March 15, 2011
Illinois

Turbine a poor investment

GateHouse News Service, www.sj-r.com 15 March 2011

What is going on in the minds of the park board members?

The board approved $100,000 for the purchase and installation of the wind turbine at Southwind Park. Another $50,000 was paid by grants, I assume from the federal government. That’s $150,000 spent and we are told that by doing so we will save $1,350 each year in electrical costs.

That is the dumbest investment I have ever encountered. It would take 111 years to break even and that is with no maintenance costs.

We have a power plant at CWLP that has more generating capacity than it can possibly sell. Why not use it and the money stays in Springfield?

If the $150,000 were invested in an interest-bearing account at .0325 percent, we would generate $4,875 per year – 31/2 times the proposed savings with the turbine. This may make some of the green advocates feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but I just think that our park board needs a new calculator!

Jim Doyle
Springfield

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/15/turbine-a-poor-investment/