support the extension is Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline. His spokesman, Troy Young, said that while the original intent of the program was to increase renewable energy production, Kline is concerned about extending programs that artificially drive up demand.
After 20 years of federal support, Young said, wind should be able to stand on its own.Data points:
- twenty years of federal support
- expedited approval; environmental concerns blown away
- "everyone" loves 'em
- full immunity from liability regarding slicing and dicing eagles, hawks, whooping cranes, bats
- will increase use of fossil fuel
- increases utility rates in a most regressive manner
- tax credits; less revenue for schools and other government funded programs
- wind farms generally preclude dual use of land
- will be there forever (theoretically; that's why they are called renewable)
Senator Harry Reid knows that. It's a little bit hard to tell on the map, but there appear to be none, nada, zilch, nil wind farms in Nevada.
Of course, nobody is seriously considering the potential to change weather patterns in our nations crop heartland......leftists think electricity comes out of electrical outlets. Gasoline comes from gas stations. Hamburger comes from Walmart. Windmill energy does not come from the Wind Fairy. It comes out of the atmosphere. You are extracting energy from the weather patterns. What will this potentially do to the rainfall patterns of our most important resource? Our fabulous crop producing lands of the central midwest??
ReplyDeleteAnd milk from Super Wal-Marts. Smile.
DeleteThank you for taking time to comment.
It's too bad utilities are afraid to print in one's monthly bill the estimated cost of electricity if wind energy / other renewables were not mandated. People would get to see how much renewable energy is costing them. If they don't mind, that's fine, but people should be told the price of government mandates.
Yeah, I'm sure we'll get those "estimated costs" about the same time we all have to pay 1 check for our ENTIRE INCOME TAX BILL on April 15th (instead of having it quietly lifted in much smaller amounts every 2 weeks from our paychecks). Imagine the outrage at exactly how much in Income Taxes 53% of us actually do pay every year if we had to pony up the bill at one shot.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Thank you for the EXCELLENT Bakken Blog. I am an avid follower, work up in the Bakken 2 weeks on/2 weeks off and find your updates both timely, accurate and very informed. I live in a non-oil producing state and people where I live are mystified at why I would want to go to North Dakota to work. Of course, the unemployment rate is roughly 25% where I live and I could not find a job making a quarter of what I do up in the wonderful state of North Dakota. I have 20+ years of oilfield experience and just love working up there. Please keep your service going.
It is, truly, notes like yours, and the notes from the folks who follow the Brooklyn oil field so closely, that keep me going.
DeleteThere are days that I want to stop: I feel the story has been told.
But then I get a note like yours, and it makes me feel it's worth it.
When I meet folks who ask about the Bakken I refer them to my site (if interested) but tell them to avoid the non-Bakken stuff. Long time readers sort it out.
I am thrilled you get to see North Dakota; it's much different than what most folks probably think about it (the mosquitoes are actually more problematic than the cold for most of us; maybe not for those actually working on the rigs).
I am really impressed by the professionalism of the folks working in the Bakken. I was at Economart for lunch almost every day for three months last summer (2011) and saw many, many Halliburton and Schlumberger employees, and I was surprised how "happy" they seemed to be.
Right now, I'm excited about the manufacturing stage as noted in the recent post about 11 KOG wells in one spacing unit.
I ramble. Again, thank you for taking the time to comment.
Maybe that Chapter of the Story has been told, but the Bakken , just as our lives is unfolding and being lived one day at a time.. The story will stop, when the teller does..
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct; I was going to add something to that effect, and then got side-tracked.....more later.
DeleteYes, I was going to add that I can't wait to see the a) daily IPs; b) the new permits each day; c) connecting obscure data points; and d) seeing what new lessons the Bakken reveals.
DeleteThe most intriguing things about the Bakken this past year for me: a) the multiple benches in the Three Forks; and, b) the emergence of rail as a solid competitor to rail.
(Brazil, and possibly even China, will be at a disadvantage in this regard: the US has been "working on the railroad" since 1869 when the Golden Spike was driven in connecting east and west. Which, by the way, was twenty years before North Dakota and South Dakota gained their statehood. Brazil will probably never have a railroad, and China has huge challenge in that regard. With the history of the Chinese worker on the US railroad there is some irony. Wow, I digress. It must be a real pain reading some of my posts.)
I would be very disappointed if your blog stopped....wish you had the time or energy to do this for the EagleFord and the Mississippian Trend. Seriously, it is by far the best information on the web for us oilfield people. And once again, I work up there for a living and have been exposed to many years in the oilfield. I can spot worthless or phoney info in a second.....
ReplyDeleteIn regards to "happy" faces...that is the thing I notice most about my time up in North Dakota. Unlike the state where I live, everyone up there is working, has a smile on their face as they have real work. Not make up work and city or state govt jobs like I see here. Real work. People where I live act like zombies, minds dulled by lack of any opportunities and govt "redistributive" handouts.
I have been able to help several of my long time friends find work in the oilfield in North Dakota and several others who are committed to coming up to work. One who has been up there now for 8 months had not worked for almost 4 years (he was a construction worker in Kalifornia, note: intentional K). He was a shell of his former self. He is now employed working about 100 hrs a week out of Watford City and can actually buy his 12 year old son a real Christmas present this year. That is the real story of North Dakota. The one that those in Washington DC seem to miss.
So please keep er' going. You are doing us a great service by your reporting. People are getting jobs because of what you do.
That's quite an endorsement. Thank you for all the kind words. I can't even keep up with the Montana side of the Williston Basin, but periodically I post some highlights of other plays (like the Eagle Ford and the Mississippi Lime) on the sidebar at the right.
DeleteI hope folks can maintain their generally cheerful attitude through this unprecedented activity and growth in western North Dakota.
That reminds me of a story from last November (2011) or thereabouts. I was in Williston Home of Economy. The store was stocked to the gills with cold weather gear; it was almost impossible to move through the "aisles."
The weather had just turned (very cold), catching a lot of southerners off-guard and the store was packed with roughnecks buying gear; the lines at the checkout counters were very, very long. I truly thought it was not going to go well.
I was absolutely amazed. The customers were never upset or verbally out-of-line; and, the Home of Economy employees were in a great mood and very happy. But this was the scene I will never forget: a 5-foot-two-inch senior (maybe 60 years old), little grandma ("where's the beef" type of grandma, I guess) helping a 20-something roughneck that must have been 240 pounds, 6-foot-6 inches, towering over her. And she was just as helpful as she could be; and he was very, very appreciative. A St Theresa taking care of Hoss Cartwright, I suppose.
I will be traveling later this week and the blog will suffer, but I will do the best I can.
Stay safe out there. I assume the two most dangerous jobs in the Bakken: roughneck on the rigs; and driving an 18-wheeler coming into or going out of Williston on the bypasses. (Perhaps the busiest: being a waitress/bar maid on a Friday or Saturday night.)
A long but very good read regarding "renewable" energy fantasies:
ReplyDeletehttp://theautomaticearth.com/Energy/renewable-energy-the-vision-and-a-dose-of-reality.html
It is long; it will take awhile to read. I've linked it to the blog in a couple of places. After the first of the year, I have an idea how to make these articles more easily accessible on the blog.
DeleteThank you for a great "source" document.