Dear Sir,
I would like to congratulate Trent Jacobs for the excellent article he wrote under the caption: “CUC inviting wind power proposals for Cayman.” The ongoing rise in the price of oil dictates that we must drastically reduce our dependence on this commodity and desperately seek out cheaper, cleaner and more environmentally friendly sources of energy.
I am delighted to note that Caribbean Utilities Company is considering the possibility of harvesting wind power to produce electricity for the Cayman Islands. More and more countries are turning to wind turbines as their source of energy. The Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens who himself has declared that he has been “an oil man all his life,” strongly advocates the use of wind turbines.
Mr Pickens has dedicated his own website to promote the intrinsic consumer gains in the use of wind power. He notes that the USA imports 70% of its oil at an annual cost of $700 billion. This is indicative of the hefty payouts for imported energy.
Wind power is renewable energy that is free, clean, economical and an excellent alternative to fossil fuels. However, the downside to wind turbines is that some think they are too noisy and somewhat unsightly. They can also endanger wildlife, especially birds, flying into the blades. To be cost-effective, the average wind speed must be adequate to keep the turbines working.
Another excellent source of energy is solar power – panels that convert sunlight into electricity. This concept is gaining popularity in the USA and across Europe. Actually, solar power is considered the most affordable means of clean and renewable energy.
For far too long oil producing countries have had us “over a barrel” because of our total dependence on gasoline, diesel and jet fuels to run our cars and commercial vehicles, generators, industrial equipment, boats and planes.
These oil producing countries and the oil companies alike are reaping very huge profits while Cayman and other consumer countries struggle to pay our electricity bills and purchase fuel for our vehicles.
I fully endorse CUC’s consideration of harvesting wind power for Cayman and wish them every success in their pursuit of alternative sources of energy that would be cost-effective for consumers and safe for the environment.
Geoff Daniels | 
