advertisement
Looking for something on the site? Search for it here! Also see Clark's Greatest Hits

Apr 04, 2008 -- European wind power has lessons for America

Did you know that Denmark generates so much wind power that they've begun selling the excess current to other nearby nations? So what does that mean to you and me in the United States? The World Wind Energy Association reports that the U.S. has the second greatest installed base for wind power. In fact, we have 5 times more of the capacity to generate wind power than Denmark. We're just in the early innings of capturing this new energy that will help us reduce our reliance on dirty coal. Clark thinks wind, nuclear and solar energies are all great options going forward.

Meanwhile, the Danes also have another initiative in the works that Clark is excited about. Electricity use drops drastically at night as most people go to sleep. So Denmark is planning to put pollution-free electric cars on the road that will be charged at night for free with the country's excess wind power. If this is what little Denmark is doing, just think what our country can do it we all put our minds to it. We can't be just sit back and be victims of the high price of foreign oil. Clark hopes the next president makes this issue a big deal, instead of just talking about energy independence. In fact, we don't have to have a 100% solution to imported oil; even reducing our demand by 10% with alternative fuels would change the balance of power with those OPEC nations who want to harm us.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

Avg. rating: N/A

What others are saying

  • AMERICAN GOV. WANTS FUEL TAXES
    yes it is pure government greed, that is why us has no fuel alternatives. i sat in line in 1970 for hours to get gas, i finally did some reasearch, $4.00 gas, feds get $2.00 of this in taxes. i should have known....PURE GOV. GREED.
  • Bern: exactly. As JFK said, we need to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Wind/Solar/Alternative energy research has the potential to drive the American economy for to the next boom, but unless we shift our energy paradigm away from the fossil fuels (which include oil, coal, and natural gas) other countries will take advantage of this (hopefully temporary) dearth of science education and become the economic superpowers for this next century.
  • Wind Power and the Danes use of electricity...
    ...US could do this, but it's going to take years due to GREED! Why else would the Detroit-based automakers continue to put out Suburbans, crossover SUV's, etc that still only get 17 mpg. Why does it cost so much to have photovoltaic roofing; why don't the utility companies encourage low emission options-----GREED! I pray I'm wrong, but my income has been stable since 2002, literally, can't save, can't eat, but I have to keep going.
  • Good Thought, BUT...
    If you examine much of what's published, it's hard to know what information is correct. And I'm an alternative energy proponent, just like Clark (drove a Prius and loved it for 2 years), but I've read repeatedly that solar and wind are not the answer. Take a look at Ethanol--dumb idea that takes 4 times the energy it produces to refine it! Now, look at the price of groceries from that fallout!

    We've got to be smart and obtain the correct info and act on it using common sense.

    Best solution I've heard so far: Offer $100,000,000 to the first person producing a working fuel cell...

    We're on a collision course with destiny, otherwise!
  • Good Thought, BUT...
    If you examine much of what's published, it's hard to know what information is correct. And I'm an alternative energy proponent, just like Clark (drove a Prius and loved it for 2 years), but I've read repeatedly that solar and wind are not the answer. Take a look at Ethanol--dumb idea that takes 4 times the energy it produces to refine it! Now, look at the price of groceries from that fallout!

    We've got to be smart and obtain the correct info and act on it using common sense.

    Best solution I've heard so far: Offer $100,000,000 to the first person producing a working fuel cell...

    We're on a collision course with destiny, otherwise!
  • Wind and Alternative Power
    Big oils' influence and control of the political system of this country is too great to allow the competition of alternative forms of energy to establish themslves in the U.S. The power elite like it the way the system is working for them at the present time.
  • Wind Power
    If only we could salvage all of the hot air coming from the candidates now, we could sell it to Canada and Mexico and still have enough to cut our bills in half!
  • Wind Turbines
    Insustrial wind facilities produce very little power at a very high price. Clark is smart enough to see through this tax extraction scam - all he needs to do is run the numbers. How many of the giant towers would we have to erect to make a difference? And how much would it cost? Europe is backing off from building wind plants due to the erratic nature of the wind and the cost to the governments and to the environment. Look it up!
  • energy
    We put a man on the moon in 8-9 yrs. We could easily could cut OPEC oil by 50% if we as a nation put our minds to it. Keep up the good information.
  • Wind Power Equals Bird Deaths
    Wind turbines kill thousands likely tens of thousands of birds especially raptors, which can't account for the slow turning blades. The design needs to be changed to better protect wildlife. I believe this is an important energy source but some thought needs to be put into the design. I still don't understand why they don't spin in the horizontal using large "sails" that are like wings of a plane stood on end. Some idiot wanted to put these turbines along the Kittatiny Ridge back home in PA near Hawk Mountain along the major raptor flyway, can you say slaughter? We stopped that one thankfully. Redesign them how hard can that be, you can't tell me they have to look like giant propellers to work.
send to a friend  view as printer-friendly  RSS feeds
advertisement
THIS WEEK'S POLL
advertisement
advertisement