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Kite Power: The Latest In Green Technology (thebulletin.org)
New submitter Dan Drollette writes: The solution to producing energy without contributing to global warming may be to go fly a kite. Literally. Researchers in Switzerland and Italy — high-altitude places where the winds are strong, steady and predictable — have been working on ways to generate electricity from kites that fly hundreds or thousands of meters high. The scientists already have a prototype cranking out 27 megawatts; they expect to have a 100-megawatt plant big enough to power 86,000 households. And they say that they can produce electricity for less that 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is better than fossil fuel. Plus, the kites look really cool (as does the "Darrieus rotor vertical axis wind turbine" at the base of the St Bernard Pass, on the Swiss side, which I've seen in operation in person).
What happens if the wind stops?
The utility plant operators have to compensate by running backwards and pulling harder on the string.
Not much? Seriously?
In the 2006-2010 five year plan the real improvements in China's energy usage came from two programs.
Firstly, in the Thousand Enterprises Program the government forced China's top 1000 companies to completely rethink their energy use. They were told to monitor energy efficiency, and redesign, upgrade, and / or replace industrial equipment and software with the aim of becoming more energy efficient, reducing the amount of power they used without denting their productivity. The other program was even more drastic. Thousands of small, inefficient, factory units and assembly lines across the country were simply closed down.
The above programs were so successful (a roughly 19% cut in their energy intensity) that they were extended and expanded for the current five year plan: smaller, inefficient units are continuing to close down, and the Thousand Enterprises Program has become the Ten Thousand Enterprise Program. Current indications suggest that China has met its target of a further 16% cut in their energy intensity.
In addition, China has more installed wind power than any other country in the world, and has the second largest installed solar power capacity. I've also read that they (the Chinese government) are actively looking at new nuclear power plant designs as well as thorium salt reactor designs, which is a direct contrast to pretty much every single western government.
If all this qualifies as "not much" I'm not sure what it would take to impress...