Some folks on Vinalhaven were led down the golden/green path, proud to be part of the new energy movement, until they couldn't get away from the noise of the three wind turbines sounding like a jet landing until the wind stops (Sun Journal, Jan. 24). On that 25-square-mile island, the 388-foot-high turbines were put online in November and one is down for repairs already.
Gov. John Baldacci’s task force has rushed plans through the Legislature to meet his power generation goals to allow companies to erect about 1,700 windmills on about 340 miles of Maine’s mountaintops. Those 400-foot-high turbines will be set on huge holes blasted in 15,000-40,000 acres of unspoiled forests. Where are the tree-huggers and the wildlife activists on this issue?
Millions of federal dollars are being spent on unsustainable wind power, increasing the national debt. The proposed offshore wind farms will be costly to build and maintain. I saw a picture of a windmill frozen solid in Minnesota this winter. Last I knew, the Maine coastal waters aren’t exactly the tropics.
Saco’s 200-foot turbine didn’t work out. Not enough wind. I suppose it could be used as a giant flagpole, albeit a tad expensive.
The hydro-electric dams provide clean, renewable energy. Then there is the natural gas pipeline in Maine.
With this weak economy and questionable global warming theories, I say slow down; study the facts, weigh the benefits and decide what is best for the beautiful state of Maine.
Diana Holcomb, Norway
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Response to Queenie's Comments:
See my comments.
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If you want to get a quick education - from first hand experience - about the debacle that ensues when big wind comes to a town in Maine, watch "The Jackson Video". It's tow parts, each about nine minutes. Send it to all whom you know.
See: http://www.windtaskforce.org/video
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Thanks, Diana! Great letter.
Those who promote Industrial wind power stand to make millions at the expense of small businesses and householders who can not afford to see their light bills doubled or trippled! to pay for this. They are also blocking cheap, clean hydro power from Canada that would compete (and win) with their expensive, environmentally destructive wind turbines.
Tourism is Maine's biggest industry. It brings Maine millions of dollars in revenue. We will see a huge decline in tourism when all the beauty spots are blighted with 400 plus foot towers. But do people like Angus King or Gov. Baldacci care? No. They will lie to us and laugh all the way to the bank.
Not one killowatt of this wind power will stay in Maine. It will not benefit Maine people in any way. It will all be shipped out of state on a transmission line costing the Maine people 1.5 billion dollars.
No new business will be attracted to Maine when they figure how much it will cost them for electricity.
No coal-fired electricity producing power plant has ever been shut down in the world, none, because of bringing Industrial wind onto the grid. In fact, more backup plants will have to be built as more Industrial wind power is in the mix because it is so unreliable.
Industrial wind is a scam of the highest magnitude and the proponents of it are nothing but con men, shysters, tricksters, carnies, snake oil salesmen, and the quicker they are unmasked for the damage they are doing to Maine the better.
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"Those who promote Industrial wind power stand to make millions at the expense of small businesses and householders who can not afford to see their light bills doubled or trippled! to pay for this."
* Electricity prices on Vinalhaven are .28 cents/kw. The national average is .11 cents/kw. -the Energy Information Administration. The project was financed by a federal grant and private investors. Energy prices have not gone up. You neglected to note who stands to make millions? Saudi sheiks?
"They are also blocking cheap, clean hydro power from Canada that would compete (and win) with their expensive, environmentally destructive wind turbines."
* How are they blocking foreign power from Canada? By cutting cables? Hydro power also causes significant exvironmental damage to fisheries - an industry that is critical to Maine's economy.
"Tourism is Maine's biggest industry. It brings Maine millions of dollars in revenue. We will see a huge decline in tourism when all the beauty spots are blighted with 400 plus foot towers."
* I looked carefully at your comments for evidence to support this. There wasn't any. I met several people who came to Vinalhaven to see the wind project. There were bringing money into the economy because of the wind project.
"But do people like Angus King or Gov. Baldacci care? No. They will lie to us and laugh all the way to the bank."
* Evidence? Bags of money from those crafty wind power executives? You made this up.
"Not one killowatt of this wind power will stay in Maine. It will not benefit Maine people in any way. It will all be shipped out of state on a transmission line costing the Maine people 1.5 billion dollars."
* 80-90% of power generated stays in and is used by the citizens of the Fox Islands. Again. you made this up.
"No new business will be attracted to Maine when they figure how much it will cost them for electricity."
* Proof? Anything? More fabrications.
"No coal-fired electricity producing power plant has ever been shut down in the world, none, because of bringing Industrial wind onto the grid. In fact, more backup plants will have to be built as more Industrial wind power is in the mix because it is so unreliable."
* First off, most "backup power plants" are natural gas in the US, not coal, second, what is your point here? The power in VH and NH is mostly used there, what is left over is sold into the grid.
"Industrial wind is a scam of the highest magnitude and the proponents of it are nothing but con men, shysters, tricksters, carnies, snake oil salesmen, and the quicker they are unmasked for the damage they are doing to Maine the better."
* If you are planing to do the un-masking, you need to find some evidence.
You are a serial fabulist. I suspect you work for Big Oil or OPEC.
-Mike Weaver
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See above remarks
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.WELL SAID, DIANA, Wind power
WELL SAID, DIANA,
Wind power will have little or no affect on co2 emissions or oil dependency, but will have profound affects on our electric rates. Oregon recently allowed a rate increase due to the extra work required to accomodate the intermittent introduction of wind created electricity into the grid.
Wind power is simply an unworthy venture at the industrial scale. There is and there will never be a storage mechanism for grid developed wind power. The costs of storage are too prohibited.
Craving up our mountain tops for these things is a criminal notion fueled by the same greed which put us into this current recession. We can get through this economic downturn, but creating an energy bubble destined to burst aint gonna help us.
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At least the mountain still stands with wind power - can't say that about coal mining.
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We don't dig coal in Maine and our electricity generation is virtually all clean Canadian abundant natural gas or hydro. We don't generate anything with coal here. Take a look at what wind "farm"'s do to mountains. This photo is from Mars Hill but they damage every mountain or ridgetop. http://www.windtaskforce.org/photo/marred-hills-mars-hill-me?context=latest
The fact that you have to say something as lame as "yeah, but the mountain is still standing" simply underscores how desperate the pro-wind arguments are getting, now that all the other pro-wind arguments are dissolving in the sunlight of facts.
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