The Power of Wind

Have you noticed that the folks who advocate ending our dependence on foreign oil call for unfettered drilling and more nuclear power? The truth is that less than 2 percent of our electricity comes from oil.

More nuclear power will do nothing to end our reliance on foreign oil. Unfortunately, the nuclear lobbyists want us stupid.

A few weeks back, a wind farm generating 2,000 megawatts of power went online out west. That's the equivalent of two Seabrook Station nuke plants. It was put up within the space of a couple of years at a fraction of the cost, and there is no worry about what to do with the waste.

But wait. T. Boone Pickens, one of the richest men in the world and a diehard Republican, has signaled his intentions to build a 4,000-megawatt wind project. That would deliver as much power as four Seabrook Stations. When that much money and business acumen go to build sustainable energy projects, it grabs my attention.

Oh, and one more thing. The wind farm does not have to shut down for a few weeks every year for routine maintenance.

Paul Stillwell
Concord

YOU read this week by host Arnie Arnesen