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Tony Blair, before Christmas 2005, admitted that wind power was not effective in the fight against global warming. Think on it.
His [Dr. Charles Warren] study has little relevance to the debate on wind farms, and it is unhelpful for him to offer up what appears to be disingenuous research.
These fairly pointless articles, which only work an average of three days out of seven, blight the landscape to little purpose.
UK's wind farm record is still dismal-Wind power is not a silver bullet for UK energy
October 4, 2010 in Process and Control Today
October 4, 2010 in Process and Control Today
"Because of its intermittent nature, wind power generation must be backed-up up by ‘dirty' fossil-fuelled power generation. The country's current renewable energy ambitions are therefore likely to usher in a matching 'dash for gas' to maintain security of supply, with the risks this implies for greater exposure on gas imports.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
UK]
Royal Dutch Shell took a lot of flak when it pulled out of the huge "London Array" offshore wind farm in the U.K. last week. The prevailing explanation for the withdrawal? Higher oil prices make old-fashioned energy a more attractive investment than still-immature renewable energy. Perhaps there's a less-conspiratorial explanation. Maybe offshore wind power just isn't up to snuff yet. Denmark's Vestas, the world's biggest wind-turbine maker, today said Europe should curb its enthusiasm for massive offshore wind farms, and focus on regular onshore wind power.
Also filed under [
General|
Technology]
According to the Jan. 4 edition of "Engineering News Record," a most respected publication, the cable and wind farms could eventually cost up to $6 billion and take 10 years to complete. The cable would strengthen Hawaiian Electric's monopoly grids and cost the tax- and ratepayers billions to fund this project. Millions have already been spent on studying the ocean floor, the grid, marketing and more. It seems that none of the parties involved have done the basic math.
I live in Croeserw and I had beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
Now I cringe at the view from the rear of my home - 16 gigantic wind turbines on the Abercregan Mountain, like something out of a science-fiction film.
To make matters worse, the Spanish company Gamesa plans to erect another 10 turbines on mountains in front of my house which will be nearly twice the size of the ones already standing - in fact, the largest in Europe - and another four of this size on the Glyncorrwg Mountain, which is to the rear right of my house.
Croeserw and Cymmer will be surrounded by wind turbines, which will be seen through the whole of the Afan, Llynfi and Garw valleys if this proposal goes ahead.
The people of the Valleys must unite and say NO! to this rape of our beautiful countryside.
If we focus on just the United States, with 300 million people and 100 quadrillion Btu of energy, the consumption per person jumps by a factor of five: 100 100-watt light bulbs. To be sure, this energy is not consumed in the form of electricity, but in the form of gasoline, coal, hydro power, etc. Yet many people project that this magnitude of energy consumption can be sustained by energy sources such as solar collectors on roofs, biofuel from switchgrass, and wind farms. These people simply can't do arithmetic.
Despite this overwhelming public wish, a tiny planning decision committee (PDC) of four AMs overthrew the inquiry inspector's finding against the wind farm. To add insult to this undemocratic injury, WAG has now proposed that the PDC procedure shall be scrapped.
One can only hope the new procedure will bend more to the will of the people.
In Provence's Valee des Baux, where we live when not at home in Moray, wind farms are forbidden. Being France's most popular southern tourist destination, there is a consensus in Les Baux that any development likely to jeopardise the area's outstanding beauty must be banned. Similarly, Moray's future as a truly unique tourist destination in Scotland, and ultimately in Europe, will depend on how well it protects its own unique landscape.
I view with dismay how your counties of the South West are being ravaged by the desire of others for you to solve the world's climate change problems.I am not surprised that the wind farm development at Fullabrook Down in North Devon was passed. Cornwall has been an easy target for developers and now, with government blessing, the race is on to ruin Devon. ...One problem for our ministers, planners and inspectors is that unless they take the time to do independent research, the technical data they are presented with will have been supplied either directly by the British Wind Energy Association or an agency which gets it from the same source. While the public begins to wise up to wind power the Government still sees what it wants to.
There are no definitive, objective studies of effects of wind energy projects on property values; however, real estate agents recognize and agree that properties with significant natural views have premium value and intrusions on these views erode value. Read all the references to "beautiful view" in real estate ads. People care greatly about view and buy accordingly.
UPC’s claims to the board and to the media, that they have worked with the community in making these changes, are a lie. They are attempting to divide and bankrupt the opposition with these tactics, and in so doing are undermining the 248 process by making it too expensive for a small poor town or opposing group to participate. If they are successful and get their foot in the door, they will surely try to put in more towers here in the future, and the rush of wind developers in the NEK will begin. Hopefully the board will see the arrogance and duplicity of UPC’s ploy, and dismiss this case as soon as possible.
I encourage the governor to just say "no" to this steamrolling of our duly elected county officials and let all who would have business in this state and county abide by the democratic process. If those that want winds farms in this area don't like the ruling of the county commissions, throw them out of office through the democratic process. Don't be a party to perpetrating this dangerous precedent upon the citizens of this state by nullifying our most sacred treasure: our right to vote and to have our vote count.
Also filed under [
General|
Washington]
If P.E.I. has any future in the generation of wind energy, it needs the cable to export it. One way or another, Premier Binns has to drive home this point to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government.
I was shocked at your editorial of March 5 titled "Let wind project breathe free." Your statement that the Hoosac Wind Project "will provide enough power to the grid to serve roughly 9,000 homes" is utterly ridiculous since it implies that the beneficiaries will be residential users. Somewhere between 60 and 80 percent of our electricity use is encumbered by business and industry. Furthermore, whatever electricity provided by the project does not go directly to residential users anyway.
Wind power has never caused a fossil fuel or nuclear power plant to be shut down. Wind power is so unpredictable (and generation is much less in summer months when demand is high) that all those nasty polluting plants still have to continue to operate.
You also write about with the "perils of global warming and of dependence on Middle Eastern countries for oil, wind energy is moving to the foreground" Windmills produce electricity, not effectively or efficiently, but that is all they produce. Less than 3 percent of U.S. electricity is produced by oil-fired plants. So given the paltry amount of unreliable electricity produced by wind farms, would we reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil? Of course not.
The state shouldn't allow companies to build hundreds of windmills off the coast without first studying their effects on tourism, anglers and wildlife.
There's no bigger part of New Jersey's multi-billion dollar tourism industry than the shore.