Before we get too far down this road, I should probably clarify something.
The URL for this blog is landgrabs.blogspot.com. I suppose the term "landgrabs" could be construed as fairly inflammatory (I assure you that it isn't inflammatory enough for some folks). We can debate until we are blue in the face about the the ultimate value of wind energy in our state, our country and the world. Frankly, I'm content to let history decide whether or not it is a viable way to improve generation capacity to meet our growing energy demands. In and of itself, it's pretty cool and fairly intuitive. The wind blows hard enough, in some places, to generate electricity. But that is only one aspect.
There is plenty of wind in West Texas. There are plenty of people in the large urban areas who want to keep their homes cool and their pools running. For the longest time, those two things had almost nothing to do with each other. That's where "landgrabs" comes into play. I'll write a lot on wind energy and how the state and federal legislatures have taken great measures to incentivize and incubate the industry. I'll muse on green energy and how municipalities and utilities are feeling increasing popular demand that they include it in their portfolios. But I will spend the most time addressing the issue of the people in the middle -- those landowners, large and small, in between who are being saddled with the burden of connecting the grid (and in too many cases, disproportionately so). This is not to say that wind energy is, therefore, a bad thing. It's not. It's just a complex issue.
Again, welcome. I hope you will follow along and engage in the discussion. In the coming days and weeks I'll link to articles and sites I think will add depth to the discourse.
Now, go have a great Saturday!
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