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Archive for October, 2012

Oct 31

Wind Turbines at Butterwick Moor, Co Durham, UK
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UK Energy Minister — “Enough is Enough” — Ten years too late, it’s good riddance to wind farms – one of the most dangerous delusions of our age

Christopher Booker — Daily Mail (UK) — October 31, 2012

The significance of yesterday’s shock announce-ment by our Energy Minister John Hayes that the Government plans to put a firm limit on the building of any more onshore windfarms is hard to exaggerate.

On the face of it, this promises to be the beginning of an end to one of the greatest and most dangerous political delusions of our time.

For years now, the plan to cover hundreds of square miles of the British countryside with ever more wind turbines has been the centrepiece of Britain’s energy policy — and one supported by all three major political parties.

Back in 2008, when Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced his wish to see the country spend £100 billion on windfarms, the only response from the Tory leader David Cameron was to say that he should have done it sooner.

It was the only way, they all agreed, Britain could meet our commitment to the EU that, by 2020, we must produce nearly a third of our electricity from ‘renewables’ — with  the largest part provided by tens of thousands more  wind turbines.

Yet now, out of the blue, has come this announcement by the Coalition Energy Minister that from now on there is to be a moratorium on building onshore turbines other than those for which consent has already been given.

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 31

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How the wind industry misleads the public on the number of eagle deaths each year

Chris Clarke — REWIRE — October 30, 2012

A California eagle biologist says that a wind power project in eastern San Diego County may pose a serious threat to golden eagles in the Anza Borrego region. The Tule Wind Power Project, approved earlier this year by San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors, would place close to 100 turbines on 750 acres in the McCain Valley north of Boulevard.

In comments on Tule Wind’s avian and bat protection plan, submitted October 19 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), biologist Jim Wiegand — Vice President of the wildlife protection group Save the Eagles International — charged that the project will kill or injure more golden eagles than its formal planning documents suggest, and that the species is already on the verge of extirpation in Eastern San Diego County. Read more

Oct 31

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Germany’s Energy Policy: Man-Made Crisis Now Costing Billions

The dramatic rise in renewable energy means some households now pay more for electricity than rent while 800,000 homes are without power.

Institute for Energy Research — October 30, 2012

The German people are “up in arms” about energy. Yes, energy—the commodity that affects us every day—our clothes, our food, our entertainment, our transportation, and even our medical treatments. For Germans, electricity prices are soaring as a result of phasing out nuclear power and mandating renewable energy. Consumers in Germany are facing the biggest electricity price increase in a decade and those price increases will continue. It is estimated that by 2030, Germany will have spent more than 300 billion Euros on green electricity. And consumer groups are complaining that about 800,000 German households can no longer pay for their energy bills. Read more

Oct 31

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Failed Renewable Technologies Are An Expensive Teaching Moment

Paul Chesser — National Legal and Policy Center — October 30, 2012

A story that went viral over a week ago showed how (non)-workers at a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant, funded through thestimulus by taxpayers, spent their time playing games, reading magazines, watching movies or helping charities like Habitat for Humanity – that is, when they weren’t ‘off-duty’ on their cyclical furloughs.

According to a report by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, the LG Chem factory in Holland, Mich. – blessed with $151 million from a Department of Energy Recovery Act grant and $100 million from Wolverine State taxpayers – had “yet to ship out a single battery.”

But another local television station discovered some workers doing something else with their paid-but-free time: teaching students about their failed industry. WZZM, the local ABC affiliate, reported that engineers from LG Chem visited a local job training facility called Careerline Tech Center after they were invited by its director, Dave Searles.

“We’re working with LG Chem about future technology that’s coming out,” he told reporter Alex Shabad.

Contrary to the methods apparently taught in journalism schools today, Shabad responded to Searles with the kind of skeptical question that ought to be on the lips of every reporter in the nation whose beat includes any project from President Obama’s alternative energy stimulus initiative. If you ever visit the Recovery.gov Web site, you’d realize that’s pretty much the entire media.

“If a technology is failing,” Shabad asked Searles, “is it still important for students to know about it?”

Searles responded, “I can’t determine what’s failing and what’s not right now.”

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 30

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CANwea continues to be on the offensive — running scared perhaps??

From Wind Concerns Ontario – October 29, 2012

CanWEA or the Canadian Wind Energy Association,the lobby group representing the wind power development industry in Canada, has sent a letter by email to municipal councilors in Ontario today, repeating its stance that industrial wind power generation projects have no effect on property values for neighbouring properties.

