Assessment on Wind Energy in New York State by Energy Analyst, Glenn Schleede
Posted by Unknown at 4:22 PM
September 2, 2013
New York’s Ongoing Wind Energy Mistakes
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides on its web site[1] many
claims about the great progress and benefits achieved by promoting and
subsidizing wind energy in the state – an initiative kicked off by
former Governor Pataki and followed slavishly by each succeeding
administration and legislature.
Unfortunately,
like other promoters of wind energy, the DEC article tells less than
half the true story about very high cost, low value electricity from
wind energy and ignores completely its adverse environmental, economic,
electric system reliability impacts, and its damaging impact on ordinary
citizens, taxpayers, and electricity users in New York.
For example, the
DEC article doesn't mention (a) incessant noise from wind turbine, (b)
birds and bats killed by the huge machines, (c) the destruction of
landscape, natural resources, scenic vistas, and animal habitat during
construction and thereafter, or (d) the damage to property values and
quality of life of those unfortunate enough to live near “wind farms.”
Neither does the
DEC mention the high cost and low value of electricity from wind
turbines. The low true value of electricity from wind turbines is due
to their intermittent, volatile, and unreliable output and their
tendency to produce electricity primarily at night in cold and shoulder
months when electricity is least needed, rather than on hot summer
weekday late afternoons when demand is high.
Looking beyond the
misleading DEC article, the fact that political leaders continue to
push wind energy is particularly difficult to understand when looking at
the following facts:
1. New
York’s first 15 “wind farms” completed before the end of 2010 have a
total rated (or nameplate) capacity of 1,273.9 megawatts (MW). During 2012 these 15 “wind farms” produced 2,321,500 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity. [2] Assuming very conservative capital cost numbers, the capital cost of these 15 “wind farms” in NY was probably around $2 billion.
The predominate demand for electricity in
New York state is in the New York City (NTC) area. However, NY’s “wind
farms” are located in upstate and western New York so the output from
these “wind farms” must be transmitted to the NYC area, adding to the
cost of the electricity and adding environmental damage when additional
transmission capacity must be provided.
2. Now
consider a logical alternative: A single 450 MW gas-fired combined
cycle generating unit (or two 225 MW units) located near NYC, operating
at only a 60% capacity factor, could have supplied just as much
electricity — actually 2,365,200 MWh[3] –
with about one fourth of the capital cost and with less overall cost to
consumers and taxpayers when fuel and O&M costs are added.
Furthermore,
the gas-fired generating units would be reliable and dispatchable and
thus available when needed, including times of peak electricity demand.
Electricity is available from wind turbines only when wind speeds are in
the “right” range.[4] They are highly unlikely to produce much electricity during times of peak demand, so they have little or no “capacity value.”
Also, there would be no need to add
transmission capacity to bring wind-generated electricity to the NYC
area from upstate and western NY. Finally, a factor that should be important to political leaders: a gas-fired generating unit would provide many more long lasting jobs than “wind farms.”
The
apparent low regard that NY political leaders have for the people and
organizations dependent on electricity is illustrated by the extremely
high electric bills that result from the state’s policies. The average
electricity price for residential customers in New York in 2012 was
17.69 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while the nationwide average in
2012 was 11.88 cents per kWh.[5]
Therefore,
New York’s average residential electricity prices are 53% above the
national average. A New York resident using 6,500 kWh of electricity
per year will pay about $400 per year more for his or her electricity
than if New York’s electricity prices were at the national
average. (Only Alaska, with 17.84 cents per kWh and Hawaii with 37.27
cents per kWh had higher prices.) Consider the job and other local
economic benefits if New York had allowed its approximately 8,000,000
residential electric customers to spend $400 per year – that would be
$3.2 billion -- in their local economies.
Unfortunately, the
New York States’ Department of Environmental Conservation web site
article cited earlier is but one example of the way that government
officials and employees now use tax dollars to distribute false and
misleading information that protects and promotes bad policies, helps
special interest groups such as the wind industry, and/or promotes their
personal preferences.
Glenn R. Schleede (former western New Yorker)
20647 Golden Ridge Drive
Ashburn, VA 20147
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