Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Molinaro and Councilman Oddo applaud T. Boone Pickens for his wind energy plan to escape grip of foreign oil
Molinaro and Oddo invite Texas oilman to Island to discuss Fresh Kills wind farm
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro and City Councilman James Oddo today applauded T. Boone Pickens for his promotion of wind power to escape the grip of foreign oil, and issued an invitation to the legendary Texas oilman to visit Staten Island to discuss Molinaro’s proposed wind energy facility at the former Fresh Kills landfill.
Pickens, the CEO of BP Capital, recently launched a national ad campaign to promote his “Pickens Plan” for cutting America’s demand for foreign oil by more than a third in less than a decade by using wind energy. According to Pickens, the U.S. imports almost 70% of our oil at a cost of almost $700 billion, and in 10 years the cost will skyrocket to $10 trillion.
“Mr. Pickens’ most impressive point is that this is the single largest transfer of wealth in human history – and that should be a wake-up call for our country,” said Molinaro. “We are hemorrhaging money to the Mideast because of oil, and with each dollar goes American jobs. This is idiotic. Pickens also points out that foreign oil affects our country’s three most important issues – the economy, the environment and our national security.
“To attract and keep jobs here, we must lower costs by utilizing domestic energy alternatives to expensive foreign oil, which pollutes the environment and funds terrorism around the world,” added Molinaro. “We’re only dependent on foreign oil because we want to be. There’s no reason to be dependent, except for the special interests who care only about themselves, and the public be damned.
“But Mr. Pickens recognizes that we can help stop this shameful loss of American dollars and jobs from going overseas by utilizing wind power, which the Department of Energy says could generate 20% of the country’s electricity supply by 2030,” Molinaro continued. “Pickens thinks we can do this or even more, but says we must do it quicker.
“Here on Staten Island, we can do it quicker,” said Molinaro, who commissioned a feasibility study from New York State and BQ Energy, which demonstrated that the former Fresh Kills landfill is the only location in the City which is conducive to the construction of a wind energy farm. The study found that just seven turbines would produce 17.5 megawatts of energy per year, which is equal to 3% of Staten Island’s energy use.
Due to high demand for wind turbines and a backlog in orders from manufacturers, BQ Energy said it would take about two years after the City approves the project before the windmills could be in place at Fresh Kills. However, it would only take about two days to install the turbines in the former landfill.
“Surprisingly, what’s preventing this important project from moving forward is the regulatory agencies involved,” said Molinaro. “I have heard every possible excuse as to why this project cannot progress, ranging from the ridiculous – windmills kill too many birds – to the physically incorrect – landfills cannot physically support windmills. While puzzled by this resistance, I understand that the best way to combat it is to educate and inform the public.
“To that end, Councilman Oddo and I are extending an invitation to Mr. Pickens to come to Staten Island to discuss the importance of wind power in general, and my Fresh Kills project in particular. We believe that his insights, knowledge, and reputation for getting things done will serve to bolster our case and help move this project forward,” Molinaro said.
“In the meantime, I urge Staten Islanders to contact the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the City Parks Department and ask them to support wind power at Fresh Kills,” Molinaro concluded. “It will not solve all of our energy needs, but it will play an important part in our country’s energy independence.”
July 18, 2008