Comment & Debate
“Pickens Plan Leaves U.S. Energy Security Blowing in the Wind”. Institute for Energy Research. 11 Jul. 2008 – “Unfortunately, energy consumers can’t tell the wind to blow more when they need more electricity. Typically, the winds blow most consistently in the morning when electricity demand is low, and less during the afternoon when electricity demand is high. The hottest days are the days without wind, leaving the peak load to be met by conventional energies. Reliable operation of the electricity grid requires generation that can be turned on and off the “flip of a switch.” Wind power cannot provide this flexibility.”