Breaking Wind – Quick hits from the industry for September 10, 2010

Posted on September 10, 2010 by morgan

Items of interest:

1-Kent Hawkins with a must read at MasterResource:

2-Wind turbine noise issues? – “Do your homework. Ask hard questions. Demand clear answers.” – The Industrial Wind Action Group:

3-Harvard Crimson challenging wind energy!

4-MetalMiner – Wind Power and Solar Panel Jobs to go the Same Way as Textiles and Steel?

5-United Steel Workers think China subsidy of wind component manufacturing is unfair.  (Presumably OK if US continues to borrow money from China to subsidize US wind manufacturing.)  Solution to the issue … scrap wind energy!

6-Don’t count your chickens,

Posted in Breaking Wind | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wind developers allowed to police themselves? Wisconsin citizens group says not so fast!

Posted on September 10, 2010 by morgan

URGENT!!!

This just received from our friends Fran Kunz and Lynn Korinek of WINDCOWS (Wisconsin INDependent Citizens Opposing Wind Turbine Sites).

Many of my (Fran Kunz) friends and family know that I have become active in the pursuit of sensible and responsible wind turbine regulations to protect the greater good of all WI citizens. Along with the help of Lynn Korinek, here is an update on the current situation in Wisconsin:

In short, the WI PSC has ignored the documents and studies (from experts from around the world) provided to them and submitted to the docket. It appears they have not even read the docket submissions. The first open docket brought in some 1800 submissions, and the second posted about 100. Of the total 1900+/- submissions it is conservatively estimated that 80% were either factual evidence in favor of stricter siting regulations or citizens’ requests for the same. A PSC employee has stated, “That is the most submissions ever to a single docket.” The committee report stated that no third party or personal accounts submitted were included in the report as they did not pertain to the siting rules.

It was understood that the siting council was supposed to review the existing wind energy ordinances in the state.  This was never discussed at the meetings.  Towns and Counties spent years working on these ordinances, which is far more than the 5 months the siting council was allowed.  These ordinances were written after doing a great amount of research without allowing influence by the financially motivated.  Low frequency noise, a serious negative health effect of industrial wind turbines was never addressed by the council or the PSC.

We can’t allow this industry to self-test in any way.  The wind industry is not regulated and must be overseen, especially when their actions can have such a serious negative effect on health and safety of our good Wisconsin families.   We already have too many non-participating families that are suffering and have no recourse because the developer is “within” the limits that were set by the PSC, or they (the land owner) signed away their rights in a contract with a gag order.

THE NEWEST RULES ALLOW THE DEVELOPER TO DO THEIR OWN NOISE STUDY IF THERE IS A COMPLAINT. IF THE DEVELOPER FINDS THEY/THEMSELVES ARE IN COMPLIANCE, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY COMPLAINTS FROM THAT LANDOWNER FOR TWO YEARS.

That’s the fox guarding the hen-house!

The minority report from the wind siting council shows that the group was stacked with wind advocates and that they simply pushed their agenda through without regard for health and safety, the very purpose of Act 40 in the first place.

Our property values will drop up to 43% based on Appraisal One Group’s study in Fond Du Lac, WI. The wind industry insists that wind turbines actually increase property values (in spite of clear evidence to the contrary). If that is the case, why are they refusing to agree to a property value protection plan? If property value increases around wind turbines, what have they got to lose?

Commissioner Azar argues in her letter to the legislature that the standards recommended by the PSC do not go far enough in protecting individuals who experience harm from the turbines.

We now have 30 days for public input before the PSC siting rules become law. Now is the time for us to be heard louder than ever.  The clock started ticking August 31st.

This is a very critical time for the members of the two energy committees to hear from us in regards to the wind siting recommendations.

You can also contact WINDCOWS for further assistance at this address – info@windcows.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

The 4 key people on the Energy committees that should be contacted are:

Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail:

Jeff Plale (D) Chair 608-266-7505 414-694-7379 (Southeast – Milwaukee)
Robert Wirch (D) 608-266-8979 262-694-7379 (Southeast corner)
Jon Erpenbach (D) 608-266-6670 888-549-0027 (South)
Pat Kreitlow (D) 608-266-7511 (West – Chippewa Falls)
Robert Cowles (R) 608-266-0484 920-448-5092 (Green Bay)
Sheila Harsdorf (R) 608-266-7745 (West Central)
Neal Kedzie (R) 608-266-2635 262-742-2025 (Southeast corner)

The Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities:

