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Vestas changes its mind, says it will close Colorado R&D office
Denver Business Journal ^ | October 31, 2012 | Mark Harden

Posted on 11/01/2012 8:17:11 AM PDT by george76

Vestas Wind Systems said late Wednesday it will shut down its research and development offices in Louisville and in two other states, rather than consolidate them in Brighton as it announced less than a month ago... The Danish wind-turbine maker ... Vestas will close its three R&D offices in the United States by the end of the second quarter in 2013.”

The other two offices are in Houston and Marlborough, Mass.

...

Vestas repeatedly has blamed the pending expiration of a U.S. wind-power production tax credit for weakening demand for its products, leading to job cutbacks.

That tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of the year, has become an issue in the presidential election, with President Barack Obama favoring its extension and challenger Mitt Romney advocating that Congress let it expire.

(Excerpt) Read more at bizjournals.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado; US: Massachusetts; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: climatechange; energy; globalwarming; taxes; vestas; vestaswind; vestaswindsystems; wind

1 posted on 11/01/2012 8:17:13 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76
Vestas repeatedly has blamed the pending expiration of a U.S. wind-power production tax credit for weakening demand for its products, leading to job cutbacks.

So the windmills were never really powered by wind but require tax dollars to make them turn.
2 posted on 11/01/2012 8:25:01 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: george76
Vestas repeatedly has blamed the pending expiration of a U.S. wind-power production tax credit for weakening demand for its products, leading to job cutbacks.

I guess that knocked the wind out of them.......

3 posted on 11/01/2012 8:25:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: cripplecreek

Clever, but yes, that’s partially true. With gov’t tax credits, the bar was lowered, marginal projects were given the go-ahead, and manufacturing capacity was built to support an artificially high level of demand. Now that the subsidy is being removed, guess what, all that house of cards is collapsing.

But what should have - and needs to happen - is to allow the free market to work. It won’t be as fast but it will be real, rather than driven by gov’t intervention. There will be fewer projects to begin with, but a much greater emphasis on R&D to continue the pattern that has been happening despite subsidies to make wind generation on a utility scale cost-competitive with coal, nukes, and hydro. When that happens, your argument goes away. And the only way for it to happen is to allow creativity and inventiveness to drive innovation rather than handing over cash to perpetuate inefficiency that is not self-sufficient.

It’s kinda like kicking your kid out of the basement so he’s forced to get a job instead of mooching all his life ;-)


4 posted on 11/01/2012 8:45:09 AM PDT by bigbob
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To: cripplecreek
So the windmills were never really powered by wind but require tax dollars to make them turn.

Isn't that the story of the "green energy" movement everywhere? Windmills that intermittently produce some energy at a great deal higher cost than other energy sources; "green" cars, solar.

5 posted on 11/01/2012 9:17:03 AM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: bigbob

And, these things are so ugly. We have thousands of them in the Columbia Gorge and along what used to be pristine ridges in other places in Washington that have lots of wind. Ugly! Ugly! Plus we have nice dams that produce far more electricity, cheaper and more consistent.


6 posted on 11/01/2012 9:20:44 AM PDT by Parmy
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To: LibertarianLiz
Proposal 3 in Michigan will put a 25% renewable (primarily wind) in the state constitution. Even the supporters seem to admit that it won't be possible but they want it in the constitution anyway.

Proposal 3 would require that the state add as many as 13 times more wind turbines in Michigan than currently operate. Proposal 3 would mandate that 25 percent of Michigan’s energy come from renewable sources. Wind is expected to be the primary supplier of renewable energy if the proposal passes.

Advocates and experts predict 2,300 to 3,790 nearly 500-feet high wind turbines would have to be added to meet the 25-percent mandate. Michigan currently has 292 wind turbines in operation.


Photobucket

Most of Michigan is 'Poor' or 'Marginal' For Wind Energy

One little problem with their cute little map is the fact that they didn't bother to exclude all the state and federally reserved wilderness areas. They don't exclude areas of heavy shipping and they don't account for the steady lawsuits they will face as they try to erect their monuments to stupidity off shore from landowners.

If they really cared about green energy they would repower thousands of small dams across the country that will produce power consistently 365 days per year.
7 posted on 11/01/2012 9:30:24 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: cripplecreek

It’s not “demand”, it’s redistributing the wealth — from taxpayers, to Friends of Obama.


8 posted on 11/01/2012 9:31:20 AM PDT by AZLiberty (No tag today.)
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To: Parmy
Plus we have nice dams that produce far more electricity, cheaper and more consistent.

Which is why the greenunists are in a rush to tear them all out as fast as they can. With what they did on the Boardman here in Michigan, I can't help but wonder if flooding dozens of homes and contaminating the wells wasn't intentional. Not to mention that dewateing a dam destroys property values for high dollar lake front homes.

Dam Removal Mishap Raises More Questions, Concerns

Also notable from the story...

Charles Peterson, president of Peterson Machinery Sales, and a property owner on a dam impoundment, had submitted a letter of intent to Grand Traverse County in 2008 offering to return hydroelectric generating capacity to the Sabin and Boardman dams. The county rejected his proposal and moved forward with its dam removal agenda.
9 posted on 11/01/2012 9:41:56 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: george76

If Vestas wants to tap into a 24/7 source of wind, relocate to the US Capitol Building.

Wasserman Schultz alone could keep the company afloat for years.


10 posted on 11/01/2012 10:02:25 AM PDT by DPMD
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