New Energy Project Will Be Even Larger than the Pickens Plan
Move over, T. Boone Pickens. You’re about to be overshadowed by Babcock and Brown.
Australian developer Babcock and Brown has announced that it is working on a 79.5 MW wind farm in the Texas Panhandle— but the company has much larger ambitions than a single farm. Majestic Wind Farm is only one part of a $1 billion effort company to build 567.5 MW of wind power throughout Texas, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. But there’s more.
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Babcock and Brown’s current plans are part of an even bigger project in the Texas Panhandle Loop to create 8,000 MW of power from renewables, natural gas, and coal-fired plants. Companies including Airtricity, Celanese, and Occidental Energy Ventures will join Babcock and Brown in the massive effort.
Compare that to Pickens’ plan to install 4,000 MW of wind power in Texas—a staggering number in its own right. And lets not forget that Pickens is only one man, while the larger plan is part of a combined effort from multiple companies.
Babcock and Brown hasn’t announced a completion date for the 8,000 MW plan, but its Majestic Wind Farm will be up and running by the end of the year. Here’s hoping for an even bigger project to come along and steal Babcock and Brown’s thunder.
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As a native Texan, I am glad to see something like this is happening, even if I’m not around to see the results.
Now if they could just harness more solar energy just south of there…
DUMB! I believe in windfarms, however the last thing we need is foreign investment in windfarms. To allow it just causes our hard earned money to be sent to other countries for a resource on our shore, the wind. Dumb! We already send enough money overseas for OIL, why repeat that mistake? Follow the E2 model ( http://www.pbs.org/e2/ ) on keeping wind energy as a local community business. It creates local jobs and local investment opportunities.
Wind is a fine thing for power but is not reliable 24/7.
for every wind farm we need to build a geothermal power station of equal power.
Pickens has some more comptetion on this issue: http://stonecipher.typepad.com/the_stonecipher_report/2008/09/the-energy-expe.html
I’m all for these but we must not let Pickens or any one else steal the land for their power transmission lines from the land owners by using emanant domain. They should be made to pay the land owners a reasonable lease payment.
Jon, it might be true what you say, but let’s face it - it’s still better than not having any windmill farms at all. Plus jobs for locals will be created regardless of who the investors are. I believe it’s not such a big sacrifice, but it does help solving the global problem of the environmental crisis.
Outstanding! We need a plan thats larger than life!
Jiff
http://www.anonymize.us.tc
This is the same Babcock and Brown (ASX:BNB) whose share price has dropped from over $30 to $1 in the last year. Do I hear someone say Lehman Brothers?
@ just watching: So glad other people are realizing this.
Wind energy cannot be a full solution because of its lack of reliability. Whats more, many of those wind companies are operating recklessly…pumping power onto constrained transmission lines…and not following schedules. Anyone familiar with the operation of mass power grids knows the 8000mw in the panhandle they are talking about is going to be a nightmare. There isnt enough transmission in all of texas to get it to market…and i got news for y’all…no one lives in the panhandle!!! youre gonna have a lot of losses getting that power all the way to dallas.
those wind generators should put out quite a bit of power the next time a hurricane comes though