James Soletski (D) Chair 608-266-0485 (Green Bay)
Josh Zepnick (D) 608-266-1707 414-727-0841 (Milwaukee)
Anthony Staskunas (D) 608-266-0620 414-541-9440 (West Allis)
Jon Richards (D) 608-266-0650 414-270-9898 (Milwaukee)
John Steinbrink (D) 608-266-0455 262-694-5863 (Southeast corner)
Joe Parisi (D) 608-266-5342 (Madison)
Ted Zigmunt (D) 608-266-9870 (Wrightstown/Glenmore)
Michael Huebsch (R) 608-266-0631 (West Central)
Phil Montgomery (R) 608-266-5840 920-496-5953 (Green Bay)
Mark Honadel (R) 608-266-0610 414-764-9921 (Milwaukee)
Kevin Peterson (R) 608-266-3794 (Waupaca)
Rich Zipperer (R) 608-266-5120 (Pewaukee)

Allegheny Treasures Note:  The concerned group, WISCONSIN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS OPPOSING WIND TURBINE SITES (WINDCOWS), was formed by a concerned group of citizens to protect the health, safety and well being of all citizens in regards to the siting of industrial wind turbines in the State of Wisconsin.

Posted in Friends and Citizens Groups, Uncategorized, Wind Energy Legislation, Wind Energy Shenanigans | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Breaking Wind – Quick hits from the industry for September 9, 2010

Posted on September 9, 2010 by morgan

Items of interest:

1-Pulling back the Wind Wizard’s curtain:

‘Windfall’ Documentary Explores Perils of Wind Power – “a new documentary that premieres Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, could take the sails out of wind power”  WSJ

2-Double whammy:

Vestas Wind Tumbles After Reporting That Blade Broke on Turbine Prototype – “Vestas Wind Systems A/S fell to its lowest in almost two years in Copenhagen trading after the world’s largest wind turbine maker said a blade snapped on a prototype and Danske Bank A/S downgraded the stock.”  Bloomberg

3-Silence is golden:

Dong gives up on land-based turbines– “State-owned energy firm Dong Energy has given up building more wind farms on Danish land, following protests from residents complaining about the noise the turbines make.” Copenhagen Post (h/t Jon Boone)

and speaking of noise issues (also courtesy of Jon Boone):

“Wind Turbines Can Affect Inner Ear Function” (The Vestibular Disorders Association) – “Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri successfully challenged this conventional wisdom that “what you can’t hear won’t hurt you.” They noted that one type of inner-ear sensory cell behaves differently when encountering infrasound.”  Wind Turbine Syndrome News

4-Home rule RIP in Wisconsin:

State (Wisconsin) finishes wind turbine rules – “The rules serve as a protection for developers that local cities, villages and townships can’t prevent wind farms from being anywhere in their back yards simply because they don’t want them.”  The Verona Press

5-And if I were 8 inches taller I could play in the NBA:

How large-scale energy storage works – “With these storage technologies in place, solar and wind farms can become reliable parts of the power grid.”  The Seattle Times

Posted in Breaking Wind | Tagged | 1 Comment

Some members of Maine task force now openly question if “goals they set for wind power can, or even should be, achieved.”

Posted on September 7, 2010 by morgan

This can’t be good – “Critics and even some one-time supporters say the proponents of the law were swept up in a tidal wave of enthusiasm for a technology that turns out to require significant sacrifice from the state, but has little to offer Maine in return.”  That statement comes from an article written for the “Pine Tree Watchdog,” a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting.

According to critics, the bill constituted one of the most significant changes in the state’s land use laws in a generation:

— It weakened longstanding rules that would have required wind turbines “to fit harmoniously into the landscape.” LURC Director Catherine Carroll said, “That’s a huge change.”

— The bill cut off a layer of appeal for those protesting state permits for wind power.

— It set ambitious goals for the development of wind power that could result in 1,000 to 2,000 turbines being constructed along hundreds of miles of Maine’s landscape, including the highly prized mountaintops where wind blows hard and consistently.

— It opened every acre of the state’s 400 municipalities to fast-track wind development.

Seems a cautionary tale for communities who might be buying into this wind business without a real effort to understand the impact.  I don’t suppose this wind rush issue is a problem where you live, is it?

Well, I’m sure it can’t be happening here!  Definitely, not here!

AT Note:  Thanks to John Bambacus for pointing us to this article.

Posted in Industrial Wind and Local Governments, Wind Energy Legislation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NPR, “The wind industry typically rises and falls with the passing and expiration of federal tax credits.” Glenn Schleede offers a warning.

Posted on September 7, 2010 by morgan

Place this little gem in the “tell me something I didn’t know” file – Wind Power Wanes With Fading Federal Incentives

According to the post, “when the credit markets dried up in 2008, so did the money for new projects. The White House and Congress threw the industry a lifeline with the stimulus package in the form of investment tax credits.

Right now, if you build a wind project, the government will, essentially, cut you a check for 30 percent of the cost. But that incentive is running out of rope and scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. That deadline prompted a lot of activity last year. (is this a continuation of the “cash for clunkers” concept?)

