Monday, August 04, 2008

Questions for T. Boone Pickens on Larry King Live - 9pm tonight, Monday

DATE: Monday, August 04, 2008

TO: T. Boone Pickens - Larry King Live guest at 9pm, tonight

SUBJECT: Industrial Wind development in the United States

FROM: Jim Sawicki

jim@flmm.net
Canandaigua, NY

Dear Mr. Pickens -

1) Please explain how industrial wind power will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

2) Please explain how industrial wind power will significantly reduce CO2 emissions if coal and gas-fired plants must remain online due to wind's unpredictable, unreliable nature.

3) What are your thoughts on all the proposed United States industrial wind development outside the Texas to Canada corridor, especially the Northeast?

4) Concerning health and safety issues, what are your minimum setback recommendations? What recourse do landowners have if noise levels, including subsonic vibrations cause health problems? How will you ensure that stray electricity does no harm to humans or livestock? What is your plan to protect nearby homes and businesses from increased lightning strikes due to the incredible height of the industrial turbines?

5) What is your backup plan for electricity generation when the wind does not blow?

6) How will people close to these industrial machines be compensated when their property values fall and the quality of a quiet and scenic rural life they chose is compromised?

7) In your plan, you mention constructing a 4000MW facility. Is it correct to assume this 4000MW figure is RATED CAPACITY or NAMEPLATE CAPACITY? If so, what are true net projections for actual electricity generation of your development? In your "corridor", do you expect to achieve ratings higher than the typical very poor averages of only 20% to 30% of rated capacity?

8) Do you now live or plan to live within close proximity of industrial wind turbines? If so, how close? If not, why?

9) What are your plans for geothermal?

Thank you, for your time.

Respectfully submitted,
Jim Sawicki

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