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Wind power jobs in Maine. Really?

Len Greaney
Letters |
Sunday, August 22, 2010

For several years, Maine residents have been exposed to the great promise of economic growth related to the approval of wind farms on our mountaintops. Numerous jobs and tax revenues have been emphasized as natural outcomes if wind farms are installed to provide clean wind electric power.
There is much to say about the strategic approaches deployed to hype the Baldacci administration vision, but I will limit my letter to the promise of permanent jobs.

We need to ask a few questions:

1. What are the industrial businesses that will come to Maine to manufacture the wind turbine components (towers, blades, turbines, etc.) to provide the jobs?

2. Where are the wind turbine components manufactured now?

3. Is it realistic that any or all of the current (foreign and domestic) manufacturers will relocate their plant(s) to Maine?

4. Can Maine compete with the existing manufacturer(s)' costs?

5. Doesn’t the use of wind turbines in Maine increase the cost of electricity? Will cost inhibit Maine’s ability to sustain or attract new businesses in any business sector? Will we lose jobs?

6. Why would a wind turbine component manufacturer plan to come to Maine if the implementation of wind turbines in Maine increases the cost of electricity and decreases their profitability?

I hope the advocates of on-shore wind power will answer the above questions. Until then, I believe Maine towns must become more and more skeptical of idle promises.

Len Greaney, Rumford Center

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Displaying comments, from newest to oldest

gempaint's picture
verified

power

By Alice Barnett, verified user — Mon, 08/23/2010 - 09:01

tourism is still a business with many jobs from high level management to service.(turnpike traffic has doubled in 4 years)
farmers could make a living if the medical marijauna law was honored.(count the patients)
sustainable foresty is what everyone needs and wants
development of homes on mountain sides is on the rise. (bethel, newry, rangeley)
I have loved off the grid for 10 years and continuing to teach neighbors.
Industrial Wind mills do not work. The Germany Experience.
I feel for the innocent animals

PenobScot's picture

Slimy Used Car Salesmen

By PenobScot, unverified — Sun, 08/22/2010 - 14:12

I see that some of the pro-wind posters here are being disparaged as slimy used car salesmen.

In defense of slimy used cars salesmen, at least they make no secret they are in it for the money. Nor do they attempt to stake out higher moral ground, stifle free speech or purport to be doing this for the greater good.

What dishonest, fraudulent and pathetic little lives.

Wiegand's picture

The Soul of the Profiteer

By Wiegand, unverified — Sun, 08/22/2010 - 13:17

Take the personal profit out of the wind farm equation and these people would be nowhere in sight. They are not representing what is good for society, they represent what is good for them. The profiteer is in it only because they are seeking personal gain.
The bottom line is this.....They are just like a slimy used car salesman. They will say anything to sucker you in. They are selling a product and want your money. Only in this case it represents a fortune.
I am a wildlife biologist and every Environmental Impact Report I have ever seen from this industry has been BOGUS. The industry is marketing a green friendly product that is really a disaster for birds and bats. If they would fraudulently produce documents about their impacts to rare and endangered species they would lie about anything else. And they do
People should believe nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing generated from the wind industry.

Question Everything's picture

You're way out of line, Mr. Wilson.

By Question Everything, unverified — Sun, 08/22/2010 - 11:39

Dear Mr. Wilson,

You seem to be lumping anyone who questions the wisdom and logic of bringing a wind farm to their town with those “environmental radicals” who are against nuclear power, hydroelectric power and according to you, everything else that is good and just in this world. I beg to differ. Most of the people who are questioning wind power are like Mr. Greaney, who is but questioning the validity of the promises the wind industry is making.

Those leaders of our state who are for wind power are the same group who has been talking about the manufacturing of the turbines here in Maine. They have been doing that for several years now. Mr. Greaney is right and you are wrong.

Jobs are important and I agree with you in that respect, Mr. Wilson. However, a couple hundred temporary construction jobs for five months or so while the turbines are being constructed don’t have much value to your town. Reed & Reed, Sargent & Sargent, Cianbro and a few other large construction firms may benefit, but when the construction is completed and everyone leaves, your town is left with about one permanent job for every five to six turbines. That’s what Mr. Greaney is talking about.

