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William Ellard's Comments Stream Stats
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A New Use for Solar Energy - Highway Right of Way
Aalan;
The wildlife slant in this issue was two fold. One is the idea of not disturbing public lands for new solar energy development, and the other idea is that if we spend the money for the structures of solar highway projects, we could easily augment with other wildlife barriers to help eliminate wildlife/car collisions.
Bob;
The theft issue was the first negative I thought of also. These ROW systems would need be large enough so that theft could not be easy even in a large commercial vehicle. Also we could install RF devices like the home prisoners have on their ankles.....
To all;
My numbers about current capacity, actual eclectic produced, and solar potential along US highways, etc. are all HUGE ballpark type numbers. I did not intend as a scientific analysis. I have not found any hard core estimates on all the managed ROW on all our highways so if anyone has a link. please post. I just wanted some numbers for a starting point of discussion.
GM;
The actual non-subsidized cost of pulv. coal power in much higher than 4-5 c. Also the distribution cost of pushing electrons for these large coal plants is a big cost. The maintenance on these plants is huge, as will cap n trade pollution taxation, etc..Once you make coal plants clean - no NOX, SOx or Mercury emmisions, then the cost doubles.
My residential daytime electric rate is .10 kWh, and I live in a cheap, mainly coal area. the US average is .16 cents. Current non-Si solar can compete with these numbers.
My U.S. Infrastructure and Employment Plan
Derryl:
Thanks for your thoughts. The above is not correct - it is hard to give my full view in a small article. Here is more of my tax shift from my article I wrote for seekingalpha on the Pickens plan:
"To offset the regressive nature of consumption taxes, the US could change the wage tax structure. Currently, low income earners pay 15.3% SS wage tax, and since the tax stops at around 100K, high wage earners pay a much smaller %. A new structure could be the first 12K of w-2 with a zero SS tax rate, then 15% up to 150K of w-2 income. With the above consumption tax revenue, the income tax rates could be lower at all levels."
I also am not in favor of a carbon tax - but a tax on NOx, SOx, and mercury. Here is an article about the REAL cost to us citizens from pollution:
"The study, which examined the costs of air pollution in two areas with the worst levels in the country, also said meeting federal ozone and fine particulate standards could save $28 billion annually in health care costs, school absences, missed work and lost income potential from premature deaths."
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20...
My U.S. Infrastructure and Employment Plan
Thanks for the input. I also see the fast recharge electric engine as better than NG engines. NG would be the 10 year bridge to auto battery technology. The well to wheel efficiency is the best with electric.
Many others have seen solar, and wind as too expensive. This is not true. CSP(thermal) and new thin film CIGS solar technology are now at grid parity. Do your own due diligence, but this in not science fiction - but science fact.
Go to the NREL's web site to see some of the new technologies being developed as we speak. Also once we have cap n trade or pollution taxation - solar and wind will be the cheapest sources of grid electricity.
This plan is just a starting point for discussion. Many variations exist. These infra projects can only be done by the government. When it comes to the public good, or negative externalities - only the US can come in and help create free efficient markets.
Let keep the dialog going - send this plan or your version of an infrastructure plan to Obama's economic team. Ideas from the ground up seem to be the most powerful!
Global Capital Asset Death Spiral
Thanks for the input. The fed's short term rate of 1%, lead to very low savings/fixed income rates - which lead to the extra demand for SIV's. Also mort rates of 5%, and more importantly, HELOC rates of 3-4%.
I agree China's Yuan was fixed too low, but this has benefits to the US also in lower inflation. I agree with you that China must float the yuan in free markets - they are big boys and girls now - no need to manipulate.
I fully think the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy also had a hand in the over use of SIV's as described in my article. One can plot the tax cut cash benefits and the amount of CMO type investments and mortgage volume. My opinion is that tax cut should be broad, and focused on the segment that will spend these extra dollars, not put those dollars into SIV's!
Dave;
Thanks for the input. I did not know those specifics on AIG, but I do feel if the US investment fund is created, AIG's stock will soar. I also have seen the change in the housing market over the past 15 years.
Today everyone feels they need to own a home right out of high school! There is nothing wrong with renting for 5 or 10 years, then putting 10% down and buying....
Jeff;
I like equities right now - great valuations. I am not "the sky is falling" perma-bear. I am just sick of seeing our government using all these backdoor methods and bailouts to try and solve the CADS.
The US needs to invest in our financial system and help everyday citizens, not bail out all the super rich counterparties of bear sterns, freddie mac, CFC etc.....
