Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Anything in our community you would like to discuss? Post it here.
My2Cents
MVP Member
Posts: 1132
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:49 pm
If Mike has 13 apples, and gives six to Jane, how many does he have left?: 13
Location: Tyrone, PA

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by My2Cents »

9 or 10 turbines could never equal a functioning wind farm. I hope somebody out there is paying attention, and is up to their tricks, before they go ahead and plow thru anyway. They have tried to put the cart before the horse before. Oh, what a waste of time they are causing.... what a waste !!! 30 years ??!!! Can you picture that area in 30 years if they are allowed to continue ??? Along with ALL that is wrong with these monstrosities another fact should be noted.... We think we have gypsy moths now.... that whole area, including their cut-down trees, will be devistated.... they will never be able to glide a plane over that canopy to spray for them. We will have to add another hollow... how about "Gypsy Hollow ??!!"
User avatar
Fightin' Irish
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:25 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Fightin' Irish »

My2Cents wrote:9 or 10 turbines could never equal a functioning wind farm.
Sandstone was referring only to the # of turbines on Borough of Tyrone property. He's right. It would be 10 on Borough land. 12 other turbines would be on land owned by private clubs (Alleghany Hunting Club) and private individuals.
Image
sandstone
MVP Member
Posts: 461
Joined: Sat May 12, 2007 1:09 am
If Mike has 13 apples, and gives six to Jane, how many does he have left?: 13
Location: Sinking Valley

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by sandstone »

Fightin' Irish wrote:
My2Cents wrote:9 or 10 turbines could never equal a functioning wind farm.
Sandstone was referring only to the # of turbines on Borough of Tyrone property. He's right. It would be 10 on Borough land. 12 other turbines would be on land owned by private clubs (Alleghany Hunting Club) and private individuals.
Correct.

Here's the breakdown:

Turbines s1-s6: Prohibited by FAA
Turbines s7-s16: on Borough of Tyrone property
Turbines x1-x3: on Alleghany Hunting Club property
Turbines s17-s21: on Beiler property
Turbines s22-s24: on Walk property
Turbine s25: on Slager property

Turbines s17-s25 are plotted on Gardner Mountain in Taylor Township, Centre County, the remainder on Ice Mountain in Snyder Township, Blair County.
Ice Man
MVP Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Ice Man »

Until recently, clean energy didn't noticeably affect rates because it accounts for just 3% of U.S. power generation. That's changing as utilities scramble to meet state quotas, says Standard & Poor's analyst Anne Selting. Among rate increases:

• In Arizona, Tucson Electric Power has raised rates 4.5%, or about $4 a month for an average customer, the past two years to fund new solar power to meet state quotas. Solar is pricey, costing more than twice as much as natural-gas-fired electricity. And since Arizona has surplus natural-gas power, the solar energy has not replaced generators that would be built otherwise, says the utility's Joe Salkowski.

• In Oregon, Portland General Electric is seeking a 2.3% rate increase to raise the annual $41.3 million needed to fund construction of a big wind farm.

• In Texas, the prices Austin Energy pays for wind power more than doubled recently. The reasons: strict state renewable quotas that drive up demand and high costs to deliver wind energy from West Texas, says General Manager Roger Duncan. Customer charges could rise next year, he says.

• California has among the highest electric rates, partly because it requires 20% clean energy by 2010, Makovich says. And with the most accessible green power tapped, Southern California Edison is spending $2 billion to build lines to deliver wind energy from remote areas, says utility executive Pedro Pizarro. It's also developing expensive solar power.

Renewable energy is deemed a bargain, as there are no fuel costs. But since it's spotty, utilities must set aside conventional power as backup and build lines to deliver clean power from far away. Wind power is 30% more costly than natural-gas-fired energy after figuring those costs and assuming moderate gas prices, CERA says. A U.S. standard requiring 20% clean energy by 2020 could boost electric rates about 15%, vs. building standard power, Makovich says.
User avatar
Fightin' Irish
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:25 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Fightin' Irish »

Ice Man wrote:
Fightin' Irish wrote:
NMB[shorty]1975 wrote:Is there any satilite photos sites that show any of the turbine sites. I have checked Google Earth but imagery seems to be too old.

