More Truth-telling Around Hoosac Wind

Letters to the Editor and a Diane Broncaccio piece continue the media  attention to the Hoosac ribbon-cutting protest. The North Adams Transcript published two letters from residents who did their homework when the Shelburne wind project was proposed.

Ray Hartman from Shelburne Falls writes in “Gov. Patrick’s embrace of wind power is ill-advised,”

What the science and the more extensive experience of other countries have demonstrated is the following: Industrial wind turbines (IWTs) make no engineering or economic sense in inland New England.

Based upon available prevailing winds, as estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy, IWTs will produce little sustainable energy. Moreover, the energy they produce will be intermittent and available when the grid does not need it.

From Hawley, Lloyd Crawford’s analysis in his letter, “Putting the Hoosac Wind Project in perspective,” points out how little the project contributes to electricity demand (as well as how much it fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions).

In truth, residential electricity only accounts for about a third of total electricity consumption. Massachusetts has 2.5 million households. To put this in perspective, this largest wind farm in Massachusetts will produce, on an annual basis, only enough power for one out of every 250 households in the state … or one 750th of electrical power consumed in Massachusetts.

Monday’s protest at the ribbon-cutting continues to resonate in regional media. Diane Broncaccio, reporting in The Daily Hampshire Gazette (“Neighbors of Hoosac wind project raise noise concerns“) described the meeting the governor had with Florida resident Mike Fairneny and Falmouth resident Malcolm Donald.

“I never anticipated that,” said Farineny, who lives about a half-mile from the wind turbines on Crum Hill. His greatest concern is about the potential sound impact once the turbines are turned on. He said he asked the governor for an independent sound-study of the ambient noise, which would set a baseline for the limits of allowable noise once the turbines are turned on, at month’s end. Farineny said he has been asking his selectmen for that also, but they have said no.

“I feel like my whole world is going to turn to crap,” said Farineny, who has lived in his home for 28 years.“We were told we would never even see these things, and now I’m afraid we’re going to hear them.”