This is the lead part from an article called "Wind Turbines and Trains" that I recently did. Here is the intro:

Last night I heard I was getting a ten minute slot on WNJC 1360 AM, a Progressive radio station out of Philadelphia. I guess I did OK, because the host, Rob Kall, editor at OpEd News kept me talking for half an hour.

I'm a good enough speaker on agriculture, energy, and economy that I'd like to do more of this, but I'm not sure how to get started. Are there any other outlets, either Progressive or Conservative, that might be willing to have me?

Last week I attended a meeting that was a public forum about a proposed petroleum coke to methane facility perched on the coast of Lake Erie. This system would consume about 6,000 tons/day of pet coke (95% carbon, 5% sulfur), a waste by-product of refining crude oil, where the fuel oil/asphalt component is fried into carbon to squeeze more valuable products from the stuff that would otherwise be used to make roads or heat industrial processes. Actually, pet coke has a higher carbon content than coal, but they are both fossil fuels.

As of the beginning of November, 2008 there are some big happenings in the world, ones which will affect the wind industry on many dimensions. One was the tricky and crafty inclusion of the renewable energy incentives (MACRS, PTC, REPI, CREBs, etc) into the $700 Billion Big Bank Bailout package in October of this year. While the incentives are only extended one year (drop dead date now is midnight, December 31 2009 instead of 2008) it is certainly better than not having them at all. There is good reason to believe that these will be extended several years past the end of 2009.

Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, October 24, 2008

Sometimes, the wind doesn't blow. Sometimes, the sun doesn't shine.

That's why engineers who understand the country's power needs say wind and solar can't make significant gains without some form of back up storage.

BY ELIZABETH AHLIN, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER Oct 16, 2008
HAMBURG, Iowa - The sight of 40-ton blades turning in the wind means different things to different people. To some, wind farms are a boon for rural economic development. For others, they are a sign of hope for renewable energy. And, as area farmers are finding out, they can mean thousands of dollars in the pockets of rural landowners each year.

But, experts say, read the fine print. Under some contracts with wind developers - contracts ranging from 30 to 180 years - rural lands could be affected for generations to come.

The Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND) is a partnership with federal, state, and local governments, community colleges, universities, the private sector, and associations. It is a state-wide effort to support the development of wind energy in Iowa through interaction among all the entities involved as well as through facilitation of the research and training needs of wind energy companies. The Iowa University College of Engineering is a leader in the formation of this organization.

Well now ... looks like we're all over the Sci-Tech section at The Cutting Edge News.

http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=817&pageid=28&pagena...

Not much more to say than this, but it was nice to be invited to write the article.

Here is an old article I stumbled upon that I wrote a few years ago, back when oil was only $40/bbl or so. But it was on a fall day when renewables hadn't got all the attention that high oil and natural gas prices bring into focus, "way" back in 2005. It is not too dated.... It's about how you can use wind power to make liquid fuels that would make a Harley ride fast. They may get up to 60 mpg, but no gallons, no going anywhere.....

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/19/104854/26