 | Impact on the Environment |
Win-Win for Wind and Wildlife: A Vision to Facilitate Sustainable Development. Abstract: Wind energy offers the potential to reduce carbon emissions while increasing energy independence and bolstering economic development. However, wind energy has a larger land footprint per Gigawatt (GW) than most other forms of energy production, making appropriate siting and mitigation particularly important. Species that require large unfragmented habitats and those known to avoid vertical structures are particularly at risk from wind development. Developing energy on disturbed lands rather than placing new developments within large and intact habitats would reduce cumulative impacts to wildlife. PLOS One
“We are gathered today to sound the alarm bells – nothing less than the future of Vermont is at stake. The proposed ridgeline wind projects will irreparably harm our natural resources and habitats, make hundreds of Vermonters sick, and leave scars that will never heal – all for little if any benefit to Vermont or the environment. There is a better way, and now is the time to change course,” said Annette Smith, VCE Executive Director. VT Digger
As much as I have tried – belabored even – to get on the offshore wind power bandwagon, I am still far from sold on its effectiveness, efficiency, and its environmental impact. In fact, I think its environmental impact could be even worse than feared – with the potential impact on migratory birds (nocturnal migrating passerines, raptors, waterfowl, and seabirds) and bats having the potential to be incredibly significant. And, even the most optimistic estimates suggest that wind power will really only make a minor dent in our energy needs. Are all of the risks worth it for a technology that may do more harm than good (remember the last political flavor of the week, corn-based ethanol?) Maine Outdoor Journal
CARRABASSETT VALLEY – TransCanada's petition to add 156 acres to the state's accelerated, wind power development permitting process drew mixed reaction during a public hearing. ‘Hearing draws mixed reaction on Trans Canada’s wind power petition’ SunJournal
A large number of goats in Taiwan may have died of exhaustion because of noise from a wind farm news.bbc.co.
The battles over wind farms in Ontario and New York state have had no shortage of press coverage. The battle lines are most often drawn between those who place a premium on scenic and historic preservation, property values and other quality-of-life factors, versus those who place a priority on the personal and municipal income the wind projects offer. But the processes that decide these battles are seldom fair or transparent, and are skewed in favour of the few over the many. In vacation and recreational areas with many seasonal residents, that group of taxpayers is essentially excluded from shaping decisions thewhig.com
Industrial wind technology is a meretricious commodity, attractive in a superficial way but without real value—seemingly plausible, even significant but actually false and nugatory. Industial Wind Plants: Bad Economics, Bad Ecology. WINDBALL by Jon Boone. A free-market energy blog. Part I masterresource.org
The following conversation with Jon Boone, who now lives in Oakland, MD after a 30 year career at the University of Maryland, College Park, is an attempt to bridge that gap, perhaps allowing us to better understand the limitations of and problems associated with industrial wind technology. He has no dog in the fight. Part II masterresource.org
Why Green Party People Should Oppose Industrial Wind Power Development in Maine. A must read! link
A site like the Rollins project in Lincoln Lakes will consume more than 700 acres of land, an acreage far larger than most Maine farms. It entails creating a 3-6 acre clearcut for each turbine site, blasting and leveling, digging down to bedrock and pouring tons of concrete to anchor each 262 foot tower which is topped by a 92 ton nacelle (turbine generator) and 253 foot wide blades. A huge, wide network of roads must be created up to and across ridgelines to get these huge components into place. At Rollins, more than 20 miles of powerlines will be cut. All of the turbine sites and powerlines will be kept cleared by the use of herbicides, effecting dozens of streams, all of the lakes around Lincoln and the watershed of three rivers. Siltation of streams and lakes will occur from erosion from all this construction. Lastly, important wildlife habitat will be fragmented and ruined.
Coming to Lincoln to blast away miles of our beautiful ridgelines to install a hideous string of 40 wind turbines, each taller than the water tower at LP&T, with aviation lights flashing 24/7. Replacing the calls of the loons with the incessant roar of turbine blades. Killing the eagles, ospreys, hawks and other birds with their blades and exploding the lungs of the bats with the pressure from the blades. Clearcutting hundreds of acres on ridgetops then applying herbicides that wash into our lakes. Ruining the health and sanity of the people unfortunate to live in close proximity. Putting up towers in a poor wind potential area because its not about producing electricity, its about how many different ways to raid the taxpayers and ratepayers for subsidies. Preying on gullible, unsophisticated town officials to pay for their investment with a TIF. Scornful! We will predict right here and now that should this Rollins project ever get built, there are lots of people in the Lincoln Lakes communities who are going to say "This is terrible what they did to this area! How could this happen?" It will be sad, indeed. Friends of Lincoln Lakes understands what it is about and we cherish and protect our natural surroundings.
Regarding deer and other wildlife, how about a quote from Marie Williams of Mountain Road in Mars Hill: "It (the turbines) has cleared out all the animals. One reason we bought this property was to be in the country and have peace and quiet and be around wildlife. We used to see deer and fox in the yard all the time and have tons of birds. We have lived here 25 years and usually buy 1100 pounds of bird seed each winter. Last winter we used only 100 pounds." Will this be the effect on wildlife around Rollins Mt. and the ridges of Rocky Dundee?