I am not taking sides on the issue. I no longer live in Tyrone or the surrounding area so my opinion doesn't apply.
Image

Turbine locations are green circles, numbered. Roads are blue. Solid black line is project boundary.

Watershed Management Program Manager, 208 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701.

Centre County Conservation District: 414 Holmes Avenue, Suite 4, Bellefonte, PA 16823, (814) 355-6817.

NPDES permit # PAI041409007

Sandy Ridge Wind, LLC
1801 Market Street
Suite 2200
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Affected waterways:
Three Springs and Sand Spring Runs HQ
Sink and Decker Runs TSF
Vanscoyoc Run CWF
Big Fill Run EV
ON THE MAP ABOVE, TURBINES 1-6 ARE PROHIBITED BY THE FAA AS A HAZARD TO AIRCRAFT

Hi folks,

I copied the sections from the FAA letters to Gamesa for the denied turbines, in case you would like to see what the FAA sent to Gamesa. Each turbine app generates an individual letter from FAA. I copied parts of each letter pertaining to the ones that were denied by the FAA.

Laura



Tyrone App to the FAA

The following are hazardous at any height to aircraft:

SR-S1
SR-S2
SR-S3
SR-S4
SR-S5
SR-S6

Excerpts from the FAA letters:

** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S3
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-43-22.27N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-18-00.82W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2959 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2484 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued.

** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S4
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-43-29.69N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-17-51.19W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2955 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2480 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued.

Issued Date: 07/30/2009
Josh Framel
Gamesa Energy USA L.L.C.
One South Broad St. 20th Fl
Philadelphia, PA 19107


** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S6
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-43-13.89N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-17-33.07W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2930 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2455 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued.

Issued Date: 07/30/2009
Josh Framel
Gamesa Energy USA L.L.C.
One South Broad St. 20th Fl
Philadelphia, PA 19107

** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S1
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-43-31.22N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-18-18.91W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2988 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2513 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued.



** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S2
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-44-00.61N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-17-53.39W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2982 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2507 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued.


** NOTICE OF PRESUMED HAZARD **
The Federal Aviation Administration has conducted an aeronautical study under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.,
Section 44718 and if applicable Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:
Structure: Wind Turbine SR - S5
Location: Tyrone, PA
Latitude: 40-43-36.94N NAD 83
Longitude: 78-17-42.20W
Heights: 475 feet above ground level (AGL)
2917 feet above mean sea level (AMSL)
Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would
have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation
facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air
navigation.
If the structure were reduced in height so as not to exceed 0 feet above ground level (2442 feet above mean sea
level), it would not exceed obstruction standards and a favorable determination could subsequently be issued
FAA rejects proposed Ice Mountain turbines

By Greg Bock, gbock@altoonamirror.com POSTED: August 12, 2009
http://altoonamirror.com/page/content.d ... 21543.html

TYRONE - The Federal Aviation Administration has rejected six proposed wind turbine sites on Tyrone Borough's watershed.

The sites, a portion of the 28 sites that Gamesa Energy USA submitted this spring for approval, would interfere with an FAA navigational device on Ice Mountain, FAA spokesman Jim Peters said Tuesday.

Josh Framel, project developer for the proposed 25-turbine Sandy Ridge Wind Farm that would span parts of Blair and Centre counties, said the project passed muster with the FAA two years ago, but an increase in planned turbine height means Gamesa will have to examine its options at those particular sites.

Gamesa planned for turbines rising 390 feet above the ground, including the tallest tip of the blades, but have since chosen turbines with towers 100 feet higher, taking the height to 475 feet, Framel said.

The larger turbines would be more efficient and ultimately mean more revenue for Tyrone Borough, Framel said. The borough approved an agreement in March to allow Gamesa to build about 15 turbines on its watershed in Snyder Township.

Borough officials said they weren't aware of the FAA's rejection.

Gamesa isn't considering moving the six turbines at odds with the FAA, Framel said.

"We're sticking with our layout and addressing their concerns," Framel said, noting that reducing the size of the turbines in question is one avenue the company is considering.

The ruling by the FAA is good news, if part of Ice Mountain is spared from the development, Juniata Valley Audubon spokesman Stan Kotala said Monday night.

