Big Wind
Back in January, I wrote about wind farming in my weekly Laconia Daily Sun column--The January 9th NH Union Leader contained an interesting story about a man constructing a wind-generating farm on Mt. Jerico in Berlin. With the help of his father, Massachusetts transplant and entrepreneur Christain Loranger has been working since the summer building three windmills that will conceivably produce enough clean electricity to power nearly 700 homes. The article reports Berlin’s mayor, Bob Danderson
“is enthusiastic about the project, saying it will help diversify the city’s mill-based economy.”
Sounds pretty good, right? Living in an era of rapidly escalating fuel and energy costs, what could be wrong with generating power with wind? No CO2 emissions. No spill hazards. What a concept! Not so fast- the Union Leader article reports that not everyone is thrilled with the concept of harnessing wind to make electricity.
“Some environmentalists are fighting the larger wind projects. They say 300- to 400-foot towers are too big, noisy, and destructive to birds and bats, which can be killed by the spinning blades.” The piece concludes: “Lisa Linowes of National Wind Watch says a project on the scale of Loranger’s isn’t nearly as bad as some. But if it succeeds, she predicts big companies will try to move in to capitalize on the resource. ‘What we will do is invite big wind into Berlin,’ she predicted.”
Fast forward to July 7th when the AP is reporting
Three windmills on a Mount Jericho wind farm have been vandalized, likely destroying one and badly damaging the others... vandals cut cables used to raise and lower the 160-foot towers. One toppled, breaking the tower and blades... Mayor Robert Danderson, who called the damage senseless and intentional, urged anyone with information about it to come forward. He also said vandalism such as this hurt efforts to attract investors and entrepreneurs to the city.
Gee, I wonder who would do such a thing. Hmmmm. Do you suppose? As noted above, environ mental whacko Lisa Knowles of National Wind Watch was worried that if the Berlin project succeeded big companies would "try to move in to capitalize on the resource." Now the Mayor points out that the destruction could hurt investments in that city. Does anyone else see some connection here?
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Maybe vandalism isn't the right way to stop "Big Wind." Perhaps it would simply be easier to just get "Big Government" to squash it. That's what's happening to another wind farm in Lempster, NH. The July 8th Union Leader newspaper reports
The state Site Evaluation Committee said Thursday night it will review a controversial wind farm proposed for 25 acres on Lempster Mountain. The decision came Thursday night after a hearing in Concord, where members also rejected the developer’s request for a speedy review. The state’s involvement will add paperwork and delays to the start of construction, which developer Community Energy Inc. fears may cause it to miss up to $15 million in federal tax credits.
CEI wants to build a dozen 400-foot turbines. If it succeeds, the project would be the first major source of wind power in New Hampshire — and one of the first new wind power sources in New England in more than a decade.
Sounds fantastic, right? Didn't President Bush say our nation is "addicted" to foreign oil and that we must pull out all the stops in a quest for alternative energy? What could be better than harnessing the wind? We must all work together in this effort, right? Again, from the Union Leader piece:
State law allows for a nine-month review process, which CEI says could cause crucial delays in construction of the wind turbines. It could also mean a loss of up to $15 million in federal tax credits for the $40-million project. “If the project is not in service by the end of 2007” — that means fully constructed and operational — “it will not able to receive those credits, which is a major component for financing this project,” said Jeff Keeler, director of Community Energy.
Great! So now the environ mental whackos have as allies a division of the very government that admonishes us to do something to alleviate foreign oil usage. What a country! First it was “big oil.” Then came “big tobacco.” Evil, greedy corporate entities as designated by today’s liberal socialist types out to get everybody- especially “the little guy.” Now comes “big wind” to get us! The only “big wind” I fear is the hot air these moonbats and their pals in government continue to spew forth!