We have received copies of this letter from a number of municipal officials who are very concerned about it: the situation of no property value loss as described by CanWEA is not the reality for their communities. The municipal officials are also expressing concern that CanWEA appears to be speaking for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation or MPAC, which is supposed to be an independent, publicly owned body that reports to the Minister of Finance.

How can CanWEA “assure” municipalities that MPAC will not be using wind power projects in the assessment projects?

To buttress its claims that property values are not affected by the power plants, CanWEA cites a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, in which 7,500 properties were studied, and which concluded there was no adverse effect on property values. In fact, that study is deeply flawed, has been widely criticized, and does not employ valuation techniques used by professional real estate appraisers.

 

Earlier this year, a study done by Sunak and Madlener of the School of Business and Economics at Aachen University in Germany (where, yes, there are also concerns about siting of wind power projects) criticized the methodology of that report, saying it was “inappropriate.”   Their own findings were that values for properties within 2 km of a wind power project declined by 25.2%.

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 30

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Scotland — Alex Salmond accused as Scottish mountains are ‘industrialised’ by wind farms

Auslan Cramb — The Telegraph (UK) — October 30, 2012

Alex Salmond has been accused of a “failure of leadership” amid claims he has “done nothing” to protect Scotland’s landscapes from becoming industrialised.

Alex Salmond will deliver a keynote address at a renewable energy conference today amid claims that he has “done nothing” to protect Scotland’s mountain landscapes from wind farms.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland accused ministers of a “failure of leadership” for allowing the “industrialisation” of some of the country’s most important natural assets.

The charity said VisitScotland now recognised that badly sited wind farms would drive visitors away, and Scottish Natural Heritage was concerned about the cumulative impact on mountain scenery. It has written to companies attending the RenewableUK exhibition and conference in Glasgow, calling on them to work out how to “harmonise clean energy production with the preservation of Scotland’s natural heritage”.

David Gibson, the mountaineering council’s chief officer, said: “Some wind farm proposals are incredibly inappropriate and are leading to the industrialisation of our most beautiful, wild and open mountain landscapes.

“Right now, as companies gather for RenewableUK 2012, a public inquiry is taking place into the truly dreadful Allt Duine scheme to build 31 immense turbines in the heart of the Monadhliadth Mountains.”

The group called on the First Minister to make a stand for Scotland’s natural heritage in his speech at the annual event organised by the country’s largest renewable energy trade association. Mr Salmond claimed recently there was no evidence that wind turbines damaged scenery.

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 30

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U.S. — 60 Neighbours sue wind company for negative health effects and other issues

Marlene Kennedy — Courthouse News Service — October 30, 2012

Wind Farm Called Giant Pain in the Neck

ALBANY, N.Y. (CN) – Dozens of neighbors of a $200 million wind farm sued the companies behind it, claiming noise and lights give them migraines, make them nervous and keep them up at night.
Their dogs bark too much, dairy cows are less productive, and TV and Internet services are interrupted, the 60 plaintiffs claim in Albany County Supreme Court. Read more

Oct 29

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Listen to Wind Wise Radio discussion on property values and health effects of IWT’s

Ben Lansink talks about his recent case study regarding the impact of turbines on property values. Mr. Lansink is both a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is an AACI – Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute.

His expertise includes the completion of appraisal and consulting assignments to assist in mortgage financing, power of sale, deemed dispositions, GST and capital gains issues involving Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), expropriation, insurance matters such as fire destruction, family law, environmental issues, assessment appeals, First Nation issues, and litigation support.

Steven Cooper, Principal Engineer of The Acoustic Group Pty Ltd, in Sydney, Australia recently wrote a paper titled “Are Wind Farms Too Close to Communities.” The answer is yes. Here is a bit of it:

In the paper, “Currently, state planning legislation in Australia suggests separation distances of 1-2km from wind farms. Noise limits incorporated in the various State guidelines and used for assessment purposes have no scientific studies to support the basis of the limits. The use of a dB(A) limit set well above the natural ambient background level does not protect the health and well-being of the community.

The noise concepts used for wind farms in NSW ignore the fundamental premise of not creating ‘offensive noise’ as defined in The Protection of the Environment Operations Act. Examination of ‘noise levels’ received by residents in proximity to wind farms reveals the presence of audible and inaudible sound that extends well past the nominal separation distances of 1-2km. The silence of the individual state Environmental Protection Authorities in addressing these issues is deafening.”

