One simple policy to promote renewables would be to pass a "retail metering" law. Now, if you have solar panels on your roof you have to buy electricity from Rocky Mountain Power at Retail Rates, but only get to sell power to the grid at "net rates." Why not incentives private ownership of renewable generation?

These are good ideas, I'm glad something is starting to happen. We also need a nuclear reactor in Utah.

Your article gives a perfect example of two phony statistics used by �green power� promoters. First, they use nameplate ratings of the wind turbines in lieu of real outputs. For example, a GE 1.5 megawatt (MW) turbine produces its capacity when the wind is between 26 and 40 mph. Varying by the cube of the speed, the output at 13 mph is one-eighth rated output. An extremely well sited wind turbine in a mountain pass may approach 35% of its rating on average. Others struggle to get to double digits. So 19 MW of wind turbine power is really 2 to 7 MW. But more bad news. Since the utility must be able to instantly provide power when the wind slows, no power plants are eliminated and must be kept spinning constantly.


The article says one of the 19 MWs will provide energy for 500 homes. The average home uses about 11,000 kWh per year, a continuous rate of 1.2 kW. But turn on a hair dryer, the oven, and central air, and you�re suddenly at 5.6 kW, which times 500 homes is a demand of 2.8 MW. Utilities can�t cheat, they must provide real power and not contrived statistics.

Question: question 12 in �Thinking Physics� � page 259
Inside a warm damp cave completely sealed off from the outside world could life flourish indefinitely?



Answer: No life forms could flourish indefinitely. In an isolated system, entropy always increases. Life tries to push entropy in the opposite direction. When life is created, entropy decreases in the cave but nature demands a greater entropy increase offset. The cave, being sealed, would mean that entropy would reach its max, thus energy necessary to sustain and generate new life would be unavailable. Maybe we should learn a lesson from this. Available energy is mandatory. Wealth may equate to available energy. If you want to live in a nation that is prospering make sure that its available energy supply is abundant.

Solve energy to mitigate all other issues.