"BREATHES there the man with soul so dead/Who never to himself hath said/'This is my own, my native land – and what a gruesome tip they've made of it…?'" Nobody ravages a landscape more devastatingly than an environmentalist. The crazed drive to promote wind farms has destroyed Scotland's natural beauty by peppering our rural wildernesses with Martian wind turbines – to no practical benefit. Wind turbine revolution is at the expense of natural beauty. Do we really have to make the same mistakes all over again? Read more
State agencies in Washington will conduct more research before deciding on mountain wind farms. Wait on the Wind
Impact on birds and bats |
If you love eagles and hawks, bats or gulls, or desire truly eco-friendly energy, this is a must-read. This week we have a scathing report on the wind industry, well-known to be one of the LEAST 'Earth-friendly' of the so-called 'green' energy technologies - and breathtakingly inefficient as an energy source, as well. In an industry as corrupt and lucrative as Big Oil, it should come as no shock that wind-farms (industrial utility installations often owned by fossil-fuel utility companies) are routinely pushed through using falsified or rigged environmental impact studies and outright deceptive impact reporting. Examiner
Federal officials investigate eagle deaths at DWP wind farm. Pine Tree facility in the Tehachapi Mountains faces scrutiny over the deaths of at least six golden eagles, which are protected under federal law. Prosecution would be a major blow to the booming industry. Los Angeles Times
Eagles and windfarms are on a collision course. The great birds' future is very bleak Canada Free Press
Take Back the Power: The wind turbines story that the industry doesn't want you to hear. No matter what you think about individual wind generators, or so-called, "wind farms," one overwhelming fact cannot be denied: they're all bad news for wildlife, especially birds and bats.Yes, the original idea was a good one: cheap electricity from a renewable resource and a way to generate power while weaning us from fossil fuels. But in the final analysis, all that wind coming from government agencies—and the industry—about how much we need the power, and how little the industry is destroying wildlife populations, is a bunch of hot air. The bottom line now is profit for the investors, not cheap power or concern over wildlife.If you think that wind generators are docile windmills dotting the landscape that just generate power—think again. No matter where wind turbines are deployed, the damage to the world we live in is beyond the permissible limits. The Source Weekly
A feature of these supposedly environment-friendly machines that I haven’t mentioned, however, is their devastating effect on wildlife, notably on large birds of prey, such as eagles and red kites. Particularly disturbing is the extent to which the disaster has been downplayed by professional bodies, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Britain and the Audubon Society in the US, which should be at the forefront of exposing this outrage, but which have often been drawn into a conflict of interest by the large sums of money they derive from the wind industry itself. The Telegraph
Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that the Oregon Department of Energy allow wind turbines no closer than 6 miles to a golden eagle nest. The letter concerned the Summit Ridge wind farm in Wasco County, being developed by LotusWorks of Vancouver, Wash. OregonLive
Large-scale wind farm establishment may have a negative effect on Sweden's golden eagles. In a unique project in northern Sweden, scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) are trapping adult golden eagles and fitting them with satellite transmitters. Physorg.com
A feature of these supposedly environment-friendly machines that I haven’t mentioned, however, is their devastating effect on wildlife, notably on large birds of prey, such as eagles and red kites. Particularly disturbing is the extent to which the disaster has been downplayed by professional bodies, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Britain and the Audubon Society in the US, which should be at the forefront of exposing this outrage, but which have often been drawn into a conflict of interest by the large sums of money they derive from the wind industry itself. The Telegraph
The Gulf's bird toll - Windmills slaughter more than oil spill. While several million gallons of crude oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico since April, nature has been far more resilient than environmental doomsayers would like. The left is counting on images of oiled pelicans and lingering devastation to build urgency for unpopular policies like "cap-and-trade." Nature is refusing to cooperate, and the so-called environmentalists are proving to be the true hazard. Washington Times
Tree bats appear to be especially affected by the blades of wind power turbines, but no one knows why. Yates said it could be that tree bats follow ancient migration routes along the mountain ridges where the turbines are most often erected. He said another theory is that tree bats, which swarm in the tallest available tree during mating, are confusing the soaring turbines with trees. Portland Press Herald
Scientists study wind-farm risks to birds. The surveys, which are financed by the wind industry, indicate that wind power is a relatively minor hazard to birds. But some scientists say it is still too soon to discount the risks posed by the rush to develop Northwest wind power. They are particularly concerned with the plight of hawks, eagles and other raptors, which are large, long-lived birds at the top of the food chain. The Seattle Times
Fatal accident with vulture on a windmill Video
Mortality Threats to Birds American Bird Conservancy
Windfarms and Birds: An analysis of the effects of windfarms on birds, and guidances on environmental assessment criteria and site selection issues. PDF
There is one group of energy producers that are not being prosecuted for killing birds: wind-power companies. And wind-powered turbines are killing a vast number of birds every year Wall Street Journal
The Grid |