If you did a little more homework Mr. Wilson, you would learn that making electricity with wind power costs about three times as much as with natural gas and wind power only operates about 25% of the time. Did you know that Maine already makes more electricity than it can use, and 40% of what we make is from renewable sources? The fact is, Mr. Wilson, Maine ratepayers can’t afford the higher electricity rates the turbines will cause.

Do you know, Mr. Wilson, that the only reason the PUC approved the new, 1.5 billion transmission lines, which will raise our already high electricity rates, was to transport the power made by the wind farms down to southern New England. Of course they (our leaders) told us that our lines were old and needed this 1.5 billion dollar improvement for upkeep and only now is the truth coming out.

Have you read any of the letters written by the residents of Mars Hill, Freedom and Vinalhaven who live within a mile of the turbines, Mr. Wilson? No? Well then I suggest you do so. It may interest you to know that many of these same people were for wind power, but that was before they turned the turbines on. It may also interest you to know, Mr. Wilson, that the town of Mars Hill is being sued by these people in six separate lawsuits for the health problems and loss of property values the turbines have caused.

Your “rogue” group that wrote the Rumford Ordinance was charged with protecting the health, welfare, and safety of Rumford’s citizens and that is exactly what they did. Their job was not to write an ordinance for or against wind power, but to protect the people. I can’t help but remember Johnny Cochran’s words in OJ’s trial, “If the glove doesn’t fit, then you cannot convict!” In your world, Mr. Wilson, you would have got a bigger glove, or in Rumford’s case, just re-written the ordinance to make the turbines “fit”. It is becoming more and more obvious around the world that a one mile setback from people’s property and homes is the minimum acceptable setback to protect people from the low and ultra low frequency noise of the turbines (unless of course you live on the other side of town and can’t hear or see them and don’t care about your neighbors).

Mr. Wilson, I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t help but feel from the somewhat shrill tone of your letter, that you have some connection to the wind industry. Do you, or any of your friends or relatives own some of the land on which the turbines may be built? Do you, or any of your friends or relatives, stand to gain monetarily in any way if the turbines come to town? Please tell me I’m wrong. Please.

Steve Thurston's picture

long winded but short on facts

By Steve Thurston, unverified — Sun, 08/22/2010 - 10:06

D Wilson, blaming Len Greany for the business climate in Maine does not respond to his questions. Wind power opponents are not "the same people" who took a position on any of the issues you mention. They are people who have taken the time to understand that wind power is a taxpayer scam promoted by big business and unthinking government. Naomi Shalit's recent three part series accurately described how this happened in Maine.

Despite the assurances from Angus King that his turbines will replace fossil fuel generation on a one to one basis, the truth is the grid cannot even make use of the electricity these things generate due to their wild swings in output from one minute to the next. Until there is grid scale storage which these uncontrolled generators can feed into, the grid will ignore wind turbines when planning for day ahead capacity, and will rely on the controllable generators to provide the reliable response to predictable demand that FERC rules require. You might as well build ferris wheels on the mountains (which you would probably be in favor if it created a few jobs). People who blindly trust the wind industry's propaganda need to do more homework.

The towns that have adopted responsible turbine ordinances, Montville, Jackson, Dixmont, and many others using the benefit of a moratorium to study the issue such as Dixfield, have done so to avoid being the victims of improper siting of these monstrous machines. Why should Rumford become the next Mars Hill, Freedom, Vinalhaven, and now Upper Hot Brook Lake at Stetson II? The wind ordinance committee should be commended for doing a great job of researching this issue.

