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When Windmills Don’t Spin, People Expect Some Answers
NY Times ^ | February 5, 2010 | MONICA DAVEY

Posted on 02/05/2010 7:48:37 PM PST by neverdem

For those who suspect residents in places like Minnesota of embellishment when it comes to their tales of bitterly cold winter weather, consider this: even some wind turbines, it seems, cannot bear it.

Turbines, more than 100 feet tall, were installed last year in 11 Minnesota cities to provide power, and also to serve as educational symbols in a state that has mandated that a quarter of its electricity come from renewable resources by 2025.

One problem, though: The windmills, supposed to go online this winter, mostly just sat still, people in cities like North St. Paul and Chaska said, rarely if ever budging. Residents took note. Schoolchildren asked questions. Complaints accumulated.

“If people see a water tower, they expect it to stand still,” said Wally Wysopal, the city manager of North St. Paul. “If there’s a turbine, they want it to turn.”

No one knows for sure why these turbines do not. Officials believe there may be several reasons, but weather is the focus of much speculation. It is not as though turbines cannot function in cold places; thousands of them work perfectly well throughout Minnesota and the Midwest, the American Wind Energy Association is quick to note.

But the 12 turbines in question, each 20 years old, spent their earlier years twirling in California...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Technical; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: energy; windmills
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What's the problem with these fair weather, transplanted windmills? The answer will be interesting, IMHO.
1 posted on 02/05/2010 7:48:37 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

One possible moral of the story: Don’t buy old used junk from California. There is probably a reason its for sale.


2 posted on 02/05/2010 7:53:43 PM PST by Western Phil
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To: neverdem

Algore and his enviroloonies have some ‘splainin’ to do. LOL!


3 posted on 02/05/2010 7:55:07 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (If the CIA and NASA are going to "monitor climate change", why the hell do we need the EPA?)
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To: neverdem

If you’ve ever driven through West Texas (north of Lubbock, towards Amarillo), you might be astounded by a couple things:

1) How many wind turbines there are, and
2) How many of them are NOT TURNING.

I’m not sure why. I’d like to know.

However, I wager that when enviros quote some big honkin’ number of megawatts of wind power available in Texas, they’re talking POTENTIAL. Not actual.

Food for thought. I think the whole wind power contribution to the grid is MUCH less than is touted, and not just in Minnesota.


4 posted on 02/05/2010 7:55:54 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Eat more spinach! Make Green Jobs for America!)
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To: neverdem
... and also to serve as educational symbols...

I'm glad these morons finally admitted what these damn things are really all about. They're "educational symbols" for the "great unwashed masses". I suspected this all along.

5 posted on 02/05/2010 7:57:35 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (If the CIA and NASA are going to "monitor climate change", why the hell do we need the EPA?)
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To: Nervous Tick

>> Food for thought. I think the whole wind power contribution to the grid is MUCH less than is touted, and not just in Minnesota.

Is his name Pickens? Anyway, he’s pushing gas now...


6 posted on 02/05/2010 7:58:02 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: neverdem
“If people see a water tower, they expect it to stand still,” said Wally Wysopal, the city manager of North St. Paul. “If there’s a turbine, they want it to turn.”

I can see it now. They'll install motors and heaters to keep them turning through the winter. It would make about as much sense as installing them in the first place.

7 posted on 02/05/2010 7:59:31 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: neverdem

If this is the same turbines that was reported on earlier in the week, they are stopped by the extreme cold. The fluid that is part of the working mechanism didn’t stand up to the extreme cold in Minnesota. The contractor said it would. The city is set to sue for non-compliance to their contract. Stupid city government. Build a freaking coal fired power plant and stay warm, and run lights and machines and tools. They bought into the crap of global warming. Suffer you idiots. November 2010 we start taking our country back!


8 posted on 02/05/2010 8:00:05 PM PST by Doulos1 (Bitter Clinger Forever)
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To: neverdem
Windmills ... educational symbols S U C K E R S !
9 posted on 02/05/2010 8:01:16 PM PST by ricks_place
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To: neverdem

They are an eyesore and I have heard the noise they make can drive you insane. It sounds like they are a money-pit. We have plenty of oil. DRILL IT!


10 posted on 02/05/2010 8:01:37 PM PST by beefree
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To: Gene Eric

>> Is his name Pickens?

Heh... yeah, that’s a lot of it. Maybe MOST of it. “T-Bone” also has a pipeline and water rights thing going.

>> Anyway, he’s pushing gas now...

Yep. And not running wind power ads anymore either.

So sad... I’m “pushing gas” too, but unlike T. Booone, it doesn’t seem to make ME any money, just makes Mrs. Tick gag now and then. If you know what I mean (and I think you do). ;-)


11 posted on 02/05/2010 8:03:42 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Eat more spinach! Make Green Jobs for America!)
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To: neverdem

I’ve seen several wind farms out here in So. Cal., and every one of them have a percentage of non turners. I’ve wondered why some turn, and others immediately next to them don’t.


12 posted on 02/05/2010 8:06:11 PM PST by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...Call 'em What you Will, They ALL have Fairies Living In Their Trees.)
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To: beefree

>> We have plenty of oil. DRILL IT!

Isn’t it funny? We spent thousands of years figuring out that petroleum is a darn good, efficient, cost-effective source of energy... and then, with a little pressure from the left, we FORGOT all that in a couple DECADES!

What the heck is wrong with us anyway??!?


13 posted on 02/05/2010 8:06:27 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Eat more spinach! Make Green Jobs for America!)
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To: neverdem
... serve as educational symbols...

Here are a few "educational symbols" they can use in the classroom without going outside...


14 posted on 02/05/2010 8:06:29 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: neverdem

I think the Good New senator from Massachusetts should spear head a project fo a wind farm out by teddys old place and call it the Ted Kennedy memorial windfarm


15 posted on 02/05/2010 8:09:36 PM PST by al baby (Hi Mom sarc ;))
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To: neverdem

These windmills ARE educational.

They teach children that government is not to be trusted to make good choices.


16 posted on 02/05/2010 8:09:44 PM PST by Balding_Eagle (If America falls, darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
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To: neverdem
How much time, man hours, energy and fossil fuel was wasted dismantling, transporting and rebuilding these things when they bought them from California?

Feelings beat out common sense every time in Liberaland.

17 posted on 02/05/2010 8:10:08 PM PST by Kickass Conservative (There is nothing Democratic about the Democrat Party...)
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To: Nervous Tick
What the heck is wrong with us anyway??!?

Nothin' is wrong with "us."

But everthing is wrong with "them." :)

18 posted on 02/05/2010 8:10:59 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: neverdem

Why can’t they just take the wind turbines to a local airport and get them de-iced (stated in my most nerve wracking, know it all, greenie-environmental voice)


19 posted on 02/05/2010 8:12:49 PM PST by libertarian27 (Land of the FEE, home of the SHAMED)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Sic semper “green technology.”


20 posted on 02/05/2010 8:13:21 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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