September 29, 2011
Editorials, New York

Wave of costs doom wind plans

The OBSERVER, www.observertoday.com 29 September 2011

It is official. The plug has been pulled by the New York Power Authority on the Great Lakes Offshore Wind project.

A major drawback to plans for turbines in Lake Erie was the subsidy for the program, which would have been paid for by the authority. That cost was between $60 million and $100 million.

“The electricity (wind turbines) produce is far more expensive than standard energy and cannot compete in the free market,” County Legislator George Borrello said. “Since wind is unreliable, it requires back-up from traditional power plants. Companies that got into the windmill business did so to get their piece of the taxpayer dollars being thrown around by the state and federal governments. The only green involved here is money.”

Clean energy may be a priority for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and President Barack Obama, but costs of these projects must be the driving force.

If there is no cost benefit to these plans and subsidies are required to make them happen, that is a losing proposition. One our region and state does not need at this time.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/29/project-wave-of-costs-doom-wind-plans/