Click here to listen to radio broadcast

 

Oct 29

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New US/UK/Ontario Epidemiological Health Study confirms negative effects of noise from Industrial Wind Turbines

Effects of Industrial Wind Turbine Noise on Sleep and Health

October 2012

Introduction

Environmental noise is emerging as one of the major public health concerns of the twenty-first centry.  The drive to ‘renewable’, low-carbon energy sources, has resulted in Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs) being sited closer to homes in traditionally quiet rural areas to reduce transmission losses and costs.  Increasing numbers of complaints about sleep disturbance and adverse health effects have been documented, while industry and government reviews have argued that the effects are trivial and that current guidance is adequate to protect the residents.  We undertook an epidemiological study to investigate the relationship between the reported adverse health effects and IWTs among residents of two rural communities.

(To read full report, click here)

Oct 27

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Another Must Read — Pointman: Examples will have to be made: Germany

Pointman — October 26, 2012

I wrote an analysis piece some time back, which put forward the idea that we climate realists had a secret weapon, and that weapon was time. Time would inevitably bring down the environmental movement, because it would demonstrate the fundamental unworkability of its policies in the real world for all to see.

In business studies, there’s a concept called first mover advantage, which says that the first enterprise to identify and move into a brand new business sector, will do well out of it, or hopefully become the dominant player in years to come. In a similar sense, most developed countries around the world moved into greening their economies, but some were the first movers, so they’d be the first to reap the hoped for advantages. Or not.

The downside of the whole first mover concept, is that if the new business sector turns out to be just a fashionable bubble, your business is now in serious trouble. Depending on how early you jumped in and how committed to it you became, the shareholders clear out the boardroom and then call in a decent turnaround specialist or the bankruptcy administrators. The only upside of such a disaster, is that other enterprises considering the same move, back off it. The lesson has been learnt from a rather graphic real world example.

This article is the first in an occasional series pointing out the effect of our secret weapon upon those places around the world, who insisted on buying in early or hard to the dream of that new green Jerusalem, just on the near horizon. Beyond that dubious qualification, the other commonality they will share is the very real harm they’ll have inflicted on their own people, especially the most vulnerable.

(To continue reading, click here)

Related articles:

“Electric Poverty” and Germany’s Green Energy Disaster

Germany’s Renewable Energy Unicorn Hunt Stumbles, Again

Germany has gone further down the ‘renewables’ path than any country in the world, and now it’s paying the price

Oct 27

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Ohio — Wind turbine opponents pack hearing

Mark McGregor — Springfield News — October 26, 2012

About 80 percent who signed petitions were against Champaign County wind farm.

WAYNE TWP., Champaign County —

Nearly 80 percent of the approximately 140 Champaign County residents who signed petitions about the Buckeye II Wind Project on Thursday night were opposed to the project.

The petitions, provided at a 4½-hour public hearing hosted by the Ohio Power Siting Board Thursday night in Wayne Twp., resulted in 110 signatures in opposition and 28 signatures in favor of the project, according to Steve Irwin of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

About 40 people gave sworn testimony before approximately 200 people who turned out for the hearing. Their testimony will be considered in the siting board’s review of the proposed project next month.

Supporters said the estimated 600 construction jobs, 38 permanent jobs and the $840,000 to $1.26 million in local annual tax revenues the project would create greatly outweigh the costs that opponents brought forth — public safety concerns, the vicinity to their homes and resulting loss of property values and environmental impacts.

Joy Moore, speaking for herself and her husband, John, said: “Big wind simply makes benign statements such as industrial wind farms bring green jobs, lower CO2 emissions, makes U.S. less dependent on foreign oil, money for your schools or will help invigorate your local economy. And all the while, they continue to refuse to acknowledge and/or outright dismiss any claims being made by hundreds of people who are living the nightmare of the true realities of having to live among industrial wind farms.”

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 27

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From Frontier Centre for Public Policy — Evaluating McGuinty’s GEA

Steve Lafleur — October 26, 2012

After serving nine years as Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty has stunned the country by announcing his intention to step down as Liberal leader, and to prorogue the legislature.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the man, he has arguably had a bigger impact on the province than any of his predecessors since Bill Davis.  While it would be difficult to adequately weigh the costs and benefits of his decisions … doing so would be rather trivial, given his departure. The next Premier (or two) will still be dealing with the fallout from these decisions….

Green Energy Act: There have been many costly programs implemented, but the Green Energy Act (2009) is unique in that it created a labyrinth of new regulations for one of the provinces most important sectors. Though the Green Energy Act was intended as a means for small producers to sell electricity back to the grid, it has simply lead to massive subsidies to large corporations for very little return.

Small producers looking to take advantage of massive subsidies can take years to have their projects approved, while the provincial government has made lucrative deals with large players such as the $7-billion Samsung deal. If the McGuinty government wanted to reduce emissions, it should have moved aggressively to increase the provinces natural gas generation — the driver behind diminishing emissions in North America.

