Hamlin Preservation Group - Cost & Efficiency

Schools await windfarm money decision

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:17:27 -0400

Just how tax payments from a windfarm development in Prattsburgh should be divided was argued last week before state Supreme Court Judge Peter Bradstreet.

No decision was made in a lawsuit filed by the Prattsburgh and Naples school districts against a payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement approved by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA) in January. Bradstreet’s office said there is no timetable on when a ruling will be made.

Subsidies Rate Table

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:11:01 -0400

From the Executive Summary of the report
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/pdf/execsum.pdf, pdf page 6 of 8. That page includes a table of subsidies paid per mwh of generation. A quick summary (subset) below:

Coal is paid $.44 per mwh
Nat. Gas: $.25 per mwh
Biomass: $.89 per mwh
Nuclear: $1.59 per mwh
Hydro: $.67 per mwh
Solar: $24.34 per mwh
Landfill gas: $1.37 per mwh
Wind: $23.37 per mwh

Plenty of Wind, But No Action From Windmills

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:28:31 -0500

Many people have been commenting lately on the wind farm along the lakeshore in Lackawanna. But it's not because the giant windmills are spinning in the breeze.

In fact, the windmills have been practically idle for many weeks. The wind farm, called "Steel Winds" is on the former Bethlehem Steel site. At full capacity, it's supposed to generate enough power for 6,000 homes.

We asked the manufacturer, Clipper Windpower, what's happening with the eight wind turbines, and why they're not working. It seems there's a problem with the gear boxes and all of them will have to be replaced.

Wind Turbine Blade Update: When?

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:44:01 -0500

It’s one of the most visible sights in Madison County; one of the blades on the Fenner Wind Turbines broke in mid-November, and is still not fixed.

A representative for General Electric, who built the huge turbines, says the weather has been too snowy, too cold, and too windy to get up and fix the blade. As soon as they get a stretch of more-mild weather, they say they'll be up there as soon as possible to make the fix.

Laura Washburn ACENY.ORG Industrial wind reduces dependence on foreign oil

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:55:24 -0500

Unless Washburn is talking about mounting wind turbines on automobiles she's obviously very misinformed...

"Wind power plays a key role in New York's clean energy future. From an environmental perspective, it's a safe source of energy that reduces our dependence on polluting fossil fuels and foreign oil," said Larisa Washburn, program associate of Environmental Advocates of New York. "This stud

Hull Light Department's Turbine, Massashusetts

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:25:26 -0500

Does anyone know about the Hull Light Dept's Turbine? Didn't that turbine actually SAVE the taxpayers, up front, money, since it produced energy directly for their streetlights? Where does the taxpayer/electricity consumer save any money in any other "turbine farm". Aren't we taxpayers/consumers being "double-dipped?????) Again, turbines suck our funds and give us VERY little in return.

Wind power along Lake Erie just might fly

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:44:21 -0500

Ohio leaders propose a windy addition to the Lake Erie horizon - massive wind turbines that would crank out megawatts and spin off research, development and jobs.

An energy task force will recommend to Cuyahoga County commissioners next month that the region pursue a demonstration project of four to 10 turbines, spinning at least three miles out on Lake Erie.

It would be an unprecedented venture - while European countries have water-borne windmills, the United States has none, task force officials said. And there are no freshwater wind turbines in the world, they said.

Going aloft for wind power

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:55:52 -0500

[Jan 2007] In another twist on wind power, inventors are designing kites and balloons to generate electricity.

The wind industry is undergoing rapid growth as utilities, prompted by government incentives, seek out cleaner sources of power generation. Typically, these commercial-grade projects involve large wind turbines, which stand 100 to 400 feet high.

Kites and balloons are not widely used, and they face some of the same challenges as traditional wind turbines, such as bird deaths and complaints over location. But that isn't stopping people from coming up with "flying" wind generators.

Electricity Output from the Maple Ridge - Jul, Aug, Sep 2006

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:37:04 -0500

Tug Hill (Lewis County)
New York, USA

(rated at 240MW, about 160 1.5MW turbines)

— data collected and graphed by
Richard Bolton, President
Environmental Compliance Alliance
Rushville, NY
BOLTON@hws.edu
January 7, 2007

Energy producers are not required to file actual energy production figures for their plant, but are required to file hourly financial transaction information with FERC ["The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is an independent regulatory agency within the Department of Energy that, among other energy-related tasks, licenses and inspects private, municipal and state hydroelectric projects."].

NY Blows Energy Goal

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:05:57 -0500

ALBANY - New York state has fallen short of an early target in its multi year effort to boost the use of wind power and other clean energy sources.

The Pataki administration adopted a policy in 2004 to increase New York's reliance on renewable energy to 25 percent by 2013. At that time, regulators set up yearly targets to increase renewable energy use in steady increments.

The target for 2006 was to purchase 1.1 million megawatt hours of renewable energy. The state has fallen short of that goal by about a third, according to figures from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Wind power isn't reliable enough to satisfy electricity needs

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 10:53:16 -0500

The record-breaking demand for electricity this summer taxed California's razor-thin, peak-load electrical generating capacity. Power failures were narrowly averted when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to reduce electricity consumption by 25 percent and many large industries and businesses agreed to voluntarily shut down.

If there is a benefit to emerge from California's escape from rolling blackouts, it is the growing recognition that we need to bring back the only source of energy that can provide large amounts of reliable electricity without polluting the air or contributing to global warming: nuclear power.

Serious blow for proposed turbine park

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:04:22 -0400

When the wind blows, the turbines will rock – when it doesn’t, there’s trouble.

At least, for those who would put a wind farm off Long Island’s South Shore. During the hottest days of this year, as energy consumption records fell across the Island, there was nary a breeze – and not nearly enough wind to power the turbines of the Long Island Power Authority’s proposed Offshore Wind Park to their 140-megawatt capacity, according to Suffolk County Leg. Wayne Horsley, D-Babylon.

Wind farm debate has wide reach

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:31 -0400

The wind energy company that has proposed building wind turbines in rural Herkimer County is relying heavily on support from communities in the Lower Hudson Valley for funding.

Community Energy convinced many downstate towns, businesses and individuals to subsidize electricity produced from what would be its first wind farm in New York. The Jordanville Wind Project would have as many as 75 wind turbines on private land that would generate enough power for as many as 60,000 homes.

Device Determines How Well Wind Turbines Operate

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:47:47 -0400

In West Texas, New Mexico, and other places around the world, wind turbines are used to generate electricity. But how can engineers determine their efficiency and health?

Sandia’s Wind Energy Technology Department has developed a device, the Accurate Time Linked data Acquisition System (ATLAS II), which answers that question and can provide all of the information necessary to understand how well a machine is performing.

GE's own efficiency tests

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:02:27 -0400

In testing its own turbines GE found their overall net efficiency to be 10 percent!

— John F. “Jack” Sullivan, Town Councilor, Malone, NY