Covalent Solar - Spin-off of the MIT guys that just doubled PV output, in tomorrows issue of Science. Dyed glass and PV printed on plastic film. And it's hella cheap to boot!
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That's an interesting development. If they can get the idea refined enough so it can generate power more cost-effectively, this could be a one viable solution to becoming more energy independent. I still believe going nuclear is one of the best ways of generating clean power (and we should push towards making that happen), but an effective solar power generation concept cannot be ignored either. Especially out here in California where 75% of the time we have favorable conditions.
JonRides...
1991 325i - sold :(
2004 2WD Frontier King Cab
RIP #17 Jules Bianchi -
Like I'm going to take investment advise from a guy who uses the word "hella". :giggle:__________________
1987 Toyota Landcruiser V8Comment
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Go drive your nifty old ass BMW's.
I was more implying that they WILL be going somewhere.Comment
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Invest in Kenya. They're due for a success.
'90 325iComment
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T. Boone Pickens has a new startup coming in shortly. Pickens is a Texas oilman, and he's one of the speculators that's been driving the price of crude up for the past few years. Pickens has invested billions of dollars in Texas wind farms and natural gas.
Perhaps you've seen his commercials that are playing non-stop. Pickens wants you to back him in his plan for foreign oil independence. He also wants you to PAY for his plan.
July 8, 2008, 2:11 pm
Big Pickens: T. Boone, the Oilman, Ups the Ante in His Wind Bet
Posted by Keith Johnson
T. Boone Pickens certainly has a keen sense of timing. The Texas oilman called $100 oil when that was a crazy idea, and now he’s climbing on the green bandwagon with the best of them.
Mr. Pickens is investing billions of dollars to build the world’s biggest wind farm, in Texas. Today, he launched a huge public-policy push that takes his wind bet one step further. His argument: The U.S. can wean itself off foreign oil if it puts its faith in prairie breezes.
His idea is as simple in theory as it is hard to implement. If the U.S. can get serious about wind power—and it does have lots of wind—then it can free up natural gas that’s used for electricity to run vehicles instead. That would obviate the need for millions of barrels of oil a day, saving America hundreds of billions of dollars and moving it closer to energy independence.
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalca...-his-wind-bet/
He’s already pitched his “Pickens Plan” to Congress, but—sniffing a growing sense of public indignation at $4 gasoline and ever-increasing dependence on foreign oil—he’s now taking his case straight to the people. For a persnickety old oilman, one of the biggest surprises is his slick Internet campaign—replete with Facebook profiles and other multimedia trappings. Mr. Pickens’ aides told USA today he plans to saturate American living rooms with his message between now and election day.
Taking the message to the people is one thing. Sticking them with the bill is another. And that’s one potential hitch to his grand plan: While he’s cracking the whip on politicians to change U.S. energy policy, he has to figure out how to crack the chicken-and-egg connundrum that stands in his way.
Wind power needs hundreds of billions of dollars in investment in new transmission networks to make it a big contributor to the U.S. electricity mix; today it provides just over 1% of power in the U.S. And converting any sizeable portion of the U.S. vehicle fleet to run on natural gas also requires a hefty investment in new transportation infrastructure, like natural gas filling stations.
No matter how you slice it, somebody’s got to foot the bill for Mr. Pickens’ grand plan to happen. This plan is grand enough that even Mr. Pickens won’t be able to bankroll it himself.McCain's military draft: Are you willing to bet your life?Comment
FINE!!!
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