No more Mc Mansions, No more Wind Projects
by Lloyd Crawford
The only way we are going to save the Berkshires is by stemming rampant consumption.
Gov. Patrick’s 7500 sq.foot, 9 bathroom, vacation home in Richmond
Facts about Iberdrola’s Hoosac Wind Project:
* It will generate 1/10th of 1 percent of the electricity consumed in this state (1) (2)
Hoosac Wind project, Florida/Monroe
* Electricity demand in Massachusetts is expected to grow 1 percent per year for the next decade. (1)
* That means we would need to bring a project like this on line once every 5 weeks for the next 10 years just to keep up with demand growth…without ever addressing our current problems. And…that’s just for electricity which is only 30% of our carbon emissions problem! (3)
(1) ISO NE 2012 Regional System Plan
(2) Projected annual output of this project 28.5MW x 8760 hrs/yr x 25% capacity factor = 62,415 MWh, 2012 est. total consumption of electricity in MA -63,730,000 MWh
(3) U.S. Energy Administration Agency Data
Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts 
Lloyd, Good work. As you continue to speak out keep in mind that people, unfortunately, need to hear simpler sound bytes backed up by the research in a footnote. Rather than the 25% factor mentioned, you well know that wind power is unpredictable, unreliable, and usually not available at peak demand. A key statement is that no single coal, gas fired, or nuclear power has ever been replaced by Industrial Wind Turbines. That means that they are essentially useless in offsetting these sources making them an extraordinary waste of our precious resources.
We all know that the Operation and Maintenance of the wind turbines was not told to buyers of commercial wind turbines .The wind industry is hiding a dirty little secret about catastrophic gear box failures in turbines installed since 2008.The turbines require between 600 thousand and one million in repairs every three to five years as the gear boxes continue to fail .
Princeton,Massachusetts – Portsmouth High School ,Rhode Island -Otis Air Force Base,Cape Cod Massachusetts all have or are having major catastrophic problems after only three years of production .
The Otis AFB turbine spokesperson told news sources that their 2009 Furlander wind turbine has no problems and will get a new gear box later this year .What they didn’t tell the public is that the operation speed of the turbine has been slowed because of the bearing failure.The issue here is that for some reason the facts about the Otis wind turbine are very cloudy .
The Otis wind turbine was paid for with taxpayer dollars . How much will it cost to repair the Otis wind turbine and what chances are they taking with the 200 gallons of oil in a gear box with metal particles and bearings heating up .
What is the real cost of operating these turbines over five years ?
In fact, for those of us who understand the difference between energy and power, wind farms fail to provide any net energy, and are useless when it comes to satisfying future demand.
https://windwisema.org/about/myths-of-wind-energy/primer-wind-power-vs-wind-energy/
In the absence of utility scale energy storage, wind energy is not a power source. When connected to the grid, fossil fuel plants will have to ramp and cycle excessively to provide the added firming capacity to maintain stability. Studies now show that the increased firming capacity to balance wind energy consumes about as much fuel as wind proponents claim to save. Engineers have come to understand the following:
• They are not environmentally friendly.
• They do not reduce greenhouse gases.
• In addition to being very expensive, they are an add-on to our system for providing eclectic power .
• They are a net job loser.
• The annoyance and ill effects they cause is for nothing in return.
• Large numbers of birds and bats are dying for nothing.
• They cannot and will not replace coal.
• Even if they do, the coal they replace will go to China to create worse world pollution.
• You cannot trade the health of wind turbine abutters for those affected by coal.
• The high cost will not decrease in time.
• The money wasted on wind can better be spent researching for real alternatives.
Tell our political leaders and leaders of environmental groups to STOP
Wind is not the answer!