Bay City, Michigan 48706
Front Page 03/29/2024 04:17 About us
www.mybaycity.com October 29, 2006
(Prior Story)   Rotary ArTicle 1336   (Next Story)

Dr. Jerry Decker's Mission is to Replace Oil Usage with Wind Energy

Board Meeting Slated 11 a.m. Tuesday, Quality Inn

October 29, 2006       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

Printer Friendly Story View

Dr. Jerry Decker speaks to Bay City Rotarians.
 

THIS WEEK: Joe Thelen and other Ten Minute Rotarians.

UPCOMING MEETINGS: Nov. 7: Guido Gargiullo, scholar.

Nov. 14: Board meeting, 11 a.m., Quality Inn, with President Gena Gates. Field trip to Lumber Barons.

Nov. 21: Gay McInerney, Bay County Historical Society.

Nov. 28: Club Assembly to review options for participation in an international project.

Dec. 5: Erin Dunkle and representatives of social agencies on the Continuum of Care program in Bay County.

PAUL HARRIS FELLOW: Milt Higgs received his Paul Harris Fellowship, Level 1, from Kathy Czerwinski; Citizens Bank made a $1,000 donation to the Rotary International Foundation program.

LAST WEEK'S PROGRAM: Dr. Jerry Decker, Midland Energy L.L.C., introduced by banker Ed Keating.

Dr. Jerry Decker is on a mission.


The mission is to fulfill Project Independence, a blueprint for the nation to escape dependence on foreign oil by 1985.

That's right, 1985. Dr. Decker's project was sidetracked and was abandoned in 1986 when the nation turned to natural gas for chemical feedstocks and electrical generating plants.

"We need to do something, use renewable energy from things we can grow, use wastes, wood and garbage," he said.

Wind power has the greatest potential, said Dr. Decker. There is enough to serve the entire nation with electricity. He noted that vast improvements in wind energy technology have been achieved with new aerodynamic lift rotors and blades.

"The Midland, Saginaw, Bay City areas have enough wind to produce thousands of megawatts of electricity," he commented. "And, it's economical while it's not economical to use the old coal burning technology, which he said releases mercury that pollutes the lakes."

Dr. Decker estimates that 8,000 good paying jobs would be produced just in Bay County with a wind energy program, asking: "Shouldn't we be going after this? We hear a lot of talk about jobs, now we've got to do something about it."

He suggested development of a center in Bay City for production of blades and towers for wind energy. "We could ship the blades anywhere in the world; Bay City is a good place for this business. The free enterprise system is wonderful."

Gougeon Brothers, Inc., once made wind energy blades until the price of oil dropped in the early 1980s and made the business unprofitable.

The development of wind energy in Michigan is being held up by political considerations, he said. "We still need coal and nuclear to cover the 65 percent of the time when the wind doesn't blow," he commented.

He admitted the U.S. "messed up" nuclear energy, allowing Germany to take the lead in that area, but promised: "We'll see nuclear energy come back."



Printer Friendly Story View
Prior Article

February 10, 2020
by: Rachel Reh
Family Winter Fun Fest is BACC Hot Spot for 2/10/2020
Next Article

February 2, 2020
by: Kathy Rupert-Mathews
MOVIE REVIEW: "Just Mercy" ... You Will Shed Tears, or at Least You Should
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

More from Dave Rogers

Send This Story to a Friend!       Letter to the editor       Link to this Story
Printer-Friendly Story View


--- Advertisments ---
     


0200 Nd: 03-25-2024 d 4 cpr 0






12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm

SPONSORED LINKS



12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm


Designed at OJ Advertising, Inc. (V3) (v3) Software by Mid-Michigan Computer Consultants
Bay City, Michigan USA
All Photographs and Content Copyright © 1998 - 2024 by OJA/MMCC. They may be used by permission only.
P3V3-0200 (1) 0   ID:Default   UserID:Default   Type:reader   R:x   PubID:mbC   NewspaperID:noPaperID
  pid:1560   pd:11-18-2012   nd:2024-03-25   ax:2024-03-29   Site:5   ArticleID:1336   MaxA: 999999   MaxAA: 999999
claudebot