Oct 26

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Germany — Windmills Overload East Europe’s Grid Risking Blackout

Ladka Bauerova and Tino Andresen — October 25, 2012

Germany is dumping electricity on its unwilling neighbors and by wintertime the feud should come to a head.

Central and Eastern European countries are moving to disconnect their power lines from Germany’s during the windiest days. That’s when they get flooded with energy, echoing struggles seen from China to Texas over accommodating the world’s 200,000 windmills.

Renewable energy around the world is causing problems because unlike oil it can’t be stored, so when generated it must be consumed or risk causing a grid collapse. At times, the glut can be so great that utilities pay consumers to take the power and get rid of it.

“Germany is aware of the problem, but there is not enough political will to solve the problem because it’s very costly,” Pavel Solc, Czech deputy minister of industry and trade, said in an interview. “So we’re forced to make one-sided defensive steps to prevent accidents and destruction.”

The power grids in the former communist countries are “stretched to their limits” and face potential blackouts when output surges from wind turbines in northern Germany or on the Baltic Sea, according to Czech grid operator CEPS. The Czechs plan to install security switches near borders by year-end to disconnect from Europe’s biggest economy to avoid critical overload.

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 26

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Quebec — Negative public response to wind turbine project resounds

Sarah Rennie — The Gleaner — October 22, 2012

Cars and trucks lined both sides of the Ridge Road Tuesday evening as the Town Hall parking lot in Godmanchester overflowed with residents concerned over a proposed project that would see ten wind turbines erected in the municipality. The atmosphere was charged as residents packed into the small room so tightly they were pressed against walls and out the door in the back. A resounding hesitation that quickly gave way to a booming “no” echoed throughout most of the evening’s exchange between the municipal council, the project promoter, Mr. Jean-Claude Desgroseilliers of Troc International, and the public.
In a brief introduction and explanation of the proposed project, Mr. Desgroseillers suggested the wind in Godmanchester was similar to that of Saint-Remi, Saint-Isidore and Sainte-Martine, where the Monteregie Wind Turbine Project is currently under construction by Kruger Energy.
The project on the table in Godmanchester would see the implantation of ten 2.3-megawatt turbines with a rotor diameter of 92 meters within the municipality on the New Erin Road and the Rang 4. The turbines were designed specifically for sites with less wind, and it is the technological advancement in turbines that has rendered Godmanchester a viable location, despite the fact a project was abandoned several years ago due in part to insufficient wind.
Mr. Desgroseillers suggested that his project would follow the stricter standards outlined in the most recent version of the Haut-Saint-Laurent MRC’s modified interim control bylaw, regardless of the fact the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy recently rejected it. According to the current interim control bylaw, now being re-worked by the council of Mayors and the MRC, the 2.3 MW turbines would have to be installed at a minimum of 500 meters from the nearest residence, whereas M. Desgroseillers promises his turbines will be installed 900 meters from residences. The MRC is now considering a recent interim control bylaw approved by the government in the Haut-Richelieu that restricts wind turbines to 2,000 meters, or two kilometers from the nearest residence.

(To continue reading, click here)

Oct 25

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MPP Lisa Thompson had four motions aimed at stopping new industrial wind turbine developments

Denis Langlois — Owen S0und Sun Times — October 25, 2012

Four motions aimed at stopping new industrial wind turbine developments until further studies are completed were wiped out last week when Premier Dalton McGuinty moved to prorogue the Ontario Legislature.

Huron-Bruce Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa Thompson added to the order paper separate calls for a moratorium pending the results of four studies — an already approved assessment by Health Canada on the health impacts of turbines, along with investigations on the economic impacts of the Green Energy Act and approved renewable projects, the environmental impacts of wind projects and the social impacts of turbine developments.

“Those are all gone, so we have to work really really hard to find a workaround in terms of keeping this as a priority and trying to keep a ministry accountable for their actions,” Thompson said Thursday in an interview.

Thompson, the PC party’s deputy energy critic with a focus on the Green Energy Act, had tried before to stop wind turbine developments, introducing her first private member’s bill as MPP in March that called for a moratorium on projects until health, environmental and other impacts are properly studied. Liberal and NDP MPPs voted together to defeat the bill.

Thompson had hoped to bring her four motions forward separately, to keep the heat on the Liberals and the concerns over turbine developments in the forefront.

The motions were killed — nine government bills and 94 private member’s bills in all — were erased Oct. 15 when McGuinty announced his planned resignation as premier and the prorogation of the Ontario Legislature.

(To continue reading, click here)

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