Bio fuels cause massive problems. Food crops are being replaced by fuel crops. This causes food shortages and higher prices in the face of ever increasing demand. There have already been price related food riots in Haiti and other 3rd world nations. Go green and starve the poor.

I do believe that there is tremendous opportunity in energy. Wind and solar are both very viable sources. The 'N' word (Nuclear) may very well be in our future. For now our best alternative is to use the oil that we already have and know where it is. This should be used as a stop gap measure as we transition to other sources of energy.

Just as America set a goal to put a man on the moon in 10 years, we must now set a goal to be enery self sufficient in 10 years.

Wind power is a joke, and an expensive one at that. Rocky Mountain Power built 9 wind turbines in the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. I see them out of my window every day and they are seldom operating. When they do there are only 2-4 going at any one time.

The only thing I can figure is that since they cost over 200 million dollars, 23 million each, that they don't want to operate them and wear them out. I suppose that Rocky Mountain Power is happy with just the tax credits.

I wonder if the huge rate increase that they have requested is to help pay for these windmills?

I was listening to coast to coast, radio show last night, David Bloom (google it) was on explaining numerous economical ways to produce alcohol. He said it would be more economical to produce ethanol from sugar beets than corn. Sugar beets can produce 1200 gallons per acre per year, where corn can produce only 1/4 that much. Utah and Idaho used to be a good sugar beet growing region.

Additionally he said cat tails fertilized by sewage is an even more economical way to get ethanol than sugar beets. He had other suggestions. It was a very interesting program.

He said ethanol can be made for 60 per barrel of oil equilivant if we do it the right way. I wonder why we use corn when there are better ways.

Sorry man, your absolutely wrong. Wind energy is outstanding if placed in the right locations. The cost of the windmills that you are talking about is far beyond what I know the general cost to be, I am going to assume that SF city got ripped off, or that these are abnormally huge windmills.

I live in upstate New York, a location is not nearly as wind active as say the point of the mountain or mouth or canyons that have a frequent wind vector (there are many, maybe just not SF). The windfarm 10 miles out of my town produces enough energy to support 4 massive cattle farms that supply the majority of northern New York with beef (organic beef at that).

Finally, I would say that solar power is the best current form of renewable energy. The 30 % photovoltaic cells on the solar panels of my schools brand new science building powers the entire 17,000 sq. foot building- remember that this includes sever -80 C freezers, lazer scanning microscopes, TEM, and many other high power scientific devices (not to mention heating the place during ice cold winters).

and we don't have near the sun Utah does.

Those eyesores at the mouth of Spanish Fork canyon will not save oil. Rocky Mountain will need to have the same kilowatts of power as wind being generated at the same time, otherwise there would be a breakdown in the power grid when the turbines stopped.

As far as bio fuel goes, your turkey is going to cost a lot more. Norbest in Moroni is shutting down because corn prices have skyrocketed because corn has been diverted to bio fuel.

Ah, this whole problem of high oil prices is a man made manufactured problem by the enviro's so that they can create a shortage and then come in with the soloution as if they are going to save the day.

Drill Here, Drill Now!! We've heard the same excuses for 30 years.

Does anyone remember the last time this happened in the 70's?? When Ronald Reagan got elected we unleasehed the oil companies and drove the price of oil down under $10 dollars. Does anyone remember? It's not rocket science. OPEC was broken for 20 years when we started drilling before. Let's get off the foreign oil regardless of whether we move more toward wind, solar or nuclear. We are still going to need oil in 10 years. The futures markets look at the future and discount what they see in the present.

Being hooked on foreign oil is a matter of national security.

Look at me, look at me, I am a patriot who wants to consume all of the countries resources because I think its my right even though its will destroy the natural characteristics NECESSARY for survival in this country...

look at me, look at me, I'm a patriot blaming all the consumption problems of the country including my own on the enviro's.

How patriotic, ride a bike and stop complaining- the enviro's have been warning you for a long time and your just being unpatriotically ignorant.

wah wah wah 5,000 sq ft homes and SUVS wah wah wah

Please farmers, sirs...let's stick to farming for food and don't get caught up in the get rich scheme. We'll all be suffering if you do otherwise.

The power coming from Spanish Fork is about 5 to 6 cents a kilowatt hour, and they did NOT cost the hundreds of millions Stewart says -- please get your facts straight! Wind is the cheapest energy source available today -- over 35% of new energy capacity created in 2007 in America was from wind. From nuclear? Zero! And you can't get nuclear for as cheap was wind. Wind is also price stable! You can't get price stable energy from nuclear or fossil fuels. The Spanish Fork project is bringing millions to the local school district and creating jobs that don't pollute, cause cancer, or finance terrorism. Will wind substitute oil? Yes, in 2010 when plug in cars are launched by GM, Toyota, Nissan, and other car makers that will allow drivers to plug in their cars for 1/5 the price of oil! Yes, wind power is the future! Want proof the wind is the future -- check out West Texas! West Texas rural communities and school districts are flush with cash with the wind boom, and today's Associated Press reported that Texas is investing in more transmission to get cheap wind into the big cities to stablize energy prices.

If people want farmers to "stick to farming for food", then I hope there is no complaining about high food prices then. Also, Moroni Feed/Norbest is not shutting down. There is a proposal to cease production for a few months, then resume again. This is how the company functioned for many years previously.

Neither wind nor solar power is "dispatchable" on the required day ahead basis that utilities and the grid require. After all, the wind doesn't blow all the time and it blows too hard some of the time; and, of course, the sun doesn't shine at night. And neither would be price competitive if it weren't for government subsidies and credits.

There is an answer: biomass, nuclear and drill, drill, drill.