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The mission of Citizens for Responsible Wind Power is to ensure that industrial windpower complexes do not adversely affect citizens, local communities, and the public. This includes adverse effects or impacts on the local economy, cultural resources, scenic viewsheds, wildlife habitat, public lands, and sensitive natural environments that may result from siting, construction, and operation of such facilities.
"Despite the rosy image portrayed by developers and those others that advocate them, our experience has shown that a poorly sited and designed windfarm can cause numerous problems. Problems that are given scant mention in publicity material and planning applications."
Wind energy will probably be the fastest-moving renewable energy story in 2005. In October 2004, President Bush extended the production tax credits (PTC) for renewable energy sources through December 31, 2005. This ushered in a fresh gust of ambitious wind farms around the US. Many projects are planned, but due to uncertain subsidies past 2005 many may never actually be built.
http://notes.sej.org/sej/tipsheet.nsf/0/80ea581dbb3fa16086256f8000827b02?OpenDocument
The big turbines that stretch for miles along these rolling, grassy hills have churned out clean, renewable electricity for two decades in one of the nation's first big wind-power projects. But for just as long, massive fiberglass blades on the more than 4,000 windmills have been chopping up tens of thousands of birds that fly into them, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls and other raptors.
Eyesores or clean machines? Environmentalists are split over the giant energy-producing towers popping up in Maryland and other states.
The Wichita Eagle column that this letter challenges can be found (courtesy of David Roberson - MA & Larry Patton - KS) can be found at: http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local/10503909.htm
Slide presentation made by Mr. Ed Feo of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLC to the American Bar Association, "Renewable Energy" Committee. Financial details of debt/equity and other financing models of wind projects.
Download:
http://www.abanet.org/environ/committees/renewableenergy/teleconarchives/121504/feoppt.pdf
Note: One of interesting points he makes (4th slide) is that Tax Benefits provide "2/3rd of value" of wind energy projects. Isn't it just great what our political leaders have done to the taxpayers (and electric customers) of America?
You might find this statement I’ve just written as part of a much larger piece of interest, for it distills for me the essence of our problems with the wind industry. The text forms the basis for other issues—tax sheltering schemes, coal plant efficiency, property devaluation, noise and light nuisances, destruction of heritage views, etc. Perhaps others will find it useful:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13505645&BRD=1304&PAG=461&dept_id=180485&rfi=6
Note: This was pertinent when considering our local 35-foot height ordinance. UPC Wind Partners claimed the purpose of the height limit was only for reach of fire safety equipment and didn't apply to wind towers. (In fact the ordinance is also to protect the rural character of the town).
While the United States’ output of wind energy has increased by leaps and bounds over the past two decades, New Hampshire state government does not have any statewide regulations or use goals for wind power or alternate energy.
http://www.courier-littletonnh.com/120104wind.html
One of the false claims made by “wind energy” advocates is that greater use of this potential energy source would reduce US dependence on oil, including oil imports. In fact, adding more wind turbines will have no significant impact on US oil consumption. Unfortunately, many well-meaning people (including some prolific authors of letters to editors and reporters) have accepted the wind advocates’ claims about reductions in oil use. This brief paper explains why the reduced oil use claim is false.
Download: Wind Energy Will Not Reduce US Oil Dependence.pdf
If you have ever wondered whether many people participated in utility programs that offer customers the "opportunity" to pay a premium price for "green" electricity, please check out this just released EIA 3-page report: Green Pricing and Net Metering Programs 2003 (11/29) This report provides an overview of green pricing and net metering programs.
Download:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/greenprice/grnprc.html
Ladies & Gentlemen: Here's something very clever from Mike Winkler that should brighten your day! Glenn Schleede
http://www.geocities.com/toniwinkler/Stop_taxfarms.html
The September 15 article, Winds of Change Can Benefit Virginia, by “guest columnist” Randall Swisher is full of false and misleading information. It is another step in the campaign by the wind industry, the US Department of Energy, and DOE’s National Renewable Energy “Laboratory” to mislead the public, media and government officials about the wind energy
"...Merits of the zoning case aside, there are some important facts about Wind Energy that simply cannot be ignored. Wind has long been promoted as a viable, clean alternative to fossil fuels and people have been conditioned to unconditionally embrace it. In fact, the moral justification for wind as the answer to greenhouse emissions has pitted conservationist against conservationist. And this fight has shamelessly been fueled by the misinformation on wind that the wind developers and their advocates promote."
WASHINGTON, DC, US, 2004-08-25 (Refocus Weekly) The United States has installed more than 2,000 MW of new green power as a result of renewable portfolio standards (RPS), according to an analysis prepared for the Department of Energy.
Note: Ladies & Gentlemen: Wouldn't it be interesting to have data on the additional, true economic, environmental, ecological, scenic and property value COST of the "renewable" energy that is forced by insidious Renewable Portfolio Standards? Glenn Schleede