25
Anne Mostue, “Discontent of Mars Hill Residents Leads to Lawsuit Against First Wind,” Maine Public Broadcasting Network, August 7, 2009,
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/8549/Default.aspx
. Pennsylvania litigation information obtained from Brad Tupi, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer representing clients who are suing. Tupi was interviewed by phone on Feb 23, 2010. NZ litigation in ABC news item, February 19, 2010,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/19/2825235.htm
.
32
A 2008 report by the Department of Energy estimated that an aggressive effort to have wind energy provide one-fifth of U. S. electricity needs by 2030 would “displace 50% of electricity generated from natural gas and 18% of that generated from coal.” DOE Study on 20% Wind, 2008, 16,
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/pdfs/41869.pdf
.
37
Rebecca Smith, “The New Nukes,”
Wall Street Journal
, September 8, 2009, 3,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204409904574350342705855178.html
. Wind figure is for Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm in the UK. Estimated cost is 1 billion British Pounds. In mid-September 2009, that was equal to about $1.7 billion. See “Onshore Construction Begins for Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm,”
NewEnergyFocus.com
, September 7, 2009,
http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2978§ion=Wind
.
40
American Wind Energy Association, “US Wind Industry Reports Slowest Quarter Since 2007, As China Installs Three Times As Much Wind-Powered Electricity,” October 29, 2010,
http://www.awea.org/rn_release_10
â29â10.cfm.
42
Associated Press, “New Deposits Mean Natural Gas Should Be Cheap for Decades,” October 25, 2010.
48
For more on this, see my book
Gusher of Lies
, 184â185.
GLOSSARY
Barrel of oil: A common measure of energy that is equal to 42 gallons of crude, 5.8 million Btu, or 5.8 gigajoules. In power terms, production of 1 barrel of oil per day is equal to about 30 horsepower, or 22,150 watts.
Btu: British Thermal Unit, a unit of energy christened in 1849 by James Prescott Joule, who, like James Watt, later had a unit of energy named for him. One Btu is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temperature at which water has its greatest density (39 degrees Fahrenheit). Put another way, 1 Btu is approximately equal to the energy released in the burning of a wooden match. Also, 1 Btu = 1.055 kilojoules.
Energy: The ability to do work; also, a quantity or volume of fuel. A kilowatt-hour is a measure of energy.
Energy density: The amount of energy that can be contained in a given unit of volume, area, or mass. Common energy density metrics include Btu per gallon and joules per kilogram.
Horsepower (hp): A unit of power coined by inventor James Watt, who deemed that 1 horsepower was equal to 33,000 foot-pounds per minute. A more modern definition: 1 horsepower = 746 watts. Car engine power ratings are often listed in both watts and horsepower.
Joule (J): A unit of energy, whereby 1 joule = 1 watt-second; the energy exerted by the force of 1 newton acting to move an object 1 meter. Depending on the amount of energy, one can use millijoules, kilojoules, megajoules, and so on, as with any SI unit.
Power: The rate at which work gets done; a measure of energy flow. Power = energy/time. A kilowatt is a measure of power.
Power density: The amount of power that can be harnessed in a given unit of volume, area, or mass. Examples of power density metrics include: horsepower per cubic inch, watts per square meter, and watts per kilogram. When comparing renewable energy sources to other sources, the most telling metric is perhaps watts per square meter.
Quad: A unit used in the United States to measure large quantities of energy. A quad is 1 quadrillion (10
15
) Btu. Annual U.S. energy use totals about 100 quads, or 100 exajoules (EJ). In 2006, global energy use was about 472 quads (472 EJ).
For reference, 1 quad is approximately equal to 172 million barrels of oil equivalent, or 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or 1 exajoule (EJ).
Ton of oil: A common measure of energy equal to 7.33 barrels of oil. A ton of oil is equal to approximately 40 million Btu, 42 gigajoules (GJ), or 12 megawatt-hours of electricity.
W
att (
W
): A unit of power. Car engine power ratings are often listed in both watts and horsepower. By definition, 1 watt = 1 joule per second. Depending on the amount of power, one can use milliwatts, kilowatts, megawatts, and so on, as with any SI unit.
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