Oil Billionaire Building World's Largest Wind Farm

gadzook33 writes "CNN is reporting that oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens is planning to invest billions of dollars in what will probably be the world's largest wind farm. It will eventually generate 4 gigawatts, enough to power 1.3 million homes. The first 600 GE wind turbines are scheduled for delivery in 2010. Pickens says that each turbine will generate about $20,000 in income annually for the landowner who hosts it."

In other news

[BigJClark]

In other news... Oil companies erect large billboards to block naturally generated windpower in an effort to negate the power generated.

In all seriousness, I really hope this works out, as any effort to lessen our carbon footprint is a good move in the right direction.

$20k profit?

[cavtroop]

Hell, sign me up for 5! I'll give up work, and just tend to these all day. Sure, it'll be cramped on my .20 acre plot, but hey!

I own land!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, an apartment actually.. And I can also provide wind!

Doc Brown ain't all that impressed

[KlomDark]

That's only 3.3 time machines worth of power.

Re:'Bout time...

[xpuppykickerx]

Sim City taught me that cold fusion is the way to go.

Re:Pickens is not a good guy

[Scaba]

He also drank my milkshake!

Re:its time to take notice!!

[chill]

Oklahoma? Only two things come from Oklahoma, and I don't see any horns in that picture...

Re:Who is responsible for maintenance?

[hansamurai]

There was actually a car on fire in the parking lot this morning. Just sitting there, parked.

Those things can literally crash and burn too.

Totally off topic but it was the most exciting thing to happen at work in forever.

Re:In other news

[polar red]

we have removed enough trees to counter that effect

Re:Who is responsible for maintenance?

[Chris Burke]

Well with a little initiative on your part, exciting things like that could happen in your parking lot every day.

I'm just sayin'.

Where's the environmental impact study?

[dbdweeb]

This could definitely have an adverse impact on the environment by changing wind patterns thus inducing climate change causing the melting of glacial ice, flooding and making Florida disappear. I recommend we resume the consumption of hydro carbons until more research has been done.

Re:Where's the environmental impact study?

[Dunbal]

This could definitely have an adverse impact on the environment by changing wind patterns

      This was so dumb I just had to laugh. +5 funny. As if anything mechanical we humans can build could take enough energy out of GLOBAL wind patterns to alter them in a significant way. As if we could build any device that had the stopping power of say, a mountain range. Gee and Earth is FULL of mountain ranges. Perhaps you should outlaw tectonic plate movement and vulcanism, since apparently these also pose a risk of melting the icecaps...

Re:They are industrially designed

[qualidafial]

we were told that *theoretically* the twin towers could withstand airplanes crashing into them. They didn't.

*Theoretically* my spaghetti is defective, because I cannot use it to build a ladder.

Re:its time to take notice!!

[shbazjinkens]

Oklahoma? Only two things come from Oklahoma, and I don't see any horns in that picture...

Yeah, he lives in Texas though. Everything's bigger in Texas. Including the population of the second, unmentioned, thing you're talking about.

Re:Don't bring up "killing birds"

[ceoyoyo]

Apparently a lot more birds fly into mirrored glass skyscrapers than fly into windmills. Of course, if everybody starts using windmills that will mean less coal particulates in the air, which means cleaner skyscrapers, which means even more confused birds.

Windmills kill birds!

Re:Who is responsible for maintenance?

[omnipresentbob]

Ahhhhh, Bush fire. That would be pretty funny, seeing him running around, flapping his arms, screa... oh, wrong bush...

HUH?

[StefanJ]

Really? After taking into account the cooling systems and safety shut offs and the mechanisms and processes for installing and removing fuel rods?

Forgive me, but I think you're just making shit up.

Re:In other news

[anexkahn]

Does this mean that the environment is the next one to strike it rich?

Re:just a few thoughts on clena energy

[dbIII]

Such as...?

While giraffe farming has obvious problems there are other grazing animals that should be OK.

Re:In other news

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this mean that the environment is the next one to strike it rich?

It already is! The environment is hording all the oil it has left, soaking up all the sun energy it can get its hands on.

I mean, why do you think we're trying to knock it down a peg? :)

Re:In other news

[Bandman]

That's why you've got to build the skyscraper next to it just as high! Duh!

/Turtles all the way down

Re:In other news

[pw1972]

You make a great point about being seen while riding. I go out of my way to buy the most obnoxious, bright, annoying colored clothing for cycling.