Posted on 12/14/2016 11:51:46 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Wednesday finalized a rule that lets wind-energy companies operate high-speed turbines for up to 30 years — even if means killing or injuring thousands of federally protected bald and golden eagles.
Under the new rule, wind companies and other power providers will not face a penalty if they kill or injure up to 4,200 bald eagles, nearly four times the current limit. Deaths of the more rare golden eagles would be allowed without penalty so long as companies minimize losses by taking steps such as retrofitting power poles to reduce the risk of electrocution.
The new rule will conserve eagles while also spurring development of a pollution-free energy source intended to ease global warming, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's energy plan, said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.
"No animal says America like the bald eagle," Ashe said in a statement. He said the Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to balance energy development with eagle conservation.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Have you ever seen these windmills up close? They are huge! I don’t think your suggestion is possible.
That wull work!
LOL, that's when they do the most slicing with those razor sharp pinwheels.
Never said you did, Chief.
I haven’t seen them from the base. I’ve known the mammoth size of them for probably a decade or more.
I have always wondered if that was the best way to go.
It always seemed to me an array of much smaller ones would be a lot easier to manage.
I saw one on a 18 wheeler and it required a trailer to. Hold it and it may have been sticking out the back of the trailer too.
Years ago he changed the windmills for solar panels. They work with less maintenance.
“Wouldn’t it make sense to say trap and relocate the eagles in the vicinity before they get whacked to death?”
Are you kidding?
.
As for solar over wind for electrical generation, it seemed to me that wind would be the better choice. Cloudy days, limited hours, it just seemed that in a windy zone, the wind generation would be far superior.
Your husband obviously studied what would be best for you guys, and I'm sure he made the best choice based on your condition. I'm not here to challenge anyone who has studied their situation, and come up with something that works.
If your equipment is doing the trick, that speaks for itself.
I have a place in mind that gets a lot of wind. It's a frequent steady wind that would be good for generation. When it is blowing, I don't think you can beat it. But that's based on conditions you may not have.
In this location, the sun is out most of the time, few rain days per year. Even on long days, you have peak hours when solar will work. Then you have tapering hours when you get less solar generation. I suspect we're talking about five to six peak hours, and tapering up and down the other six.
With a nice wind blowing, you've got 24 hours of energy generation. I also think the smaller wind generators put out more watts. They may be a bit harder to regulate, but I don't think that is a problem.
I've considered both, and I may wind up using both. One would be good for when the sun is available, and the other would pick up the slack when wind was available and the sun wasn't.
Thank you for mentioning what is working for you folks.
I'm glad that is working out for you.
The ranch windmill/solar panels and the amount of water they produce would not be adequate to supply a household. We are about 25 miles from the Gulf and I don’t think we have constant wind like some places. We don’t have constant sun either. I am certainly not an expert on this subject but. ........drill baby drill! ; - )
Thanks Ditter. All the best to you...
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