April 22, 2011
Connecticut, Letters

Wind turbine jobs

Litchfield County Times, www.countytimes.com 21 April 2011Litchfield County Times, www.countytimes.com 21 April 2011

If you believe BNE Energy’s industrial wind turbine projects in Prospect and Colebrook will create jobs, read Joel Rinebold’s testimony before the Connecticut Siting Council. Who is Joel Rinebold? Mr. Rinebold was hired by BNE to prepare an Economic Energy Analysis for their projects. Interestingly, Mr. Rinebold is a former executive director of the Connecticut Siting Council. It seems that the more one digs into these projects, the muddier the waters become.

In a short synopsis of Mr. Rinebold’s analysis, there will be one part-time job created once the turbines become operational. One part-time job.

How can Mr. Rhinebold and BNE call this job creation? Apparently, you have to look at the overall picture—here come the smoke and mirrors—Mr. Rinebold’s Economic Energy Analysis references jobs created within the renewable energy INDUSTRY, not specifically here in Connecticut. According to the analysis, six construction jobs will be created, 10 jobs will be created within the equipment manufacturing INDUSTRY, and five jobs will be created within the SECTORS helping produce technology for this industry. So overall, according to Mr. RInebold, 21 total jobs will be created, of which, SIX will be in Connecticut. However, after the turbines are constructed and become operational, Connecticut can count on ONE PART-TIME job.

What a boon to Connecticut’s struggling economy! One part-time job. Gee, thanks BNE! You’ve spent millions of our taxpayer dollars to fund your project, which will make you millions and give us half a job!

Oh wait; we can’t dismiss the clean renewable energy that will be created—when the wind blows—because the wind industry has no technology for storing energy for use when there is no wind.

No wind? Look to the Phoenix Press in New Haven and ask how their wind turbine worked out last summer when Connecticut had strings of windless days. The Phoenix Press acknowledged their turbine didn’t perform as expected, but they discovered it makes a great marketing tool as a company going green.

Connecticut, we need to let Governor Malloy, Commissioner Daniel Esty (DEEP), and our legislators know we do not want to host the next marketing tools for the wind industry: Wind Prospect, Wind Colebrook South, and Wind Colebrook North. Nor do we want shady, well-connected lawyers with no experience in the wind industry to waste additional taxpayer dollars on projects that will NOT have a significant benefit on Connecticut’s economy.