Cape Wind, off-shore, and the intermittency challenge

[Richard Kerver]

First, Cape Wind is about to break sea-bed.  There's one slight last delay as the DOE does final impact reviews (see my message Tell the Department of Energy: We Want Cape Wind Now!)  But that's because Cape Wind is the first off-shore wind farm in US coastal waters and they want to get it absolutely right.  They should.  Big oil, coal & natural gas are waging a civil war via ALEC on renewable power (see more on this at the OccupyToSustain.org ALEC thread).  So the DOE is making sure there are no future challenges to progress on off-shore wind, by making sure they get it right the first go.  Then there will be streamlined permitting. 

Second, the European community has proven there is no intermittency on the grid if there's an adequate portfolio including hydro, solar, wind, tidal and geothermal.  Its portfolio management.  Also smartgrid technology.  And HVDC. All these are ready-to-go technologies.  Its deployment on a large scale that we need.  But yes, some energy storage to deal with peak demand.  Our own A123 (now Wanxiang) has a large stake in grid level battery backup, for instance.

Because the Obama administration, the DOE, and state governments with RPS's (most) are getting it all right, the fossil fuel ALEC consortium has begun to wage a major civil war.  They can't win.  That's why I'll be showing up Exxon/Mobil's annual shareholder meeting in Dallas May 29th - to demand they stop their participation in ALEC.  Feel free to join me.  Best.