Kansas has great potential to export wind energy

Kansas has the potential to produce 19 gigawatts of wind-generated electricity, according to a recent Forbes article.

The problem is what to do with all the electricity?

To export it to states to the East would require massive investment in grid and delivery infrastructure.

At the current cost of building wind generators, the projects are prohibitive. However, if the cap on carbon emissions goes through, or some other federal assistance comes on line, this could become a reality.

The Forbes article is based on a report from the American Council on Renewable Energy. It says the Kansas economy could reap benefits of $400 million per year by 2018 and $800 million to $900 million annually from 2020 to 2030.

However, the council says that wind energy investments have been slow in coming to Kansas after the state agreed not to build wind towers in the picturesque Flint Hills. The power industry has come away with the impression that Kansas is "anti-wind."

As a stubborn Missourian living in Kansas, I would like to see at least something positive come out of this state, so here's hoping that the Kansas wind generation industry can take off.

Global warming, they hardly knew you

Or did they?

For years the Global Climate Coalition spent billions to debunk scientific claims about global warming. Read about it here.

The coalition, which was funded by the fossil fuels industry, was disbanded in 2002, but its legacy remains. It was able to cause enough doubt to delay serious efforts toward understanding and addressing climate change.

Personally, I think global warming is the wrong term to use. While the Earth may be getting warmer on average, not all places are. Most places, however, are seeing changes in their climate patterns. This has impacts on the ability of humanity to feed itself, and for the natural ecosystem to remain in balance. Climate change is the term that should be used going forward.

If not for the Global Climate Coalition, and the many media outlets that seized on its messaging, we may have been able to begin adopting more renewable energy sources years earlier. Doing so would have put the U.S. in a position to better take advantage of the global economic revolution that is happening, with nations and companies spending billions and billions on energy saving technologies.

Domo-ori-gato, Mr. Tomato

Trends via TrendHunter.com.

Here's a video of a Japanese exoskeleton that is made to help elderly rural farmers continue on in the task of growing and harvesting vegetables and whatnot.

It looks strange, but I'm all for anything that helps people maintain self-sufficiency, even when their body no longer is able to naturally do so on its own.

I do wonder about the net impact of such a device. Does the cost to purchase, maintain and power a device like this far exceed the amount gained by growing your own veggies?

Electricity goes viral

An MIT team has found a way to use a virus to build batteries. The virus, M13 bacteriophage, is attracted to inorganic materials, making it fairly unique among viruses.

The virus is coated with gold and cobalt oxide to transform it into a piece of nanowire. When the viruses are encouraged to grow into a chain, they form a film that carries a negative ionic charge.

The advantage to this kind of battery making is that it eliminates harmful solvents that are used to make traditional batteries.

This is a pretty cool advance, and I wish the MIT team well.

One always has to wonder about the unintended consequences of new technologies, however. What happens when a battery containing a virus is discarded? After the battery's shell breaks down, can the virus escape and take on all the inorganic material in the landfill as a host? Could it mutate?

Yes, I watch too many sci-fi movies.

Self-cleaning solar cells

One of the issues with traditional solar panels is that, in order to maintain maximum efficiency, they need to be cleaned to remove dust and other buildup.

A new three-dimensional design of solar cells promises to be somewhat self-cleaning.

Bumps and peaks on the photovoltaic surface help wisk away water, carrying with it dust and dirt.

The new innovation comes from the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Read more here.

Obama Girl, here to get our energy up

Obama Girl has a new youtube video about saving energy and recycling. It's part of a promotion for America's Greenest Campus.

Renewable energy, I believe we're in Kansas now

The wind-swept plains of Kansas are ideal for wind and solar energy production, and the state will now get a chance to play on a level field against other states that are adding incentives for renewable energy investments.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius recently put her signature on the Kansas Economic Revitalization and Reinvestment Act, according to Kansascity.com.

"To recover from this economic recession, we must look to new industries and new opportunities. Renewable energy companies are a perfect fit for Kansas as we’re the third best state in the nation for wind energy and we have a trained and able workforce,” Sebelius was quoted at the Web site. “Kansas wind can provide the energy we need and create sustainable jobs right here at home.”

To receive funding under the plan, a project must:

• relate to the research, development, engineering or manufacturing of a business component or product for either the wind or solar energy industries.
• require at least a $30 million proposed investment in Kansas.
• within five years, employ a minimum of 200 full-time employees at an average salary of at least $32,500.

Those are pretty heady requirements for public aid, but it's good that Kansas is thinking big-picture.