Wind turbine article deceiving
The News-Banner | February 1, 2016 | news-banner.com
The wind turbine article in the Tuesday, Jan. 19 edition is deceiving. It talks of saving a school’s energy costs. Let’s look at what the article says.
The wind turbine cost was at least $2.6 million in bonds plus grants. It will save them (using their averages) about $114,000 annually for electricity. At that rate it takes 22.8 years to pay back the $2.6 million in bonds. This is approximately the useful life of the turbine.
But what about the bond interest, the maintenance and insurance? At a 5 percent interest rate over 20 years, the interest cost alone is $1.5 million.
The school may be saving money but the taxpayer whose money is used to provide the grants and repay the bonds certainly are not.
LINUS HARROLD
rural Bluffton
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/02/01/wind-turbine-article-deceiving/