Massive Energy Skyscraper Proposed on U.S.-Mexico Border
29th March 2013
The tower is based on a novel energy technology invented in Israel in the 1970s. Intended for hot, dry climates, the tower is essentially a hollow cylinder, open at the top. Water is sprayed into the opening, making the uppermost air humid and heavy. That heavy air sinks and accelerates, reaching speeds of 50 miles an hour before escaping at the base via 52 tunnels, where the rushing air spins turbines and create electricity. (I learned about the idea while reporting a story about new wind-energy designs for Sierra magazine.)
Each tower would generate 610 megawatts of electricity, of which about 100 would power the plant. The remainder would go to the power grid.
No doubt there will be a prize for the first person to figure out how to use it to sneak illegal immigrants into the U.S.