The Secretary of Interior says Wind turbines can replace coal power plants?
Do people really believe the s$^$ that the Obama adminstration is putting out. Sec. Salazar says Wind turbines placed on the Atlantic coast can generate 463 gigawatts. So that equates to approx. 140,000 turbines.
Do people really believe that can happen?
2009-04-08T22:33:22Z
Check reality. The largest wind farm in the world is 300 turbines in Texas generating 400 Megawatts. The plan for Cape winds in Mass. is 130 turbines generating 460 mega watts. So do the math. How are wind turbines going to replace the energy of coal power plants. by the way wind turbines generate electricity only 40% of the time. Where is it going to come from if other power plants are not around. go Nuclear!
MTRstudent2009-04-09T06:58:13Z
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Firstly, turbine sizes are increasing. 3.3MW is now pretty average, about 20 years ago it was 0.6MW. 5 and 7.5MW turbines are being tested.
Secondly, Denmark had about 5,300 turbines as of Jan 2007, or about 8 square km per turbine.
140,000 turbines spread across the US would have about 66 square km each - you're looking at having them spread 8-times less densely than they are in Denmark. (or as densely as in Denmark across an area of one-eighth of the US)
If you were to start building them and end with the average turbine being 5MW, then you'd only need about 93,000 turbines. You can also place them out at Sea.
On the whole I agree wind is unlikely to pick up more than about half of any major country's power requirements. However, it is already reasonably cheap and is getting cheaper all the time, as technology improves you'll need less backup too. I suspect that a combination of renewables, nuclear and carbon capture fossil fuels is the most sensible way to go.
well there are new wind turbines that float in the sky and give energy 90% of the time but give alot more of it put them up and then i would say it would work but using traditional land wind turbines i would say no it isn't going to work that well and will probably be another american fail
Bull. England tried it and they have to have traditional power plant backups all the time for when there is not enough wind to generate electricity. Double the cost and who pays for it - we do