DWilson's picture

Enough With The Radical Rhetoric

By DWilson, unverified — Sun, 08/22/2010 - 02:21

Dear Mr. Greaney,
For more than a year now the people of Maine have been subjected to the anti-wind turbine aka anti-wind power radicals’ rhetoric. These radicals have said no again to the possibility of job and economic development in Maine from yet another source. These radicals have brought moratoriums to many Maine communities during the worst of economic time under the guise of promised education and development of appropriate ordinances which would protect us while permit responsible wind power development. These are the same people who twenty years ago had us annually voting to force the closure of Maine Yankee which at that time they considered the greatest threat to our existence. Today they are pushing for construction of new nuclear power plant. Twenty years ago these same environmental radicals where screaming about the horrible impact of hydropower dam on the fish, the environment, tourism, recreation, you name it. Their action led to the decommissioning, closing and destruction of countless hydropower dams that they know want back and are preaching their praises from the bell towers. You folks are fickle and really messed up.
I would like to take a moment to address your itemized list of questions and I certainly appreciate the tolerance and patience of those with a rational mindset who have been driven beyond frustration by the radical here mentioned of which I think you are very much one.
“1. What are the industrial businesses that will come to Maine to manufacture the wind turbine components (towers, blades, turbines, etc.) to provide the jobs?” No one to my knowledge has ever said that any manufacturer would or is coming to Maine to build the entire assembly or any components of the wind turbines. Does that mean there will be no jobs? Absolutely not and to say otherwise would to suggest that since the manufacturers of skidders and trucks did not come to Maine to build the equipment Maine did not and does not gain job from the timber industry. Or that because the manufacturers of paper making machine and equipment did not move their operations here Maine did not and does not gain job in pulp and paper. Maine will gain jobs in the wind turbine industry in the construction and maintenance of access roads and facilities, the construction (assembly) and maintenance of the turbines themselves. Maine will also gain jobs in supplying materials both directly for these and to those employed for personal use.
2. Where are the wind turbine components manufactured now? I care about as much about this as I do where a paper machine I manufactured, a skidder or a pulp truck. I would think you would have more objection to having it moved here for the same reasons you sight objecting to the wind turbines themselves, noise, glint from the buildings, new road etc as outlined in the insane ordinance you were key in drafting for proposal to Rumford voter when your committee was tasked with education which you did not do and not drafting an ordiance.
3. Is it realistic that any or all of the current (foreign and domestic) manufacturers will relocate their plant(s) to Maine? With all the restrictions you would attempt to place on them as you are attempting to place on the wind turbines themselves, as you have hydro projects, Maine Yankee, casinos and Plum Creek to name a few it would not unreasonable to expect these manufacturers or any other to move to Maine.
4. Can Maine compete with the existing manufacturer(s)' costs? The first cost they would have to get past is the cost of getting through the regulations and restrictions for coming here which you would make so prohibitive it would not be feasible. In effect your radical agenda blocks the very jobs from coming to Maine that you are using as your argument against this.
5. Doesn’t the use of wind turbines in Maine increase the cost of electricity? Will cost inhibit Maine’s ability to sustain or attract new businesses in any business sector? Will we lose jobs? Given the climate you and your associates have and continue to create in Maine we have lost thousands of jobs and in all likelihood will lose more having nothing to do with any variations in electric costs of electricity for wind turbines. In addition the protracted and unnecessary delays in these projects, the litigation and expense you unreasonably create drive up the cost and those costs must go somewhere. The fault for much of any increase in future electric rate increases can be found in the face staring back at you in the mirror in the morning and those of your associates.
6. Why would a wind turbine component manufacturer plan to come to Maine if the implementation of wind turbines in Maine increases the cost of electricity and decreases their profitability? It isn’t that wind turbines in Maine increase the cost of electricity and decrease the profitability of any wind turbine component manufacturer who may plan to come to Maine, it is your actions and the actions of those like you that are and will drive up the cost of electricity and decrease the profitability of all existing and potential businesses in Maine not to mention the cost to every household.
Mr. Greaney the proposed ordinance your rogue group developed in place of the duties to which it was charged by the Rumford Board of Selectman to provide education to the Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Rumford was and is nothing more than an end run to prevent any and all wind power development in Rumford and if possible push for same across the state. If Wind Power and Wind Turbine were removed from this ordinance, the paper mill, gas power plant and hydro project would all be prohibited. In addition homes would be prohibited from having window and other features because they glint. Your ordinance has a zero glint tolerance. No man or woman would be permitted to use an electric razor which exceeds the sound levels. Ceiling fans would be banned for flicker. No car or lawn mowers would be permitted. And these are just a few of the things that would be in violation if your ordinance were applied across the board instead of selectively. A few year ago you fought Maine Yankee and the hydro dams. You have fought the pulp and paper industries, and the timber industries. You have been fighting casinos and Plum Creek along with wind turbines. What will it be tomorrow? We are running out of jobs, and opportunities and the state I broke. Mr. Greaney, your arguments are not rational, they go beyond radical rhetoric and it is time for it to end and Maine to move forward .
I appreciate the patience of the rational contingent of Maine looking to a brighter future.
Sincerely
D Wilson

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