Cars batteries are a good match with wind power because they mostly charge at night, when people are sleeping, and wind tends to peak at night.

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We know that this year has not been a good one for the Chinese wind power industry as growth slowed dramatically.

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If SUVs are bad and wind power is good, then we must levy a tax on gas-guzzlers and hand out tax credits for windmills.

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But if Mr Pickens wants to use his own fortune to sell the general public on the idea of wind power, that is all to the good.

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The good news was that the wind was blowing from the northwest and sending the smoke from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant over the Pacific Ocean.

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