We couldn’t agree more!

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Et Tu Bode?

Are There Any “True Conservatives” Left?

Denise Bode: “The True Conservative?”

“I just returned from some international wind meetings in Europe with a fresh perspective on how our industry is viewed overseas.” Read more…

CNET News: Wind power outlook weak in Europe, report says

“Rising materials costs, engineering challenges, and installation snags threaten European goals to dramatically expand wind power, according to a report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

Installation hold-ups loom in addition to rising costs, according to the Cambridge Energy Research report. Modified barges are used to set up offshore turbines, but only one such vessel is available that can install a five-megawatt turbine, and it can take a year to prepare more of them.

And it called for more government help. Subsidies in Europe vary by nation and take the form of either clean-energy certificate trading programs or feed-in tariffs, through which utilities can buy renewables in advance at a set price.” Read more…

Wind Turbines in Europe Do Nothing for Emissions-Reduction Goals

“Despite Europe’s boom in solar and wind energy, CO2 emissions haven’t been reduced by even a single gram. Now, even the Green Party is taking a new look at the issue — as shown in e-mails obtained by SPIEGEL ONLINE.

But there’s a catch: The climate hasn’t in fact profited from these developments. As astonishing as it may sound, the new wind turbines and solar cells haven’t prohibited the emission of even a single gram of CO2. Even more surprising, the European Union’s own climate change policies, touted as the most progressive in the world, are to blame.” Read more…

The reality of wind power – Extremely high cost and unreliably

“More on the very high cots, high subsidy ant the unreliability of wind power. In this case from Spain where the government have subsidized wind power with OVER 90 % over the market price!

And solar power has been subsidized with OVER 575 % over the market price!

Isn’t it fantastic! Subsides of over 90% and 575% over market price!

I mean with subsides of over 90% and 575% I can turn any lousy money losing business into profit for my self but at a HUGE cost to society and the taxpayers.” Read more…

“As a premier land-grant university, it is important that we are good stewards of the earth.” (And, I  fatten my wallet in the process!) - OSU President Burns Hargis.

 Here is an excerpt from OSU’s press release:

SEAL BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oklahoma State University (OSU) has awarded Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE) a new 15-year contract to construct, operate and supply a new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station on the OSU campus at Stillwater, OK. The facility will support the University’s accelerating program to replace most of its diesel bus and gasoline-powered fleet vehicles with energy-efficient, environmentally friendly CNG models.

The new Clean Energy OSU CNG station, which will also be open to the public, will be located on the Southeast corner of Lakeview and Western on the Stillwater campus. Slated for opening by Fall 2009, the new facility will be equipped with two fast-fill CNG dispensers plus 24 time-fill CNG dispensers to supply fuel for the OSU’s growing CNG campus bus fleet. OSU has announced plans to acquire and deploy 24 new CNG transit buses and 150 CNG fleet vehicles in the next three years, with up to 500 fleet vehicles anticipated within 10 years.

“Our goal is to have most of the vehicles designated for campus use equipped to run on CNG,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “This is a big step in moving OSU forward with its green initiatives. As a premier land-grant university, it is important that we are good stewards of the earth.”

OSU has been evaluating alternative fuel options for several years, and has now opted to focus on CNG for its campus fleets. “Clean Energy is the leader in the growing CNG arena, and we look forward to working with them on this important initiative,” President Hargis said.

Related:

Hargis Appointed to Chesapeake’s Board of Directors

Quote of the Day: “Well Now, This Makes For an Interesting Game of Connect the Dots”

Burns Hargis Discusses Boone Pickens Energy Plan

Hat tip: OkStateNews

From Examiner.com:

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Fleece the Public Association, will be a participant at Bill Clinton Crony John Podesta’s National Clean Energy Project: “Building the New Economy” forum on Monday, February 23, 2009. Read more…

Local Gasoline price in St. Louis (9/16/08)

As what is customary in the public/crisis relations business, news you want to keep low key is provided to the press on a late Friday afternoon - usually after 2pm. This is about when we learned that former Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode was trading the chief con meister job at the Clean Skies Foundation for a similar position with the American Wind Energy Association. No doubt a tool of wind entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens.   Read more: (WSJ: Pickens’s Investors Ask for Exit)

With the fall of natural gas prices; Aubrey McClendon’s Chesapeake Energy holdings liquidated due to margin calls; and with cutbacks in “non essential expenditures,” the handwriting was plainly on the wall that the CSF gig for Bode was just about up. We got to hand it to these people, they are nothing but tenacious. T. Boone was on NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday still pitching his “plan,” even with gasoline at prices we haven’t seen in over a year!

It’s official: the energy meltdown has exceeded the abilities of the rather mediocre abilities of the governor and legislature.

Who called BS on the Pickens/Chesapeake con jobs? The Oklahoma Political News Service!

From the Wall Street Journal:

“I’ll get it back.”

By Gregory Zuckerman

About half of the investors in T. Boone Pickens’s energy-oriented equity hedge fund have asked to withdraw their money on the heels of losses of about 60% this year, according to people close to the matter. Mr. Pickens and his investment firm have lost $2 billion since peaking in late June, Mr. Pickens said Sunday on the CBS program “60 Minutes.”

His fund, BP Capital, will have about between $400 million and $500 million after expected withdrawals. It started the year with about $2 billion. A few weeks ago, Mr. Pickens moved the fund almost entirely into cash to help ride out the volatility in the energy patch, according to people close to the matter.