"At least it saves the western portion of that area," said Kotala, who has been a vocal opponent of developing Ice Mountain. "It's great for the watershed and great for the forest itself."

The FAA's ruling illustrates the stringent regulatory standards the company must follow before construction begins to ensure protection of the environment, Framel said.

Later this month, Gamesa's plans will go before the Centre County Planning Commission. State Department of Environmental Protection permits still are in the works, Framel said.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7446.
Image
Ice Man
MVP Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Ice Man »

Wind technology is a lot of dumb and ugly in service to ignorance and greed. Because it produces no capacity value, is inimical to demand cycles, and provides only early nineteenth century power productivity (in the process destabilizing the match between supply and demand and making everything and everyone around it work harder) it cannot shutter any conventional plants or reduce meaningful levels of CO2. Massive wind technology will, however, damage much of what many knowledgeable environmentalists hold dear, not least intrusively increasing our footprint on the land in ways that will decrease other (often more vulnerable) species and valuable habitat while furthering the cause of civil discord.
User avatar
Fightin' Irish
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:25 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Fightin' Irish »

County to hear plans for wind farm

Gamesa Energy USA's plan for a 25-turbine wind farm that would straddle the Centre-Blair county border will be up for review at the Centre County Planning Commission's August meeting. The Sandy Ridge Wind Farm will be built on 4,683 acres of land, some of it in Taylor Township, for which the company has lease agreements allowing placement of the turbines. The turbines will be 404 or 475 feet high. ...The project has sparked opposition from residents and organizations concerned about the potential negative effects of splitting up the forest.

July 26, 2009 by Anne Danahy in Centre Daily Times

Gamesa Energy USA's plan for a 25-turbine wind farm that would straddle the Centre-Blair county border will be up for review at the Centre County Planning Commission's August meeting.

The Sandy Ridge Wind Farm will be built on 4,683 acres of land, some of it in Taylor Township, for which the company has lease agreements allowing placement of the turbines. The turbines will be 404 or 475 feet high. Once completed, the footprint of the wind farm will cover 143 acres.

Josh Framel, senior project developer, said he's hoping construction will start next year and be completed before the end of the year. The wind farm still has to go through various reviews and get approvals, including a review by the Centre County Planning Commission for the Taylor Township portion of the project.

Planning Director Bob Jacobs said the normal review process for a land development plan includes looking at factors such as the storm water management plan, roads and easements.

Plans for the wind farm include putting nine of the turbines in Taylor Township southwest of Route 350 and 10 to 15 on Ice Mountain in Snyder Township. Tyrone owns the land in Snyder Township, and Borough Council voted in March to lease it Gamesa. The borough stands to earn $3 million to $5 million over the course of the 30-year agreement, in addition to royalties of 3 to 4.5 percent.

Snyder Township will get paid $3,000 a year per turbine under its wind ordinance, and Taylor Township will also make $3,000 a year per turbine in an agreement with the company. The company also has agreements with the landowners in Taylor Township.

The project has sparked opposition from residents and organizations concerned about the potential negative effects of splitting up the forest.

Framel said the company is working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state Game Commission and other agencies on site studies. The results, he said, have the shown the project's impact will be small. About 1 acre of land is permanently cleared for each windmill.

Framel said the project will create five to 10 permanent jobs, along with construction work.
Image
Ice Man
MVP Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Ice Man »

http://www.saveouralleghenyridges.org/

PA Department of Environmental Protection
North Central Office
208 W. Third St. Suite 101
Williamsport, PA 17701

Dear Mr. Garg,

I am writing in regards to the recent NPDES Individual Permit Application #PAI041409007 submitted by Sandy Ridge Wind LLC for the construction of industrial wind turbines on the Allegheny Front in Blair and Centre Counties. As chair of Save Our Allegheny Ridges, I would like to express our opposition to the proposed industrial wind project in the Sandy Ridge area.

