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For two ranchers, wind power fizzles
Credit: David Scott, www.kxan.com 20 June 2011 ~~
It may be fitting they live on Purgatory Road in Canyon Lake.
Two years ago, retired ranchers Charles Bracewell and Larry Dean decided to take $30,000 from their savings to “go green”, and purchase two Skystream wind turbines made by the Arizona based Southwest Windpower.
They’ve been in a dispute with the company ever since.
The company advertised utility savings of 30 percent to 80 percent, but Bracewell and Dean say they’ve seen nothing approaching that.
“Regardless of who they sent they couldn’t get the turbines level and float with the wind, and it has to do that for the generator to turn,” Bracewell said.
Six months ago, the company took one of the turbines down to see if it had been affecting the other. Company officials said they would be back in three weeks to re-erect the turbine, but never returned.
Bracewell began posting his grievances on Youtube and elsewhere, prompting Southwest Windpower to send out a lawyer.
“They sent an attorney out here who kind of scared us and threatened us,” Davis said. “We don’t appreciate him coming to our home.”
The company chalked up the dissatisfaction as a fight the customers relish waging, and insist there’s nothing wrong with the equipments.
“Mr. Bracewell and Mr. Dean made it clear they rather enjoyed battling with Southwest Windpower,” the company said in a statement to KXAN. “Southwest Windpower nevertheless stands by the Skystreajm 3.7 wind generators.”
Bracewell and Dean say the company offered a refund of $11,300 and a promise to remove the turbines. They turned the offer down.
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