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Sunday, February 24, 2008
808 - Wyoming is a windy place
Back in February 2002 my son Michael and I filmed a TV commercial near the Medicine Bow wind farm next to I-80. My recollection is that I was almost blown over by the wind and we just could not isolate my voice without tremendous amounts of wind noise.
It was during my ill-conceived governor campaign and although a commercial promoting wind power seemed like a good idea, the ad never even ran.
Why? Wyoming had so much coal and natural gas at the time that wind was like a glimmer of hope designed for some time in the future.
My, how things have changed in six years.
Today no energy source is hotter than wind and like coal, natural gas, oil, uranium, and solar – well, Wyoming has abundance of this energy resource, too.
Of course it prompts the old joke that it is not really Wyoming blowing, but rather just that Nebraska sucks. Ouch.
A recent map showing Wyoming’s windiest places reveals a vertical corridor from Converse County south to Albany and Laramie Counties as one of the most consistently windy places in the state.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal referred to this map in his state of the state address and he encouraged the development of wind turbine power. But the key to that development is the ability to connect the generated electricity to the various national electricity grids so we can easily export this resource.
The map shows a vast area in blue (the color for the highest wind speeds) between Cheyenne and Douglas, which is no surprise to people trying to drive I-25 in that area. The windiest area appears to be about 30 miles west from I-25.
Big problem is the map also shows the location for existing power lines and there are no major power lines in that area, with possible exception of the Wheatland power plant. The one power line in that area are at capacity.
The governor’s advisor on energy is former Casper Star Tribune Publisher Rob Hurless. He says wind is an untapped resource but connecting the turbines to power lines is the biggest challenge in the future.
Thus where our winds blows the hardest, it apparently is difficult for entrepreneurs to find a place to connect the electricity generated and put in on a power line for shipment to California and other green places.
Other windy spots include Elk Mountain, Laramie, Rawlins, Wamsutter, South Pass, Wright, east of Evanston, north of Casper plus a myriad of other breezy places.
The state map looks like two halves when seen from the wind perspective.
It is almost like there is a diagonal line running from Big Piney in Sublette County northeast to Buffalo and then straight north of Sheridan. Most everything left of this line is not really suited for wind farms (although some Cody people might question that), while the areas to the right of the line show up in bright blues, reds, purples and pinks – all indicating good wind measurements.
Last weekend I endured some first hand experience with the wind during a trip from Lander to Cheyenne and on to Denver.
While driving on ice north of Douglas, I went by a pickup pulling a trailer when, oops, in my rear view mirror you could see that he had lost control in the wind and ice.
He drove into the median throwing up a huge rooster tail of snow. He then drifted into the oncoming lane where he went around twice and jack-knifed. Somehow he did not roll, lose his trailer or hit another vehicle. He restarted his pickup, pulled forward and I last saw him driving down the opposite lane with his right blinker on.
It could be assumed he was going to go pull off so he could change his pants.
On our way home, we opted to take I-25 and were glad we did because I-80 was cleaning up after that 10-car and truck pileup that closed the highway last Sunday afternoon.
It was caused by ground blizzards from the wind, of course.
In a column about Wyoming wind, it is difficult to not mention the hot winds blowing in the chambers of the legislature. Actually, it looks pretty calm compared to some past sessions.
Hope our leaders will deal with CO2 sequestration, though.
Former Legislator Doug Osborn of Buffalo thinks the current batch of legislators should be experts in dealing with CO2 sequestration since they manage to contain vast amounts of hot, polluting air every winter in the state capitol in Cheyenne.
He would know.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
807 Hawaii reminds of Wyoming
Just like Wyoming. Only warmer. Much warmer.
Our recent visit to the Big Island of Hawaii offered many similarities and a few differences.
Known by its Big Island nickname, Hawaii Island is larger than the other islands combined, when it comes to geographic size.
We are partial to this island for many reasons. Perhaps it is because its wide-open spaces mirror our home of Wyoming? Or that is has more cowboys here than any other island? Or maybe it is its high mountains, waterfalls and active volcanic features that also mirror Wyoming?
Did I mention it was warm?
It was minus 23 when we left home and 81 when we arrived – a 104-degree switch. Yes, it was heavenly. And although it was a shock to the body, it was a very pleasant shock.
I have always contended that those of us who live at high altitude, low humidity and cold temperatures need to get away for a week or two during our dark winter to visit warmer climes like the Big Island.
There is no question that our bodies respond positively (as do our heart and brain, too) to the change.
Highlight of our trip was visiting the home of the Paniolo (cowboys) on the Parker Ranch. Folks there are celebrating a yearlong celebration called Waiomina (Hawaiian for Wyoming). It recognizes a time back in 1908 when three Hawaiian cowboys won world’s championships at Cheyenne’s Frontier Days.
