New York State Wind Wars
Congress’s last minute
extension of the PTC or Production Tax Credit (aka: “Pork To Cronies”) within the
December 31, 2012 fiscal cliff deal was good news for Big Wind corporate welfare profiteers, like
Michael Polsky’s Invenergy. It was very bad news for
rural/residential towns that are being targeted by industrial wind developers
here in New York State, and across the nation.
Even
though the Wyoming County, NY Town of Orangeville’s conflicted Town Board approved Invenergy’s “Stony Creek” project in the Fall
of 2012, Invenergy admitted it would not go ahead with the project unless the PTC
was extended. This again highlights the fact that the only thing Invenergy is interested in
“harvesting” via its ‘wind farms’ is taxpayers’ money. Once Crony-Corruptocrats in DC extended the PTC in
that midnight fiscal cliff deal, the once-beautiful rolling hills of the Town
of Orangeville were doomed.
While Michael Polsky enjoys his new mansion, many Orangeville
residents are now helplessly looking on in disgust as Invenergy turns their town into a
sprawling industrial wind factory – rendering their homes virtually worthless –
thanks to the legalized thievery of their own tax dollars for The Wind Farm Scam.
As Big Wind CEO, Patrick Jenevein candidly pointed out in
his Wall Street Journal op-ed,
“Wind
power subsidies? No Thanks” and follow-up TV
interview, “Wind farms are
increasingly being built in less-windy locations,” because the wind industry is
focused on reaping the lucrative taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies, rather than
providing efficient, affordable, reliable electricity.
Nowhere is this proving to
be more true than right here in New York State. Orangeville borders the Town of
Attica here in the western part of the state. It’s a town that “First Wind LLC”
pulled out of a number of years ago, after admitting that the Attica area “was
not a good wind area.” It seems Jenevein knew exactly what he was talking about.
Economics 101
According to NYISO’s Goldbook, New York State’s
installed wind factories averaged a pathetic 23.5% actual capacity factor in
2012. New York State wind factories are not generating enough electricity to even to pay for themselves over
their short life spans. It’s basic
economics, but it’s being ignored by politicians.
Renowned energy analyst Glenn Schleede examined the
data on New York State’s wind factories and found that one 450-MW combined cycle
generating unit near New York City (where the power is actually needed) would
provide more power than all of New York State’s wind farms combined, at one-fourth the capital costs – and would significantly
reduce CO2 emissions, while creating far more jobs than all those wind farm – without the added costs and impacts of all the transmission lines to New York
City.
It’s no wonder New York has
earned the dubious distinction of having the highest electricity rates in the
continental United States: 17.7 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) – a whopping 53% above the national average! New
York residents using 6,500 kWh of electricity annually will pay about $400 more per year for their electricity than if the state’s electricity
prices were at the national average.
Despite making absolutely
no economic sense, and despite the utter civil discord embroiling Towns across New York State for more than a
decade, New York State continues to aggressively pursue further industrial wind
development – with no effort whatsoever to protect the health, well-being or
pocketbooks of New York State citizens, especially those living next to or
under the wind turbines.
Governor Cuomo and ‘Article X’
During his tenure as
Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo did nothing to protect New York State citizens
from the predatory practices and collusion evident among Big Wind developers. Once
he became Governor of New York, Cuomo actively began aiding and abetting Big
Wind’s efforts to trample rural communities’ Constitutional private property rights in his pursuit of all things “green” (aka: Agenda 21),
by signing into law the new “Article X (10)” contained within his 2011 “Power
NY Act.”
Cuomo's new Article X put in place an ”Energy Siting Board” comprised of five Albany bureaucrats who now have the
final say regarding the siting of “power-generating facilities” in NY – redefined to mean
anything generating 25 MW or more. Cuomo’s intention to clear the way for
Big Wind developers could not have been any more obvious had he rolled out a
red carpet.
Article X proceedings are
already being pursued by British Petroleum (BP) in Cape Vincent, NY, and by Iberdrola in Clayton, NY. These
foreign-owned corporations intend to turn our beautiful Thousands Islands, St.
Lawrence Seaway area into sprawling industrial wind factories. Devastating some of the most scenic, historic areas
in the nation in pursuit of the “green” energy boondoggle of wind should have all Americans incensed –
especially since they are paying for it!
In Lichtfield, NY, another Big Wind LLC
tried to override the town’s restrictive zoning laws, by using Cuomo’s “Article
X,” so that they could install 490-foot-tall turbines. Luckily for
Litchfield residents, the FAA struck down Big Wind’s plans there.
Robert
Bryce, Senior fellow at The Manhattan Institute, reported on the lawsuit going on in Herkimer County, NY
due to the intolerable noise problems associated with industrial wind
factories. His article title sums it up: “Backlash against Big Wind continues.” Other wind factories are in the works in New York, with
unsuspecting towns yet to recognize the fate that awaits them.
Considering the growing list of problems associated with industrial wind factories in New York
State (and worldwide), Governor Cuomo’s actions reflect criminal negligence by
a duly-elected “public servant,” as he has not demanded health studies to
safeguard those he was elected to serve and protect.
Real Estate 101: “Location, location, location!”
Adding insult to injury,
Ben Hoen and his pals at the NRLB
just came out with yet another bogus “report,”
claiming industrial wind factories do not hurt property values. They can't
really be serious, can they?
Any realtor who is not in
bed with the wind industry will tell you, location is the most important
factor when considering a home’s worth and value.
If you industrialize a
neighborhood (and in the case of industrial wind energy, entire towns, and those neighboring them), you are going to devalue it.
Pretty much a no-brainer,
right? Not according to Hoen and his pals in the
ideologically-driven media.
Media
Controlling the Message
After nearly a decade of
researching and writing about industrial wind power, I’ve lost count of how
many times my comments responding to wind-promoting articles have been
rejected, and how many news publications refuse to report all relevant information regarding
industrial wind power.
A number of local
newspapers serving our area here in Western New York State – which has been
targeted by industrial wind developers – have literally cut off all letters to
the editor from local citizens regarding the industrial wind issue. These same
newspapers continue to publish “Press Releases” and “project updates” on behalf
of wind developers, and yet refuse to do any responsible, investigative
journalism of their own on the efficacy, effects and economics of wind power.
If “news”papers wonder why their
circulation continues to drop, as people choose to get honest news elsewhere,
they need look no further than their own refusal to adhere to “The Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics,” which says “Support the open exchange of views, even
views they find repugnant.”
If wind enthusiasts
actually believe all they claim to about the supposed “wonders of wind,” then why do they need to control the message the way they
do? The answer is evident.
Either they are so
ideologically driven that facts are not “relevant” to them – or they are getting so rich via the wind scam that they must squelch factual information as much as
possible, so that the “Emperor with No Clothes” doesn’t end up being exposed
for what he is – a charlatan who is swindling taxpayers and ratepayers out of billions of dollars in the name of being “green.”
Mary Kay Barton
http://www.masterresource.org/2013/09/new-york-wind-wars/
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