“Everybody moved their projects forward into 2009 to take advantage of it,” says George Sterzinger, executive director of the Renewable Energy Policy Project. But now, he says, some developers are waiting to see if the credit will be extended. (by darn, I think it is!)

And with natural gas relatively cheap now, some utilities are choosing to build gas power plants rather than wind farms.”

Of course, the wind industry lobby – the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) – wants a Renewable Electricity Standard to force utilities to buy the occasional gust of wind regardless of the cost, which, as a taxpayer and consumer will ultimately become your problem.  Smile!

“We’re kind of stuck without that long-term policy in place that sends the signals to the utilities that they need to purchase wind as part of a diversified portfolio,” says Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.”  Notice how Ms. Bode tries to soften the mandate by suggesting it would simply send a signal?

Well, Glenn Schleede has a few thoughts about a Renewable Electricity Standard and we suggest you take a good look:

Allegheny Treasures Note:  “Mr. Schleede is the author of many papers and reports on energy matters.  He is now retired but continues to analyze and write about federal and state energy policies, particularly those affecting wind energy.”

“Until retiring, Schleede maintained a consulting practice, Energy Market and Policy Analysis, Inc. (EMPA)  Prior to forming EMPA, Schleede was Vice President of New England Electric System (NEES), Westborough, MA, and President of its fuels subsidiary, New England Energy Incorporated. Previously, Schleede was Executive Associate Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (1981), Senior VP of the National Coal Association in Washington (1977) and Associate Director (Energy and Science) of the White House Domestic Council (1973).  He also held career service positions in the U.S. OMB and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.”

“He has a BA degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MA from the University of Minnesota.  He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.“

Posted in Glenn Schleede, Industrial wind lobby, Wind Energy Legislation, Wind Power subsidies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Wind industry representative seems to think folks complaining about environmental problems should just shut up!

Posted on September 6, 2010 by morgan

Quoted in today’s Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News article, wind industry rep. Frank Maisano seems to blame delays to the Roth Rock wind project in Western Maryland on “a local wind farm opposition group called Save Western Maryland.  Maisano accused the group and affiliated groups of using similar tactics to “slow, delay or alter” wind power projects throughout the mid-Atlantic region.”

I suppose it doesn’t matter that the Maryland Department of the Environment agreed with the folks turning in the developer for, not only, “insufficient erosion and sediment controls,” but ignoring specific instruction by the same agency to halt construction until corrections are made.

But I understand Mr. Maisano’s frustration that these wind opponents are “sitting there watching every move waiting to complain.”  The construction folks probably want to do the right thing and turn themselves in, and simply get a little agitated that the “naysayers” consistently beat them to the punch.

In a spin of logic only understood in wind circles, Mr. Maisano seems to think this is all really no big deal because “the fact of the matter is there’s no runoff issues related to that, and no environmental issues whatsoever.” Maisano continued, “there have been no sediment control problems to date because there just hasn’t been any rain or anything like that.”  See, a lot of us uneducated folks might see the lack of rain, coinciding with the potential for serious environmental harm, as simply “dumb luck,” not realizing the wind folks, working with a Higher Authority, actually scheduled that exact weather scenario into their detailed project construction plan.

Well, Eric Robison didn’t see it all quite the same as Mr. Maisano and said,”we had in excess of an inch of rain that occurred on a site that maybe nobody was monitoring.” Robison continued, “they might not be able to see the effects at the site, but that’s because they all ran downhill.”

But where does this Mr. Robison get off piping in … he only lives in the area, has a business in the area, is running for office in the area and belongs to the Save Western Maryland citizen group to insure the environment in the area is protected.  Granted, Mr. Robison seems to have much of his life invested in the area, but doesn’t Mr. Maisano live there too?

Anyway, Mr. Robison said of Mr. Maisano’s concerns, “The only thing I’ve been looking to do as part of Save Western Maryland is look at the regulatory process, look at what they’re supposed to be doing, and when we found that they weren’t doing what they’re required to do by law … we reported them to the proper authorities.”

Geesh!  That’s the problem with these NIMBYS, they want everything done correctly!

Besides, what’s the big deal about erosion anyway?

Please read the entire Cumberland Times-News article here:  Construction of Garrett wind farm at standstill

Posted in Allegheny Mountains, Environment, Save Western Maryland | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“the wind industry is a house of cards built on a foundation of sand.”

Posted on September 6, 2010 by morgan

Thanks to Jon Boone for referring us to this excellent commentary by Steve Goreham at Energy Tribune  – “Wind Energy’s House of Cards”

Citing specific examples, Mr. Goreham defines the wind industry as “a global industry based entirely on subsidies, price guarantees, and mandates,” Mr. Goreham notes that “wind generation systems are not deployed anywhere in the world without extensive government financial or mandated support.”

