South Dakota’s version of modern wind technology
I think these two paragraphs say it all;
South Dakota ranked 50th among states and the District of Columbia, registering about 6,600 of the 2.7 million jobs in the “clean economy,” according to the Brooking Institution’s “Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment.” Only Wyoming had fewer such jobs.
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According to information from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, South Dakota has a greater wind potential than 92 percent of the nation, with only three states with the capability to produce more wind: North Dakota, Texas and Kansas.
Hmmmm? So let me get this straight, we rank 4th in the nation for potential wind energy but rank 50th for taking advantage of that energy? What did God say about the flooding? Keep electing the same old regime South Dakota, and you keep getting the same results, last place, everytime.
I’ve talked with several entrepreneurial types around town.
Not a big enough return on investment. Profitable? yes. Just not profitable enough. It is the story of 21st century capitalism. Outsized profits to feed outsized egos.
yeah, but they’re against abortion so there!!!
Like he said above, not enough money in abortion.
Well, we’re actually always seemingly first in categories that have to do with the POTENTIAL for developing opportunities. Conversely I guess, that means we are always last in taking advantage of our opportunities. And THAT attitiude – resistance to change – any change – is what really dominates SD culture. The Falls, as an exampole of the underlaying geology of the whole Prairie Coteau are a perfect natural analogy. Even the Glaciation of the Ice Age couldn’t go there.
Drive just a few miles east on I-90 into Minnesota. The landscape is filled with them. Pipestone County alone has well over 200 wind turbines. Each turbine produces about 2,000,000 kilowatt hours (kwh) per year, enough energy to power as many as 500 typical homes at 12,000 kwh per year. That’s about 100,000 homes, just from wind power in Pipestone county.
I doubt we’ll ever see that kind of commitment to wind energy, not as long as John Thune is in the pockets of the railroads that bring us our dirty coal to power our plants. But then, who knows, maybe Johnny Ironic Thune and his railroad buddies can figure out a way to haul wind.
Too bad Gary Hanson does not come here that often. I think he could give us some insight on WHY we are lagging in wind turbines. Maybe someone should fire him off an e-mail about it. I think he might be willing to talk about it.