Although Gamesa’s engineer maintains that construction disturbance will be limited to a “50-foot right of way along the centerline of the road route”, it is quite obvious from examining the permit application at the Blair County Conservation District that the clearings for road construction will have to be much wider than 100 feet. Although the engineer maintains that construction will “improve the quality of the runoff from the roadways by eliminating ruts and potholes”, the construction, or widening, of roads on steep slopes in the high quality and exceptional value watersheds will most certainly degrade water quality in these sensitive areas.

The extensive excavation and soil removal that will be required to install the access roads in the Big Fill watershed indicate that such a location is unwarranted. DEP is charged with protecting EV streams from any degradation. Therefore, the developer should propose a different route that will minimize impacts in this watershed.

Gamesa states that the “roads will be temporarily widened” and “then minimized once turbine construction is completed.” Having seen what Gamesa has done in the construction of the Allegheny Ridge Wind project in Blair and Cambria counties, I question just how much minimization will actually occur. I am including a series of pictures that were taken of the Allegheny Ridge Wind Project, post-construction, so you can see the stormwater management concerns that still exist.

Another major concern is the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration has deemed turbines SR-S1 through SR-S6 as obstructions to aircraft at any height. This means that Gamesa will have to reconfigure road and turbine locations, if these 6 turbines are to remain as viable components of the Sandy Ridge project. Until Gamesa does obtain approval from the FAA, I suggest that it is premature for the DEP to act on any aspect of this application.

The Sandy Ridge wind project is ill conceived and poorly planned. The Save Our Allegheny Ridges requests a public hearing, so concerns regarding water quality impacts can be presented.

Sincerely,

Laura Jackson, Chair
Save Our Allegheny Ridges

http://www.saveouralleghenyridges.org/
My2Cents
MVP Member
Posts: 1132
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:49 pm
If Mike has 13 apples, and gives six to Jane, how many does he have left?: 13
Location: Tyrone, PA

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by My2Cents »

Whoa !! Clicked on the web site above (SOAR) and I couldn't click on anything within the site AND I couldn't get out of it.... the whole thing froze. I had to end up doing the control, alt, delete and completely shut down computer.
kayaker-one
New Member
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by kayaker-one »

I just checked the SOAR website and didn't have any problems. Maybe your computer malfunctioned.
User avatar
Fightin' Irish
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:25 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Fightin' Irish »

My2Cents wrote:Whoa !! Clicked on the web site above (SOAR) and I couldn't click on anything within the site AND I couldn't get out of it.... the whole thing froze. I had to end up doing the control, alt, delete and completely shut down computer.
More Gamesa dirty tricks!
Image
My2Cents
MVP Member
Posts: 1132
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:49 pm
If Mike has 13 apples, and gives six to Jane, how many does he have left?: 13
Location: Tyrone, PA

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by My2Cents »

I thought that at first Irish. All is well now. was able to get into and click on things without any problems. Don't know what happened... maybe because I had 2 other programs open in background. Oh well, just glad nothing was wrong. A friend of mine went to the fair this week and brought me back a bumper sticker stating; " I Love (picture of heart) Wind Energy" and also a kiddy page with pictures of wind "mills" and a wind turbine to color in. ROFLOL, some "friend" huh ?? :jester: They couldn't wait to bring that to me !! :lol: They knew how much I would appreciate the thought.
Last edited by My2Cents on Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Fightin' Irish
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:25 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Fightin' Irish »

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/s ... 50853.html

FAA deals blow to Gamesa

Anne Danahy- adanahy@centredaily.com

The Federal Aviation Administration has found six of the 25 wind turbines Gamesa Energy wants to build in Taylor and Snyder townships to be "presumed hazards," but the company is continuing to study the proposed location in hopes of changing that determination.

The turbines in the proposed Sandy Ridge Wind Farm would be 475 feet tall. Nine of them would be in Taylor Township, Centre County. The rest would be in neighboring Snyder Township, Blair County, on land owned by Tyrone.

Joshua Framel, project developer with Gamesa Energy USA, said the company had applied for and received FAA clearance a couple years ago for the project, but later increased the height of the proposed towers by 70 feet. He said the FAA had changed its guidelines since then.

According to the FAA, the other 19 proposed turbines received “favorable determinations,” so the FAA won’t have any further involvement with their construction.

However, six were found to be “presumed hazards” because of their potential to interfere with signals sent and received by the ground-based navigation aid that is less than two nautical miles from where they would be built.

