More on the Pickens Plan and the transfer of wealth as we shift to wind, natural gas and other renewables

You can read more on the Pickens Plan and the website outlining the plan at
http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan/

In his ads when he talks about the biggest transfer of wealth we have ever seen - it does not just mean industry and business benefit - individuals can too.

Think about the money back in your pocket if you are driving a hybrid, natural gas car or electric car. A lot of people are spending $400- $500 a month in gas- cut that in half or down to 1/4 cost or no cost if you have an electric car. With BMW bringing out an electric mini - how much better can it get for drivers? And then think of the cost of goods being reduced if all the transports were converted to natural gas? If we all had an extra $200- $1000 in our pocket - that is money back into an economy or savings or mortgage. So we should change our thoughts about how we look at the current oil prices and embrace the fact that it is forcing change and it we are smart and look ahead not get paralyzed in the moment - we all win financially and the environment gets the best win of all. When we get the chance to do the right thing that makes us feel good and we win financially- that is as good as it gets!


from the site:
The United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

Studies from around the world show that the Great Plains states are home to the greatest wind energy potential in the world — by far.

The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country.

Today's wind turbines stand up to 410 feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length. The blades collect the wind's kinetic energy. In one year, a 3-megawatt wind turbine produces as much energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil.

Wind power currently accounts for 48 billion kWh of electricity a year in the United States — enough to serve more than 4.5 million households. That is still only about 1% of current demand, but the potential of wind is much greater.

A 2005 Stanford University study found that there is enough wind power worldwide to satisfy global demand 7 times over — even if only 20% of wind power could be captured.

Building wind facilities in the corridor that stretches from the Texas panhandle to North Dakota could produce 20% of the electricity for the United States at a cost of $1 trillion. It would take another $200 billion to build the capacity to transmit that energy to cities and towns.

That's a lot of money, but it's a one-time cost. And compared to the $700 billion we spend on foreign oil every year, it's a bargain.

An economic revival for rural America.
Developing wind power is an investment in rural America.

To witness the economic promise of wind energy, look no further than Sweetwater, Texas.

Sweetwater was typical of many small towns in middle-America. With a shortage of good jobs, the youth of Sweetwater were leaving in search of greater opportunities. And the town's population dropped from 12,000 to under 10,000.

When a large wind power facility was built outside of town, Sweetwater experienced a revival. New economic opportunity brought the town back to life and the population has grown back up to 12,000.

In the Texas panhandle, just north of Sweetwater, is the town of Pampa, where T. Boone Pickens' Mesa Power is currently building the largest wind farm in the world.

At 4,000 megawatts — the equivalent combined output of four large coal-fire plants — the production of the completed Pampa facility will double the wind energy output of the United States.

In addition to creating new construction and maintenance jobs, thousands of Americans will be employed to manufacture the turbines and blades. These are high skill jobs that pay on a scale comparable to aerospace jobs.

Plus, wind turbines don't interfere with farming and grazing, so they don't threaten food production or existing local economies.