Pickens Energy Plan

[jimad]

I don't exactly support what he is saying but in case you want to read about it:

http://www.pickensplan.com/

[aviken]

I've read the plan before, and I think though it's not perfect, it's a great start in the right direction. I'm curious which part of the plan (or all of it) you don't agree with. For me, the Natural gas for transportation fuel...I don't like the long term plan for that.

I think that Pickens sees something that others are not focusing on now. Electricity is the new oil. As the oil companies dwindle, in power, those who control the production of electricity will have the power. Especailly as we get more and more EVs on the road. Pickens is in this to make money - lots and lots of it I'm sure...but he is doing it in a more "green" way, and he has a good point about not be Dependant on foreign oil (or energy sources in general, for that matter).

[Eletruk]

The real bonus to everything switching to electricity is that it allows property owners to be their own generators, whether by solar, wind, geothermal... whatever. Most states already have laws that allow people to sell electricity back to the grid. That pretty much eliminates the chance that there will be a "Big Oil" of electricity.

[rjf]

Here is a message I sent to Pickens via a contact form at his website...
Organization: EAA-PHEV.org
Subject: No mention of EV's nor PHEV's in the plan.
Message: I completely agree with your plans for far greater utilization of domestic wind resources (A form of near-term solar energy, as opposed to far-term hydro-carbon solar energy).  However I'm concerned that you make no mention of Electric nor Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).  Using electricity as a vehicular fuel would not only substantially reduce oil/gas consumption, but it would also reduce CO2 emissions which transitioning to Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) would not accomplish.  Simply put, EV's and PHEV's, when using electricity, are 2 to 4 times as efficient as internal combustion regardless of the fuel burned.  It's as simple as considering the nature of thermodynamic vs electro-magnetic/electro-chemical system efficiencies.  Anyway, I can't at this time bring myself to support your plan until you at least make mention of EV's and PHEV's capable of directly utilizing the renewable electricity from wind resources that both you and I desperately want to see installed as rapidly as possible.