Mr. Pickens is expected to personally hold about 20% of the fund after the withdrawals, or about $100 million, after he does some selling along with his investors. He has lost an estimated $400 million or so in his funds this year.

The hedge fund has been hurt by the recent plunge in energy prices and tumbles in energy stocks. Mr. Pickens wouldn’t comment. Read more…

Related:

OKPNS: When Con Artists Go Bad (10/01/08)

OKPNS: “Sold Out Tour” Start This Week (9/2/08)

OKPNS: UPDATE: We Told You So, Again and Again (8/13/08)

OKPNS: If CNG is the Answer, It Must be a Really Stupid Question! (8/12/08)

OKPNS: Dumb and Dumber Part 2 (9/6/07)

I’ve got a friend in the broadcast business that says the funniest thing in the world is a sports reporter attempting to cover a story outside of the jock world. He says it’s always an absolute riot, especially when the sports reporter inadvertently strays into the world of politics.

Well that’s what happened yesterday, in this obsequious piece in the city paper. The Oklahoman sports reporter Barry Tramal, who apparently is using the story as an audition letter for T. Boondoggle Pickens ailing hedge fund, inadvertently discovers a truth!

In this story, Pickens, who as part of his propeller farm con artistry has previously disarmed the fawning Oklahoma media by protesting that he just doesn’t care about money anymore since he has (had) so much of it:

“The Texas geologist made his fortune in the oil business. But he says he is now 80-years-old, has enough money and wants to do something for his country.” Read more…

Now T. Boone declares that he actually DOES care about money!!

“[Pickens] told OSU athletic director Mike Holder, “Now I’m getting my money’s worth.”

It’s only been a few weeks since the piers beneath Pickens phony baloney scam began to unravel: except for the Oklahoma syncophants and Kool-Aid-drinking reporters, it became clear Pickens Flim-Flam scam was more about his tanking hedge fund and less about doing it for “the children.” Even the pot-smoking hippy greenies are finally getting wise. Let’s face it: the alternative energy scam lobby is on life support.

Well, this scoop of galactic proportions has gone over the head of Tramal and his editors, but we at OKPNS caught it. So let the word go forth: T. Boonedoggle has changed his mind: he likes money, he REALLY likes it!

Related:

WSJ: Winds Shift for Renewable Energy As Oil Price Sinks, Money Gets Tight

Instead of doing videos pitching T. Boondogle Picken’s wind energy plan, maybe Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis should be focusing more of his attention on making sure OSU ad materials have the correct spelling!

We’ve told you about the energy con artists and their Kool-Aid drinking enablers.  We all know who the con artists are, and the thinking ones among us know it’s a scam, but the body count of those claimed by the energy con artist gang just keeps spreading.  Note the latest victims to be publicly linked with the scam.

One sure sign of a con artist organization, or their victims, is the refusal to talk to the press.  Here’s the latest Joe Isuzu update from the Gazette.

Related:

Burns Hargis Discusses Boone Pickens Energy Plan

Hat tip: OkStateNews

  From A to Z Energy ETF blog espite recent optimistic news on new shale gas reserves, the totality of North American natural gas production remains on a treadmill, as the grim EROI reaper has relentlessly raised the marginal cost of producing- to currently above the price of natural gas futures. While shutting in production is not easy to do once wells are drilled, low prices with rising cost structures can put the crimp on future expansion. Chesapeake (CHK), the largest US natural gas producer and operator of land rigs, announced last evening they will be curtailing production, cutting their rig count and reducing capital expenditures. Read more…

Quote of the Day: “Well Now, This Makes For an Interesting Game of Connect the Dots”

OK Legislators’ Blog: Dorman Calls Energy Forum an Educational Success

cro·ny cap·i·tal·ism (noun)

A pejorative term describing an allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between businessmen and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.

Source: Wikipedia

T. Boone Pickens’s letter of Sept. 2 says: “I believe that with private investment and proven technology, we can generate 20% of our electricity from wind within 10 years.” No one is stopping him from achieving his goal. He should proceed with his plan. He should buy or lease property, install wind turbines, build transmission lines and sell as much electricity as he can. I just don’t want him asking for government subsidies or tax breaks along the way. If he can deliver electricity from wind power more economically than coal, natural gas or nuclear power, he will be rewarded. I don’t want the government spending money subsidizing an industry which cannot sustain itself.

Nor do I want the government creating artificial demand for natural gas by mandating it be used for transportation. The price of natural gas has risen dramatically in recent years and we don’t need to artificially increase the demand for it by using it to fuel cars.

We’ve already seen how government interference in energy markets with ethanol mandates and ethanol subsidies has driven up the price of corn and other food crops.

In response to Mr. Pickens’s request for a plan, here is my plan. Let the market decide, and don’t allow special interests and the government to interfere. When electricity from wind is more economical than other sources, wind will win. Until then, I’d like to keep my electricity, fuel costs and taxes as low as possible.

Dan Agan
Houston

 

Mr. Pickens’s energy plan is incomplete without mention of California’s Altamont Pass Wind Farm. During its long lifetime it has killed some 100 eagles and about 1,000 other birds a year. It has been in violation of the Endangered Species Act but seems to enjoy freedom from enforcement. We are a nation of law. Mr. Pickens must address this issue in order to have a plan with meaning.

Frank Cotter
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.