Wind power a vexing question for Vermont

Houston Chronicle ^ | Sept. 2, 2006 | LISA RATHKE

[DB]

No, I'm surprised it is economical. Lots of things can be done, but that doesn't mean they make sense to do.

[DB]

That's insane as in WOW!

[endthematrix]

"Bryant said that's not enough of a benefit to warrant the unsightly presence of 26 towers dotting the surrounding mountaintops."

Granted most of the VT energy is from nuclear and hydro, but this guy most likely bitches about gas prices and dependence on foreign oil.

[dayglored]

> That's insane as in WOW!

Ah, so. YES!

[dayglored]

>> "Bryant said that's not enough of a benefit to warrant the unsightly presence of 26 towers dotting the surrounding mountaintops."

> Granted most of the VT energy is from nuclear and hydro, but this guy most likely bitches about gas prices and dependence on foreign oil.

"Unsightly"?!? I consider 'em to be graceful and damn near beautiful. Especially when you consider that they're pulling a lot of useful clean energy out of thin air.

Hopefully this guy will change his mind eventually.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Yeah, this has really gotta screw with the Earth Firsters' psyches! ;-)

[Cobra64]

I've worked in the Wilkes Barre area, but have npt seen the wind farm. I'd like to see the pictures.

[dayglored]

> I've worked in the Wilkes Barre area, but have npt seen the wind farm. I'd like to see the pictures.

It must've gone up within the last year; they weren't there (or I missed 'em, which is unlikely) spring of '05, and we saw them early this summer.

Here's the first view we got, from the highway (PA Turnpike, northeast extension, heading south). I'd guess we were half a mile away at least, maybe a mile.

We got as close as the front driveway of one house that was a few hundred feet from the base of one. Unfortunately the main access road was closed. This shot doesn't give the right impression, but I'd estimate the rotor diameter at no less than 200 feet. The enclosure at the hub that held the gearing and genny armature appeared roughly the size of an 18-wheel trailer.

[Cobra64]

Very cool. Thanks for posting them.

[dayglored]

> Very cool. Thanks for posting them.

Glad you like 'em. Gimme a couple minutes, I'll have some pictures of our front-yard Jake for ya...

[dayglored]

Here are some shots of our 1940's Jacobs Wind Electric 2.6KW genny, atop an 80-ft Rohn tripod tower (which I bought separately from a fellow in Utica).

Winter, looking out a front window of the house.

Summer, looking past the house from the east.

From the top of the tower, looking down at my own shadow.

My own foot, straight down. This shot was to impress the wife. ;-)

The tail of the Jake, at head level, 80 feet up.

As you can tell, we live in some beautiful countryside. We are very lucky. America is very beautiful, and we life in an especially lovely part of it.

[Cobra64]

Very very nice. Is ypur home in PA?

[dayglored]

> Very very nice. Is ypur home in PA?

Nope, Upstate NY, east of Ithaca, just off Rte 79. Soft rolling hills, the Finger Lakes. It's so pretty it more than makes up for the fact that I live within spitting distance of the City of Evil. ;-)

[Cobra64]

We've been through the Finger Lakes when the kids were younger on our way from our home in Tomkins Cove, NY to Niagara Falls. We passed through 1,000 Islands. That was breathtaking in October. It's a shame so few people know what a beautiful state NY is.

Tomkins Cove is surrounded by Bear Mtn. State Park and Harriman State Park. Our house was nestled in on 5 acres of heavy woods.

We move to Western NC in the Blue Ridge Mtns. a few years ago to escape the cold and snow in NY. We're on Lake James.

Here's the family.

BTW, I like your FR home page. A real American.

Time to catch some zzzz's. Good night.

[The Great RJ]

The wind turbines are not any solution to environmentaly safe energy generation. The number of turbines needed to meet even a fraction of our electrical needs would necessitate building them in the millions. What effect millions of wind turbines might have on the environment is unknown, but could cause a shift in weather patterns not to mention chopping up birds, bats and other flying creatures.

[thackney]

The number of turbines needed to meet even a fraction of our electrical needs would necessitate building them in the millions.

That seems like a bit of a stretch. A 400 foot tall wind turbine should be around 3.6 MW based on GE's wind turbine. Wind doesn't blow all the time, let us use 30% as the run time. The 3.6 WM generator would produce 9,461 MWHrs a year.

In 2004 the US used 3,716,687,527 MWHrs counting all sectors. (Residential, Commercial, Industrial & Transportation)

Direct Use and Retail Sales of Electricity to Ultimate Customers

5% of our nations electrical energy needs would take about 20,000 of these turbines. Millions would be ~5 times what we use.

[thackney]

A 400 foot antenna is hard enough to build much less a windmill.

I forgot to mention last night. Just for comparison purposes, 2,000 ft antennas, although not common, exist in many places in the US and some are over 30 years old. I used to live within sight of one.

List of tallest structures in the United States, Wikipedia

[DB]

Yes, I know, but they have guy wires (anchor cables). Can't put guy wires on a windmill.

[kennedy]

"It's a reflection of the deep environmental consciousness of this state," said environmentalist Bill McKibben

It's a reflection of the deep NIMBY consiousness of the state.

The trouble with electric generation, is that you lose a lot when you try to transmit electricity long distance. Putting all the wind generators in West Texas only takes care of electric needs in West Texas. So if the environmentalists of Vermont want electricty, they are going to need to figure out a way to generate it.

[P-40]

Putting all the wind generators in West Texas only takes care of electric needs in West Texas.

Austin is getting a sizable chunk of power from there but the available lines got maxed out quickly. It takes months to put a wind turbine up but years to add a new powerline, is my understanding.