There is a massive bronze statute in downtown Waimea celebrating the roping championship won by Paniolo Ikua Purdy during that glorious time.
Special recognition is being given to the Paniolos all this centennial year both in Cheyenne and in Hawaii. Their accomplishments will also be given recognition at Frontier Days in July. This May, the Old West Museum will feature an exhibit that celebrates the Paniolo culture. It will run for two years.
We caught up with fellow Wyomingites Clay James and his wife Shay of Jackson. Shay grew up in Waimea so it was fun to visit that town with them as our guides. Clay was one of the original managers of the Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island and said he recalled playing in the snow in the mornings on the big mountains and splashing in the sea in the afternoon.
Our trip was arranged by the Big Island Visitor Bureau, which is capably headed by veteran George Applegate. We had worked with George before and he arranged a great itinerary for us as visiting journalists. A Wyoming buff in his own right, George has been hunting in our mountains in recent years.
Here are some other highlights on our trip:
Since we were on an island in the middle of the Pacific, well, we also took advantage of some sea-faring activities. Four of us teamed up to catch a 360-pound Blue Marlin out of Kona Harbor.
We have been on several whale watching trips before but none as exciting as the one put together by Red Sail where whales literally frolicked around and under our boat.
Some of Hawaii’s finest golf courses are the Four Seasons course at Hualalai and the two courses at Mauna Lani. Both offered wonderful ocean holes where humpback whales were truly a distraction.
A totally different kind of luau is called The Gathering of the Kings at the elegant Fairmont Orchid Resort. It was the best we had ever seen.
The Four Seasons hosted an event on the beach called the Sea, Sand and Stars Buffet, which occurs on Saturday nights there. Goldie Hawn was there the night before and we visited with veteran movie actress Lisa Jane Persky and her new husband music producer Andy Zax.
After deep sea fishing, I enjoyed a massage at the spa at the Sheraton Keauhou Resort, which also features outstanding dining at the Kai Restaurant. This hotel also offers one of the few examples of large Manta Rays coming in to feed at night.
The Hilton Waikoloa Village offers amazing swimming with the dolphins. This gigantic resort caters to families and uses a train and a series of canal boats to connect its three hotels to all the features there. Our meal at the Kamuela Provision Company was the best we had in two weeks on the island. Be sure to try the “Eight Bites” appetizer.
There are direct flights from the west coast to the Kona airport, which makes it very easy to get to from Denver or Salt Lake or Billings. For more information on the Big Island check their web site at www.bigisland.org.
Specific web sites for these attractions can be found at: www.fishkona.org, www.fourseasons.com/Hualalai, www.maunalani.com, www.fairmont.com/orchid/, www.sheratonkeauhou.com, www.hiltonhawaii.com, www.paniolopreservation.org and www.redsailhawaii.com.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008
806 Laws, aloha and letters
It is that time when the 90 men and women of the Wyoming legislature gather for their bi-annual budget session.
It kicks off with some receptions on Sunday (today) including a big one with the tourism industry plus the governor’s state of the state on Monday followed by the beginning of hard work.
It would seem that carbon dioxide sequestration, property tax relief and planning/zoning might be among the top non-budget items that might break through this session.
That CO2 development is the key to keeping the coal mines humming and the power plants working. It will also provide the impetus to get new coal-burning power plants back on the drawing board.
While legislators and observers (including me) are shivering, I have a confession to make. In a recent column it was mentioned about the Wyomingite who saw his outside temperature climb over a 100 degrees when he left minus 23 in Fremont County and arrived at 81-degree weather in the People’s Republic of Hawaii.
Well, darn it, that was me. And after two weeks in the sunny islands, it is now time to plow through the snow here in the Equality State.
Saw some interesting things on the islands. Wyoming legislators do not have to worry about real estate prices here. It is nice to see home prices still climbing in Wyoming. We played golf with a fellow from Ann Arbor, Michigan whose house has lost 30 percent of its value and still going down. He is as depressed as the market.
His house is on a lake and pretty nice. The houses on each side of him have been foreclosed on, he said.
Chatted with another fellow who was thinking of buying a condo on the west side of Hawaii’s Big Island. He said prices are coming down but he was dismayed by the property taxes and the $900 per month maintenance fee he would have to pay, though.
We were admiring the artwork by an artist in Kona, Hawaii, when he asked where we were from? I said we live near Yellowstone.
“I know where that is,” he said. He had lived for a year in Rock Springs and had married one of the Hruska girls from there, the family that owns the Ace Hardware there and used to own the Ace in Lander.
Had a nice chat about Wyoming and Hawaii and boomtowns, etc.
Been getting some letters and emails about recent columns. Here are some selected comments:
• In response to a column about new technology, someone sent me the following: “About a century ago Marconi took Sam Morse`s telegraph code and figured out how to send it wirelessly. Then Bell invented the telephone making telegraph, wireless or otherwise, all but obsolete. Now with texting we have taken a giant step backwards to the technology of Marconi.”
