No checks on turbines
The Recorder | Monday, August 18, 2014 | www.recorder.com
It’s no surprise to those who are familiar with wind turbines and the companies that sell them that the Hoosac Wind turbines are out of compliance with the state’s noise regulations. All over the world, people living in the vicinity of wind turbines experience the same health problems. These huge industrial machines have destroyed their peace and quiet and robbed them of sleep. The lack of candor of those promoting wind energy is remarkable. Victims often say that they were told that the turbine noise would be “no louder than the hum of their refrigerator.”
There seem to be no regulations regarding what wind salesmen and proponents can say or leave unsaid about their product and some people who would not buy a new toaster without checking up on it in Consumer Reports believe what they are told by wind sales people without a blink. For example, The Recorder article says that each turbine “has the ability to produce 1.5 megawatts of electricity.” This is I believe what is call “capacity.” But this assumes that the turbine spins all or most of the time, which it does not do. Some wind turbines have 30 percent capacity and others less. Hoosac Wind claims that their turbines worked at 40 percent capacity in 2013. This was self-reporting and even if accurate is far below the amount advertised.
I would like to see a Consumers Report on wind turbines. It would have to report the discrepancy between the advertised wind turbine capacity and the real capacity. It would need to point out the vast amounts of fossil fuel needed to manufacture, transport, build roads for and to erect the turbines. The extraordinary tax breaks and subsidies that we are all paying for would have to be documented. The destruction of natural habitat and untold numbers of birds and bats could not go unmentioned and the marring of beautiful scenic areas would have to be included in the assessment.
TRINA SEARS STERNSTEIN
Hawley
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/08/19/no-checks-on-turbines/