Global Capital Asset Death Spiral
Just the facts.
My idea is that the asset owner(home owner), should be allowed to value the asset using a cash flow model. In the above 250K home selling for 20K, one more data point is in that area the new rents for these homes is 2,000 per month.
Now using the PV of future cash flows the home would be worth more than 200K. This is the same as the cash flow example I provided from ACAS......
Global Capital Asset Death Spiral
"[A]t the end of the first quarter of 2008, the Company held an investment in a commercial real estate collateralized debt obligation (CRE CDO) which had been depreciated $209 million from its inception to date, including $160 million in the first quarter of 2008. The investment is currently producing approximately $8 million per quarter of cash flow but its current fair value determined in accordance with GAAP is $11 million due to a lack of liquidity in the financial markets for CDO investments which has caused investment spreads to widen. However, the Company anticipates realizing its $220 million investment on settlement or maturity based on its assumptions of future credit losses, which includes a recession over the life of the investment.
via ACAS' Form 10-Q filed May 6, 2008."
Global Capital Asset Death Spiral
Fasb 157 was created in part because firms such as Enron. The gov't can't stop fraud with new regulations IMHO. My article was not blaming the theory of mark to market, just its apparent inflexibility. If some markets have ZERO bids - then what is the real value?
If your home is worth around 250K, but the person next door goes bankrupt, and the home goes into foreclosure and sells for 20K - does that mean the new value of your home is now 20K?
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
"T. Boone has been pushing is diesel derived from NG" I don't think this is the case - and again I do not wish to pick the winner - let the market work.
Some in the US are paying less than $1 a gallon for NG, not diesel from NG......
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
20 years ago I spent a month in the flattop mtn - great trout fishin. I am sorry about the range issue - I did not understand the query.
Go to the Tesla web site - I think the range is over 250-300 per charge, and that is for a high performance rig.
You could have an truck and bring with you a thin film solar system and charge up in the backcountry!
Also we could have bio-diesel - I use bio-diesel right now in my Golf tdi and get 50 mpg.
Any diesel vehicle could run bio-diesel, but if these vehicles were designed and manufactures for bio-diesel - they would work even better.
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
Brahm;
I do not understand what you are talking about - no one is talking about NG to diesel conversion? Also if you read the article, I am not proposing the NEW alternative to oil based engines - my view is let energy efficiencies and real free markets(include all cost - pollution) decide the winners.....
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
Thanks for you thoughts. The move from income taxation to consumption taxation will increase productivity and the economy. Income taxes are a disincentive to create wealth, and an incentive to cheat......
Also these energy taxes will create a huge amount of high paying jobs. Venture capital firms have the money - but will not fund alternatives yet. - This money - 100's of billions is waiting for a comprehensive plan that will allow renewables to compete on a level playing field.
Just changing out the service station to have NG, and fast charge electric would be a huge boost to the economy.
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
They will support paying $200 bucks more in gas a month, if they get 300 bucks more a month in take home pay. That is what my tax plan is all about.
You are correct - the fear mongers will just scream about the high gas prices.....we need to combat this.
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
Hick;
Fast charge electric devices have been around for years. Service stations could be fitted with such devices. How long will you have to wait for a complete charge? I do not know 10 minutes? - but I know how greed works in our economy - this would be a huge infrastructure change with 50-100 billion dollars at stake - it will get done!
And remember, we currently spend 700 billion buying oil from other countries!
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
Hi Riley;
I fully agree. Let economics pick the winners. But you need to add back in the cost of pollution to those energy sources that pollute - well to wheel.
If you don't add in the pollution costs, then the markets are not fair or free markets. Wind, solar, geothermal, CTL, bio fuels, natural gas, electric engines - are all economically disadvantaged because the polluting sources - Oil, coal - are basically subsidized since they don't pay for the pollution they produce......
Implementing Pickens' Plan for Public Energy Policy
Thanks for your comments. Please read my article again - I am proposing at tax decrease for workers. Increase in pollution/gas taxes, with an even bigger increase in take home w-2 pay with the change to the SS tax, and all income taxes lower.
This shift from income taxes to consumption taxes has about a 20% gain since we will be taxing the underground economy, and not honest taxpayers.....
Currently the use of gasoline creates an enormous amount of pollution in the US - and many health problems for individuals, and our water and air. Check out the US health care cost just associated with air pollution. Then you will see these REAL costs have never been incorporated into the price of the polluting products.
This is the concept of negative externalities:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...