Can you believe this? Conventional power plants fear wind farms could close them

[Chuck]

Influential natural gas producers and generators in Texas are worried.

Peter Behr - NYTIMES - Mar 8, 2010

As Gomer Pyle might say: Suprise! Suprise! Suprise! --Ed.

Not many years ago, there wasn't enough wind power coming from the Great Plains to worry about. Now there is, and lots of people are worrying.

A group of mostly East Coast utility companies calling itself the Coalition for Fair Transmission Policy fears that the prime conditions in the Great Plains will make the region's wind power too cheap for its members to compete with, unless developers there are made to pay the costs of moving wind power eastward.... [Read More]

[beatr911]

Gee it seems to me that this is what we wanted to happen. This is part of the success story of green energy. That the whole point is to reduce greenhouse gas producing power generation.

The issue here really is that the natural gas generators buried thier head in the sand thinking things would stay the same. Sounds alot like the American auto industry. Some companies have looked ahead and are on board, some think they've missed the boat and are throwing a tantrum saying its not fair. Survival of the fittest I say.

[worthywads]

Wow I see a totally different take on the concerns.

First natural gas powered electricity is largely backup used for peak demands as needed. They have a direct and nearly immediate response in a system with peaks.

Wind on the other hand is simply the opposite, it get's produced with no user control and may not produce at all at the very time it could be used the most.

Gas electricity will still need to be there when wind fails and it will. The market is interested in suppliers that can guarantee exact output when it is needed. Wind energy needs to figure out how to deliver like everyone else, guarantees and penalties are part of the existing system.

I do agree that if wind must be located a long way from where the power is needed it is the wind farms that should pay for the transmission lines.

Wind isn't fit to survive on it's own.