CMP ready to start work on power grid upgrade. Central Maine Power Co. said Tuesday it will start work on its $1.4 billion power grid upgrade in a matter of weeks now that it has the final federal approval. Bangor Daily News
CMP signs landmark power line deal. Portland Press Herald
The state's future growth and prosperity depend on having a power system that works. It may be only an intermediate step, but the recommendation by the staff of the Maine Public Utilities Commission on a plan by Central Maine Power Co. to upgrade its transmission lines should not be taken as the final word on the issue. True, it is in the people's interest not to pay for unnecessary expansions or upgrades to infrastructure. Balancing that, however, is the state's need for reliable, efficient supplies of electricity generated and delivered by means that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Portland Press Herald
PUC’s experts call CMP upgrade too big. Central Maine Power Co. should be allowed to upgrade the core of its high-voltage transmission system from the Bangor area to the New Hampshire border, but not various spurs around the state, experts at the Public Utilities Commission are recommending in a much-anticipated report. The scaled-back approach could cut the project's cost from $1.5 billion to $1 billion, saving ratepayers money while maintaining reliable electric service and accommodating development of renewable energy, the report says. Portland Press Herald
Central Maine Power says it has a severe reliability problem. No doubt it does, but the issue is CMP's credibility, not a failing electrical grid. Yes, the grid always needs improvements and updating. But Maine shouldn't drop all other energy priorities and immediately spend $1.5 billion on CMP's so-called Maine Power Reliability Project (MPRP). And for those grid investments that are necessary, CMP's strategy is entirely backwards: They are proposing to start with the most expensive (and dirtiest) option first. Portland Press Herald
Energy panel eyes corridor lease rules. Control of Canadian power at issue. Bangor Daily News
Power Shifts to Quebec. Late last month, Hydro-Quebec announced it planned to acquire much of NB Power, New Brunswick’s electric utility. While details of the plan, which would need government approval in Canada, have yet to emerge, it likely will change the electricity landscape in Maine. Bangor Daily News
Let me get this straight. Central Maine Power is requesting a $1.4 billion upgrade of the transmission system from the Maine Public Utilities Commission. (Sun Journal, Sept. 30). This transmission system will not benefit Maine because it is to increase transmission capacity between Orrington to the New Hampshire border right out of the state. I think that is about 125 miles. That's a pretty expensive project to take full advantage of wind power. CMP stands to increase its net income by $100 million, and its customers get to share the expense with an 8.3 percent increase in their electricity bills. Sun Journal
At a confidential meeting today, parties including the staff of the Maine Public Utilities Commission and Central Maine Power Co. will seek ways to settle CMP's landmark request for a $1.4 billion upgrade of its transmission system. But two prominent parties in the case say the settlement attempt – initiated at CMP's urging – reflects political pressure by the utility's parent company and threatens to short-circuit a legal process that's meant to test whether the project is necessary in its proposed form. They also say that Gov. John Baldacci's wind power trade mission to Europe last week, and statements the governor made during the trip, send a message that Maine's energy future depends heavily on the approval of the transmission line, which would directly benefit Iberdrola, the Spanish owner of CMP's parent company, Energy East. Portland Press Herald
The powerline that both Stetson Mt. and Rollins are being plugged into is already at its maximum capacity. So, First Wind is going ahead and building both Stetson II (17 more turbines) and Rollins (40 turbines) without adequate powerline capacity! Windaction
It is well known that there are questions about capacity and congestion on “Line 64", the 115kv line into which First Wind proposes to feed both Rollins and Stetson I & II. In June of 2007, RLC Engineering, LLC conducted an Interconnection System Impact Study under the ISO New England Inc. Open Access Transmission Tariff Schedule 22-Standard Large Generator Interconnection Procedures on behalf of ISO New England Inc. and Bangor Hydro Electric for UPC Wind (now First Wind) to construct and interconnect the 57MW wind project on Stetson Mountain in Washington County, Maine. The study showed that the existing transmission Line 64, into which Line 56 from Stetson Mt. and now the Rollins Project would feed, was at full capacity (151 MW) servicing Brookfield Power's 126 MW hydroelectric system and Indeck's (now Covanta) 25 MW biomass power plant in West Enfield- both base load renewable generators. With the introduction of Stetson energy into Line 64, energy output from Brookfield and/or Covanta would have to be significantly curtailed resulting in a 0 MW net gain in renewable generation for the region. Put another way, Stetson Wind and Rollins Wind, both intermittent and unpredictable generators, could displace existing reliable base load of renewable energy. Maybe that's why Stetson I is built but not operating---nowhere to put the electricity. First Wind is arrogantly pushing ahead, no doubt expecting that some political pressure causes ISO-New England to open the MEPCO line to these projects or that Obama bails them out with $$$ to expand the transmission lines. Either way, taxpayers and ratepayers subsidize this inefficient, unreliable, unpredictable source of power that we do not need in Maine.
An old trandmission network takes the sizzle out of renewable erengy plans. Maine, like other states, is facing a difficult challenge: how to incorporate energy generators of the future with a grid that’s stuck in the past. Though Maine has been touted as a potential renewable energy hub, the New England area has also been identified as a site of transmission congestion, according to a 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Energy. Grid lock