Gamesa could relocate the six proposed turbines outside of that area, closer to the 19 that received favorable determinations, an FAA spokesman said. If that happens, the FAA will do a new study.

But Framel said Gamesa is studying whether the turbines would have an effect on the radar. He said the other options are to move the proposed turbines or reduce their height. The FAA says in its determination that it wouldn’t “exceed obstruction standards” if each structure “were reduced in height so an not to exceed 0 (zero) feet above ground level.”

Framel said Gamesa hasn’t really looked at having only 19 turbines on the site.

The company has also submitted a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System construction stormwater permit to the state Department of Environmental Protection. According to DEP, that department and the county conservation districts are reviewing the erosion and sedimentation control plan, and the DEP is reviewing the construction stormwater section.

In a letter to one of DEP’s regional offices, the Little Juniata River Assocation expressed concern about the impact wind farm construction could have on “sensitive aquatic resources located within the project boundary.”

Association President Bill Anderson said the access road for the wind turbines will go up the hollow in the headwaters for Big Fill Run, which is the only exceptional value stream in the entire Little Juniata watershed and feeds a hatchery.

“In spite of assurances of best management practices and the rest, it’s hard for us to imagine it will not have an impact on Big Fill Run,” he said.

The Centre County Planning Commission is scheduled to review the preliminary land development plan for the Taylor Township part of the project at the commission’s meeting Tuesday. The company wants to finish building the wind farm by the end of the year.

Anne Danahy can be reached at 231-4648.

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/s ... 50853.html
Image
Ice Man
MVP Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Ice Man »

Hi folks,

Excellent article with quotes by scientists on the wind “gold rush”. Note that wind is an example of energy sprawl. I put some of the article to red, to highlight scientists’ comments.

Laura

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/88399 ... wer-blows/

Boston Phoenix: 8/19/09 Why wind power blows

Why we shouldn't overload our energy basket with wind eggs

The world is looking for a no-brainer solution to the 21st century's impending energy crisis, and wind power seems to provide many of the right answers. But those who want to run straight for the first ridgetop and put up a turbine might want to slow down a second. In addition to its distinct advantages, wind power has real drawbacks that must be addressed before it is hailed as our global-warming savior.

Around New England, and especially in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, activists have many reasons to oppose specific projects, or wind-power development at-large. Ask one of them about the pitfalls of wind energy, and then get comfortable — the list can include doomsday wildlife predictions, decapitation by enormous blades, negative effects on tourism, soaring energy costs, even a suspicious-sounding sickness or a crazy-making continuous drone.

"There's a lot more efficient means to reducing carbon-dioxide emissions," says Audra Parker, executive director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which is against the offshore Cape Wind project (currently stalled in litigation), and favors energy-efficiency measures as a means to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

"You always have to have a conventional power plant [in addition to a wind farm] running at capacity to meet the demand — the conventional power plants have never been shut down," says Anthony Spiratos, president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Clean Energy, which opposes the offshore wind-energy installment proposed by Governor Don Carcieri.

"The wind industry is in denial about human suffering caused by turbine noise, just as the tobacco and asbestos industries were in denial about the health effects of their products," says Steve Thurston, of Maine's People's Task Force on Wind Power. "There is no excuse for this industry to torment citizens who desire nothing more than a good night's sleep and to enjoy the peace and quiet of their rural environment." To that end, a group of Maine citizens just sued First Wind (see "A Mighty Wind," page 10) and several other parties; they say the noise generated by turbines negatively affects property values and quality of life.

While "wind-turbine syndrome" — described by New England doctor Nina Pierpont as a set of symptoms, including sleep disturbances, irritability, and nausea, brought on the by the low-frequency sound of industrial wind turbines — may never be widely diagnosed, there are other wind-skeptic arguments that point to unresolved issues. For fear of being labeled NIMBY-ites — Not In My Back Yard elitists along the lines of Ted Kennedy who simply don't want their views marred by towering turbines — opponents buttress their arguments with rah-rah-renewables rhetoric: they know they're up against the money and enthusiasm of the federal government, private companies, and the citizenry.

