Letter to the Editor – Skip Ruedeman – Politics & Energy

Letter to the Editor

Holy Cow! Have we lost view of common sense? Wouldn’t it be comforting if the politicians would think before they said something? Why would I expect that after listening to these folks for almost two years that they would say something that would make sense.

Does wind energy make sense? It could, but at this time it’s not economical. Why, you ask? We have three wind towers East of town that budgeted $125,000 for maintenance per year, OK! Now ask me how much power they produce. All three turbines produce between $49,000 and $51,000 annually. This of course does not compute to the cost of the equipment. And how long will it take to pay this off? Oh that’s alright, the government has given them tax credits. Then why is Vestes, (they manufacture wind turbines in Pueblo) laying off employees? Oh, it’s the economy. You figure it out.

Solar. I did hear that the Museum of Natural History in Denver was to cover their roof in solar panels to save on electricity until they figured out the cost of the system and decided that it wouldn’t be too beneficial since it was going to take 90, yes ninety, years to get their money back.

We have been using coal for hundreds of years. Do you think there could be a mothball fleet of wind turbines in Tucson? You will have had to have been in the Air Force to understand that statement. Oh, That is where they store all the old aircraft. Let’s go back to coal. What is wrong with this plentiful, useful, cost effective energy supply. Ah! EPA; Environmental Protection Agency. Let’s crank the particulates down to where no one can use this product. I grew up in a house that burned coal to heat, like so many other fine folks did years ago. I turned out alright without the EPA around. Remember that when you purchase that new efficient electric car, you have to plug it in somewhere. When you are about to run out of go juice, run out to a wind turbine. You don’t want to plug it into the electric plug in your house because that is dirty coal. It might pollute the engine.

Did you know that MILK is a Hazardous waste. If a milk truck overturns, they have to call the Hasmat crew to clean it up. That’s EPA. They are so good to us. They run us out of our livelihood.

Now for oil and gas. Gosh, even in Lamar, Colorado they are buying up gas and oil leases. By golly, they are on private and public property. Better not call Washington because even the County and City have land leased. We have so much of this product in the U.S.A. that we could be self sufficient. I’ll even bet a cup of coffee that the price of gas at the pump would be reduced.

Let’s take the turbine employees and put them to work in the oil fields. Oh I forgot. Make sure they have a safety harness, hard hat, oil resistant boots, a four wheel truck to get through the black stuff, yellow reflecting shirt, no chewing gum, no plastic water bottle, two hour break every two hours, gas mask, gloves with no PVC in them, and when they get home, shower in a HASMAT contained area. That’s EPA.

Skip Ruedeman
 311 W. Park
Lamar, CO 81052