Misinformation about wind power
Mailbag for Jan. 24: Draining the swamp; misinformation about wind | The News-Press | Jan. 23, 2017 | www.news-press.com
Mailbag for Jan. 24: Draining the swamp; misinformation about wind | The News-Press | Jan. 23, 2017 | www.news-press.com
As a resident of Block Island Rhode Island (and Cape Coral in the winter), I read the story about the Deepwater Wind offshore windfarm with great interest, but a few additional facts are needed. Our costs per kilowatt on the island go from a low of about 36 cents in winter to about 50 cents in the summer. In Cape Coral, my last LCEC bill was about 11 cents. What the story omitted was the fact that this project was horrendously expensive even with federal subsidies and will actually drive rates up in Rhode Island to the tune of $500 million over the next 20 years. We already have the highest rates of any New England state. The windmills will generate electricity at a cost of about 22 cents and rise every year due to a guarantee provided by Rhode Island.
Worst of all, Block Island residents, like me, just learned that the windfarm will not reduce our island rates. We all want clean energy but this project was a perfect example of crony capitalism. Neither mainland Rhode Islanders nor Block Islanders will see any benefit. The only one to benefit is Deepwater Wind.
William McKernan, Cape Coral
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/01/24/misinformation-about-wind-power/