Even the Nature Conservancy's national energy expert, Jimmie Powell, has publicly acknowledged that leading alternative-energy sources (wind, solar, and biomass) take up a "substantial" amount of land — more than their un-green counterparts. He and other authors of an upcoming paper on this issue call it "energy sprawl," and predict that by 2030, energy production will occupy an additional 79,537 square miles of land in the United States — an area about the size of Kansas (which, itself, is about eight times as large as Massachusetts).

Many other green-minded organizations cite ecosystem destruction as a drawback to wind power. Though advanced technology (such as slower-spinning blades that produce the same amount of energy) helps prevent bird and bat death, there's no denying that wind farms and the roads leading toward them take up forested space typically inhabited by animal and plant species. Environmental organizations agree that many of these conservation concerns can be addressed by creating wind-farm site regulations that protect habitats, ecosystems, and livelihoods of those who depend on those ecosystems, particularly with regard to offshore wind farms and fishermen. Such regulations are being developed at the state and federal level, but striking a balance between the hunger for clean energy and the obligation to conservation can be difficult.

"Some of these areas are extremely important from a global-warming perspective," Mass Audubon Legislative Director Jennifer Ryan says of Maine's western mountain range, and the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, which house large chunks of the Appalachian Trail. "It's even more important to protect them from having roads be put into them. The question of standards and guidelines is extremely important." By identifying appropriate and inappropriate locations for land-based wind farms, says Ryan, governments can mitigate habitat disruption, protect public lands, and hasten the permitting process.

However, standardized siting regulations won't address the biggest issues: transmission and backup capacity. An analysis by the Paris-based International Energy Agency suggested that, in some cases, for every 100 megawatts of wind power you need 100 megawatts of fossil, nuclear, or hydroelectric power as a backup. This takes into account wind's intermittency, and the fact that if the wind is blowing hard, and producing too much power, the grid can become overloaded. If transmission is up-to-snuff and there's easy access to a large electric grid, that ratio changes, and less backup capacity is needed. But in the United States, energy-transmission capacity is one of the biggest infrastructure hurdles we face.

"Visual, noise, birds — those problems are all, quite frankly, overblown," says economist and public-utilities expert Richard Silkman, co-founder of the nascent energy-service company GridSolar. The bigger question, he says, is, "How are we going to move the wind? I think the more significant impacts are the transmission-related impacts. . . . The transmission infrastructure necessary to move that power around the region in a reliable way is extraordinarily large." (Silkman is, admittedly, also promoting his own plan, GridSolar, which eliminates the need for huge transmission lines by setting up smaller solar installations in open fields around Maine.)

These transmission issues, in turn, can jack up energy prices. Larry Makovich, of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, said in USA Today that the need to build new transmission lines and keep backup power online is expensive. CERA estimates that the Obama administration's 20-percent-from-renewables goal could boost electric rates by 15 percent, because wind power is 30 percent more expensive than natural-gas energy.

Which is all to say: even if these issues are worked out, there's still danger in complacency — in thinking that wind power can solve the planet's global-warming woes. Nature Conservancy scientist M.A. Sanjayan, on the nature.org Web site, distilled the inherent controversy in a blog post that promoted efficiency first: "Is building a wind turbine better than building a coal-fired plant to meet new energy needs? No doubt. But better still? Not to build anything new in the first place."

Deirdre Fulton can be reached at dfulton@phx.com.
Ice Man
MVP Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:56 am

Re: Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

Post by Ice Man »

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/nuclear/?cid=5

On October 15-16, Penn State University's Nuclear Energy Symposium will emphasize and promote the positive economic, environmental, and research opportunities that nuclear energy presents to Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region. The symposium will also highlight Penn State's contributions towards the nuclear power industry, as it falls on the 15th anniversary of nuclear engineering education at the university. The program will be held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel

We hope that you will help us support nuclear energy by attending these events, and we encourage you to invite any of your employees, colleagues or constituents that would be interested in attending either or both of these events.

More information on these events can be found on our website, www.PAEnergyAlliance.com , under the "Events" section. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me at awagner@paenergyalliance.com.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Wagner
PA Energy Alliance
717-319-1988
PAEnergyAlliance.com

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/nuclear/index.html
Post Reply