Report sees few drawbacks on wind farm (off Nantucket)

Boston Globe ^ | 11/08/2004 | Beth Daley

[Camachee]

Is there accurate research on that?

You mean about the birds? Sure. This is very well known to bird watchers and folks who has been following this discussion about wind power. I'll try to find you an article.

[SuziQ]

The project already has weathered opposition from several local and national politicians, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts.

I think Walter Crankcase also owns a house out there. I love it when the libs start working against something they've been pontificating about for years because it finally affects THEM directly!!

[Balding_Eagle]

I disagree with your conclusion. The fastest way to end this fiasco that wind power is a viable option IS to build them right in the libs playground.

[RexBeach]

Cool.

[Salvation]

Hope this goes through.

[daylate-dollarshort]

"Try living near such a facility. "Soothing" and "pretty" (another post) are not adjectives that will come to mind."

Thank God, a realist posts!

Windfarms are neither soothing nor pretty. They are an eyesore! Not only that they are a source of major noise pollution, they are inefficient, a source of "global warming" (if you are concerned about such things) and do infact kill birds.

[daylate-dollarshort]

"Which is enough to power about 250 homes."

Only when the wind blows, and then the wind must be high enough.

[SuziQ]

I think we need to take another serious look at nuclear power. I'm interested in the Pebble Bed Reactors because they can be built small.

I think the political climate is the best it's EVER been because of the turmoil in the Middle East and our desire to NOT fund terrorists through our purchase of oil from that region.

[fella]

You mean Santa has to fly through those blades to get to that house? Why then I'm against them, we've gotta save X-mas.

[LisaS]

Thank you for bringing some levity to a subject that frustrates me no end :)

[Camachee]

http://www.nationalwind.org/pubs/avian98/02-Thelander-Rugge-Altamont.pdf

Try a cut and paste of that into your address area. Sorry I'm not more agile with HTML.

[AlexW]

"You know, these gizmos are actually quite pretty"

Yea, but they may not like having to clean up all those dead birds on their pristine beaches.

[newgeezer]

My biggest complaint is that the amount of electricity produced is inconsequential and does not justify building the plant. Compare a 600 MW gas-fired plant

Yeah, let's build a few more of those and drive up the price of natural gas even further and faster.

to a 30 MW wind facility where the 30 MW wind site sits on 70 acres of ridgeline. Sheesh - it doesn't make sense.

That depends on which ridgeline you're talking about, doesn't it? It may not make sense in a populated area but, out here in rural Iowa, the turbines bother no one but the most extreme naturalists.

MidAmerican Energy is getting ready to build another 310 MW farm, and the land "used" is negligible and scattered (not a contiguous plot). No one will miss a few stalks of corn here and there.

[newgeezer]

Yea, but they may not like having to clean up all those dead birds on their pristine beaches.

What dead birds?

[crazycat]

LED technology is going to cut lighting energy bills by 20 to 40 % very soon.

Those windfarms make an awfull noise and are not at all efficient. Then again what does one expect from an idea supported by greens.

[KC_for_Freedom]

This is easy to decide. The question is settled by economics. (Yes, ambience must be quantized to do this.)

I read about a school where a wind generator was put up to test the cost effectiveness of the idea. The generator runs the school power when its windy enough. So far, I believe the data shows the school at least breaking even on the cost. They still need to stay on the grid though, as the wind does not blow all the time.

So the question is, you are a power company engineer. You do the math, do you put up a field of wind machines, or do you put in a gas fired generator, do you even consider (gasp) nuclear power? When this math is done, there may well be places where land is cheap enough to generate power with a wind farm. It will not make sense in other places. But let the power engineers make the call.

As far as birds getting chopped, I believe they will adapt. or screens can be put up, at increased cost to the wind farm. As far as putting one out to sea, the costs of installation must be very high. I can't see this being ecomomic, but I have not seen the numbers.

[RexBeach]

Thanks!

[worldclass]

"a source of global warming"

Now I have heard it all....get that...the wind causes global warming!!

Frankly, if the libs would just shut up, global warming would cease.

[1Old Pro]

How much power will the proposed windmills produce and at what cost? Is it significantly cheaper or at least the same price as current sources? Is the power it will generate "significant"?

[daylate-dollarshort]

No, the wind doesn't cause global warming. The diversion and obstruction of the wind is claimed to cause global warming.

(Not that there is any global warming in the first place!)