Mr. Goreham also challenges the much touted Denmark as an example of wind’s poor performance noting that, “over the last 20 years, Denmark has installed 5,100 wind towers, one for every thousand citizens” and “in 2009, these towers provided only 767 megawatts of electricity, less than the output of a single conventional coal-fired power plant.”

Read Mr. Goreham’s full commentary here.

AT Note:  Perhaps, as wind advocates suggest, we should look to Denmark for answers, although they might not be exactly the answers the wind industry would want us to find.

Posted in industrial wind failure, Wind Power subsidies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

County Officials accuse Duke (Wind) Energy of going “back on its (property tax) promise.”

Posted on September 5, 2010 by morgan

Just in case there are any County Officials who still actually believe the promises of wind developers, we’ll provide this little gem from the Billings Gazette:  Duke Energy disputes taxes

The article begins with the obvious, “Property taxes are one of the main selling points that wind energy companies have used to convince counties there will be a payoff for accepting up-front impacts to local services.”  Well, it unfortunately looks like the County Officials around Casper Wyoming fell for that one, hook, line and 747 size tinker-toy.

Seems that, “based on Duke’s testimony to the council, Converse County officials expected to receive $2.8 million in property taxes per year and $13 million over the next five years. Then the state’s calculation agreed.”

Now, according to Converse County folks, “when the tax bill came due for Duke Energy this year, the company went back on its promise.”  Duke seems to think that paying around half of what it agreed to should satisfy the county folks, so they filed appeals to the assessment.  Bet you didn’t see that coming!

But this is really where it all falls off the ‘slip n’ slide’ ride, “Duke Energy spokesman Greg Efthimiou said the notion that the company pulled a bait-and-switch is an “unfair characterization.”

And why not?  “We were asked to provide an estimate, and that’s what we did,” Efthimiou said. “The reason that we are appealing the property tax assessment is due to the methodology for calculating that tax assessment.”

Cool, huh?  “Promise them anything until you get what you want and then tell them to stick it” might be considered a questionable tactic in some circles, but somehow in this transaction, it’s just “methodology.”  Probably an isolated case anyway, don’t you think? 

Now here’s the kicker:  During a recent hearing of the Legislature’s Joint Revenue Interim Committee, co-chairman John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, said he believes Duke may have knowingly supplied false information under oath in its past testimony to the Industrial Siting Council.

“Now it appears the people who testified for Duke Energy were not straightforward with their testimony, and I object to that,” Schiffer said.

A developer was not straightforward in their oath-sworn testimony?  Perish the thought!

Anyway, I’m not worried.  My County Commissioners are far too savvy to just jump on a bandwagon without really nailing down a serious issue like money, right?

But, just in case you’re not as well protected as I am, you might want to have your officials read the full Billings Gazette article.

Posted in Industrial Wind Taxes, Wind Energy Shenanigans | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Industrial wind and emission reduction – the debate continues.

Posted on September 4, 2010 by morgan

We recently posted Robert Bryce’s suggestion that “recent studies show that wind-generated electricity likely won’t result in any reduction in carbon emissions—or that they’ll be so small as to be almost meaningless.”

Michael Goggin, of the American Wind Energy Association, responded to our post with this comment: Actually, we already know a tremendous amount about how adding wind energy to the grid drastically reduces emissions of CO2 and other harmful pollutants. The government and grid operators have already conducted numerous studies and compiled a large amount of data, and the results show that wind energy is a very effective tool for reducing emissions. These data and studies are summarized here:

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/pdf/08-27-10-Wind_and_emissions_response.pdf

Michael Goggin,
American Wind Energy Association

Mr. Goggin since utilized the content of the link referred in his comment at the Brave New Climate blog. as response to two previous posts carried at the BNC authored by Mr. Peter Lang, a retired geologist and engineer with 40 years experience on a wide range of energy projects throughout the world.

As is often the case, there is much to be learned in the comment section following the Mr. Goggin’s piece.  We highly recommend you visit the link at BNC and take the time to read the very interesting and informative discussion.

Posted in industrial wind v fossil fuel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

US wind energy and Enron – joined at the … uhhh … well … let’s just say they’re connected.

Posted on September 4, 2010 by morgan

From the Best of MasterResource – “Remembering When Enron Saved the U.S. Wind Industry”

[MasterResource Editor’s Note: This post by Robert Bradley Jr. from January 19th documents a fact that American Wind Energy Association might not want to know. If the American public understands why windpower is and must be government dependent to exist as an industry, and if the public knows about industrial wind’s Enron roots, then the same public might just say: ‘let’s take our energy back’.]

Read the full post at the link.

Posted in Wind Power subsidies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment