Wind Power News: Letters
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wind turbines and crazy people
A few years ago, I signed a setback waiver agreement so my neighbors could have a wind turbine on their property. It wasn’t the smartest thing I ever did. But because I did, I am very wary of where sPower is wanting to build these new turbines. Just the other day, I read where Ohio Power Siting Board held a workshop on wind turbine blade throws. It seems when these things fail (and around the world, thousands do every year) . . . Complete story »
Protect people by doing own wind research
Citizens of Morgan County, please go to the website morgancounty-il.com to review the draft of the proposed Wind Energy Conversion Systems Ordinance. It is also available at the county clerk’s office. We have perhaps less than 30 days to request changes. It is your chance to have a say in the future of wind industry in Morgan County. However, many believe we need to keep the wind industry out of our community. The realities of the actual benefits of wind . . . Complete story »
Developers found a way to deal with turbine setbacks
Industrial wind turbine setbacks have been a hot topic for several years. Developers have uttered words like “overly burdensome,” “effective moratorium” and “unreasonable” when describing Ohio’s current setbacks. Here is the reality. My family’s home lies within a currently proposed IWT project and the yard where my children play will have 20 600-foot wind turbines placed within a 1.5-mile radius. The pro-wind lobby would have you believe this is impossible with Ohio’s current setbacks. But the truth is they are . . . Complete story »
Commissioner ignores safety risks
April 24, Seneca County Commissioner Holly Stacy submitted written testimony to the House Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Generation regarding her support of HB 6 which, among other things, would provide funds to help keep the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant operational. I’m glad to see her support of this bill. However, her testimony also raised a concern that HB 6, as written, could potentially harm renewable power generation, including wind power, because some of the funding currently used . . . Complete story »
Time to talk wind turbine setbacks
Per Ohio law, industrial turbines in wind projects must be set back a certain distance from neighbors who are not part of the project. Each year, turbines used in new projects are getting bigger and bigger, from 250 feet tall a dozen years ago to about 600 to 650 feet today. That is as tall as the tallest building in Columbus. In 2014, Ohio’s Legislature increased the setbacks by a marginal amount because of the increasing size of turbines. This . . . Complete story »
Know the pecking order
I want to comment on Brad Johnson’s column on Saturday, April 27: “Wind Industry holds all the cards.” I’m afraid it’s worse than that. In the last legislative session, the governor along with wind industry and the Sierra Club lobbyists pushed through SB15, which eliminates two of the four criteria wind developers must prove. Besides following the law, all that is left is “The facility will not substantially impair the health, safety or welfare of the inhabitants.” Johnson is right, . . . Complete story »
Letter to the editor warns of dangers of proposed wind farm
I wanted to inform you and your readers about the proposed wind farm to be located on Bear River Ridge and Monument Ridge. Terra-Gen plans on installing up to 60 turbines that are 591 feet tall with non-recyclable carbon fiber blades nearly 3 times longer than the tallest building in Humboldt County. These monsters have only a 15 year life span and the amount of steel, concrete and rare earth that goes into these giants is astounding. There will be . . . Complete story »
Abatement not best idea for wind farm
As a resident of Cooke County I am writing to oppose granting a tax abatement for the proposed Wildcat Creek Wind Farm. As a former economic development professional and having served as an official with responsibility for economic development policy and programs at the state and federal levels, I have had extensive experience in considering when a tax abatement is an appropriate tool to attract a significant economic development project. Typically, a tax abatement is only considered appropriate when the . . . Complete story »
Evans residents don’t want wind turbines on lakefront
In 2010, the Town of Evans passed a resolution against the New York Power Authority’s plan to install wind turbines in Lake Erie. Since then, we held back GLOW (Great Lakes Offshore Wind) and LEAP (Lake Erie Alternate Power) for similar plans. The issue has again arisen with the governor’s force behind it. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Green New Deal includes extensive offshore wind farms. I recently attended a meeting with the latest developers. The anti-wind audience reiterated the obvious; the . . . Complete story »
Ill effects of turbines
For all the pretty and annoyingly inane words recently emitted in their media release by Akuo, the developer of the Granite Hills Wind Farm proposed for Brown Mountain, the fact remains that wind turbines emit lots of annoying, damaging infrasound and low frequency noise – ILFN – that is known to cause sleep deprivation and illness. Dr Mariana Alves-Pereira: “The idea that we have to perceive the agent of disease for it to do harm is wrong…different tissues respond differently . . . Complete story »
