Paging Donald Trump: Google Investing in Flying Wind Turbines

Bloomberg Businessweek reports:

Last February, Astro Teller, the director of Google’s (GOOG) secretive research lab, Google X, went to seek approval from Chief Executive Officer Larry Page for an unlikely acquisition. Teller was proposing that Google buy Makani Power, a startup that develops wind turbines mounted on unmanned, fixed-wing aircraft tethered to the ground like a kite. The startup, Teller told Page, was seeing promising results, and, he added proudly, its prototypes had survived all recent tests intact. 

Page approved Google X’s acquisition of Makani, which was being completed for an undisclosed amount at press time. He also had a demand. “He said we could have the budget and the people to go do this,” Teller says, “but that we had to make sure to crash at least five of the devices in the near future.”

Donald Trump on land based turbines. (I can imagine his view on flying wind turbines over the golf courses he owns.)

Ugly wind turbines have destroyed the entrance to Palm Springs, CA. These monstrosities are ruining landscapes (cont) tl.gd/jav9mk
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2012

Wind turbines are not only killing millions of birds, they are killing the finances & environment of many countries & communities.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2012

This really falls in line with my earlier discussion with regard to drones and how property rights should be defined vertically above the land one owns.