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Follow the money
Credit: Watertown Public Opinion | www.thepublicopinion.com ~~
Since June 2019, Xcel Energy has asked Public Utility Commissions for rate hikes in several states to fund wind and transmission line projects: Colorado (Rush Creek Wind Project), Texas (Hale Wind Project), New Mexico (Sagamore Wind Project) and Minnesota (Courtenay ND Wind Farm). How many times have we been told wind energy will decrease rates?
Xcel Energy received 8.2 million dollars from South Dakota taxpayers in 2017 for wind energy. It was just reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Xcel’s CEO is compensated 26 million dollars a year! Xcel received so much money in production tax credits it hasn’t paid federal income tax from 2008-2015 and in 2018 made $1.4 billion but still got a $34 million rebate.
The next falsehood is that wind turbines are environmentally friendly. They are just the opposite, with each turbine using 900 tons of steel, 2500 tons of concrete, 45 tons of non-recyclable plastic and 900 pounds of rare earth elements plus the fossil fuels used to manufacture, deliver, erect and maintain them.
We are told wind developers and utility companies “make huge investments” but I only see taxpayers and rate payers making those investments. Maybe some reporter should investigate the collusion between our state government, public utility commission, wind developers, lobbyists and our Governor’s push for the Green New Deal.
Just start following the money.
Gregg Hubner
Avon, SD
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