• On my column about planning, I heard the following from my friend Dave Kellogg: The ‘plan word,’ and even the more volatile ‘zone word’ are controversial. I reflect on the sign that used to be hanging in the B and B Lounge: Welcome to Wyoming, we don`t give a st how you did it back home!
“That, largely, is the attitude of many Wyoming residentsplanning and zoning laws are coming from the damn newcomers wanting to make things like back home and taking property rights away from the residents.
“I have mixed emotions about this, but by and large Wyoming is going to have to move into the real world of planning and zoning if for no other reason than self defense.”
• Another person wrote an opposite opinion. He said: “We have vast space in Wyoming with 98,000 square miles and 500,000 people. Why on earth would we push for cluster development?”
• On the subject of modern gadgets and how our young people text so much, our local flight instructor Andy Gramlich commented on the trend of young people to use their phones for watches. “I have found that since most teenagers don`t wear a watch our first cross country flight leaves them with no way to tell time off, time to check points or ETA. The phone (timepiece) is not available when it is in their pocket or in the car. “
• A few years ago all the legislators were bought laptops. If futurist Jeff Wacker is right about the future, they soon will be provided special phones. He calls his phone a:
“Communicator/assistant/advocate/protector/coach/medic/concierge/payment/entertainment/recorder/teacher/camera/interface/authentication device (to name a few). He shortens all that by calling it the ME device, meaning “mobile everything.”
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Saturday, February 2, 2008
805 It`s electricity, stupid!
November’s general election campaign could very well see a Democrat ticket of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, which could mean we elect our first woman or African American president
This semi-bold prediction is being made in the few days preceding Super Tuesday when a huge number of delegates will be committed to the ultimate candidates of each party.
As we look forward to possibly another Clinton campaign, it is good to recall the James Carville mantra that propelled Bill Clinton into office. “It’s the economy, stupid!” was their motto.
I think there is a modern twist to this slogan that needs some attention such as: “It’s electricity, stupid!”
If the Democrats win the general election, the nation will aggressively adopt Al Gore’s green revolution. Most folks think this would be good for the country and the world.
In a shortsighted, parochial sense, it is fair to ask would it be good for Wyoming?
During the coming age of electrical power brownouts and power blackouts the people of this country will at times think they have slipped back into the third world.
Try to imagine living in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, New York City or Los Angeles in August with no air conditioning?
That is what will be coming if we elect a president who subsequently shuts down coal-fired power plant development.
It is easy to be in favor of cleaning our air, eliminating pollution and trying to stop global warming. But shutting down the growth of our power grid will make whoever is the president during this time a one-termer.
The facts are Americans are power gluttons and the power needs of this country are growing exponentially while the ability to generate electricity is diminishing.
Wind farms are truly a big non-polluting answer but you cannot build them fast enough. One industry spokesman said it takes 10,000-wind turbines to replace one moderately sized coal fired plant.
The USA needs to build power plants not shutter them, to keep pace with the almost unquenchable demand.
One big solution is clean coal. Another is CO2 sequestration. In both cases, Wyoming offers the country abundance opportunities for success. We have the coal and we have the clean plants on the drawing board. And we have ways to capture CO2 so it does not go into the atmosphere.
What this country will not be able to do is build new nuclear plants on a schedule that many big utilities are assuming is workable. The seven coal-fired plants scheduled to be built in Texas, which were scrapped will cause Lone Star State people to literally boil in their offices by the summer of 2012. This will happen because of regulatory problems and the subsequent delays, which will bog down nuclear plants. They do not have the ability to get the parts to get them built on time.
It will not be pretty in Texas. But let’s talk some more about politics.
If Hillary is elected, she is the consummate politician. Her roots truly favor conservation as a way to save the world from global warming. Sounds good but will citizens buy into it?
As she embraces this concept and puts the same power grid delays into effect that her husband did from 1992-2000, well, it will be a disaster. No president will be excoriated as much by the people since Herbert Hoover was booted out of office in 1932 for being president when the depression hit.
Barack Obama is on a roll. But he is getting set up. Right now he is the darling of the national press and comparisons to John Kennedy are being made. But wait till the Right Wing machine attacks him along with the mainstream press. He will be picked clean in the next month or so.
Of course, the man who might very well be our next president is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
He could seriously launch the most successful third party candidacy in our history.
If he is not elected president, his campaign will tip the balance in the final race and would probably elect Hillary the first woman president in our history.
And as a resident of the Equality State, the idea of a woman president appeals to me.
I have heard Hillary speak and spent time in her presence. She was impressive. Until you have been around her, never write her off.
But good for Wyoming? Not so fast.
And so it goes. Whether you agree with this scenario or not, American people hopefully will support the presidential candidate who could keep the economy humming and that means keeping the power on.
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