America’s Worst Wind-Energy Project

National Review Online ^ | 10/12/11 | Robert Bryce

[PDMiller]

The more people know about the wind-energy business, the less they like it. And when it comes to lousy wind deals, General Electric’s Shepherds Flat project in northern Oregon is a real stinker.

I’ll come back to the GE project momentarily. Before getting to that, please ponder that first sentence. It sounds like a claim made by an anti-renewable-energy campaigner. It’s not. Instead, that rather astounding admission was made by a communications strategist during a March 23 webinar sponsored by the American Council on Renewable Energy called “Speaking Out on Renewable Energy: Communications Strategies for the Renewable Energy Industry.”

[PDMiller]

Need to be sure the folly of wind is not lost in the Solyndra saga.

[Kozak]

The Green Jobs Answer Man

[PDMiller]

Excellent video! Birds fly right into those suckers ...

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[JimmyMc]

Reminds me of the Donovan song...”You might have tried to catch the wind.”
http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/1579243

[FreedomPoster]

Some of us saw plenty of the folly of wind and solar during the Carter era. It really, really stinks to be living through the same nonsense again, only this time it is probably two orders of magnitude more of a money-waster.

[EyeGuy]

I’ll bet America’s BEST “Wind Energy Project” is significantly LESS productive than America’s absolute WORST coal plant.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Just found out yesterday that there’s a big windfarm in Northwestern Ohio.

[YankeeReb]

Kind of on the same subject of bogus green energy projects, Brookfield properties , CEO John Zuccatti is allowing the miscreants of occupy Wall St to camp at his park . But it turns out that Brookfield Properties received a federal "loan" for a huge windfarm project in NH

It figures, if you do a little digging you'll find the regime funding this nonsense. I'm sure Soro$ has his deep pockets in the mix too. For G_ds sake! these people have their own newspaper and have a PR firm working for them!

This is the "community organizer's" stock and trade. Hasn't anyone in the media (even Fox) asked why there is very little "occupying" of DC and the WH? If this were any kind of spontaneous protest (or if it were a Republican in the WH) there would be all kinds of marches as there were during Nixon's presidency.

We are being played for fools!!!! The organizer in chief calls for taxes on the rich and these protests spring up!?! I don't think so. When the smoke clears and this regime is only a horrible memory, it'll be reveled that Van Jones, the Tides foundation ,SEIU et.al. have their finger prints all over this.

[YankeeReb]

Not to beat a dead horse, but we all know these protest organizers are being PAID through NY Working Families Party. What you may not have noticed (at least I didn't) is that the ad came out Sept 26, 2011, a full 2 weeks before all the protesting really got going. Coincidentally, that was the time we were being urged to , "PASS THIS BILL NOW!!!".

Anyone still believe this isn't Astro-Turffed???

[BfloGuy]

This line from the article sort of stands out.

The memo goes on to say that, while the project backers would only provide equity equal to about 11 percent of the total cost of the wind project, they would receive an “estimated return on equity of 30 percent

Ya think the investors know something? This administration is pathetic.

[PDMiller]

It’s a scam of epic proportions. Get the states to mandate some percentage of “green” energy to create artificial demand, then arrange for ridiculous financial incentives to erect wind turbines and you’ve got a recipe for enriching the ruling class while fleecing you and me.

[neverdem]

BTTT!

[alancarp]

"...Justin Rolfe-Redding, a doctoral student from the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University..."

This is (yet another) troubling thing from the article. Several bad things come to mind, but I'll keep it to just 2 for now:

1. A well-known University has an entire department for NOT ONLY Climate Change itself (the Dept of Climate Dynamics - I looked it up), but a separate "Center" for Communications of Climate Change issues... or, as one blogger put it: a place "where only one viewpoint is allowed." This absolutely flies against the grain of what Universities as supposed to be about: research, idea exchange, and advancement of the arts and sciences.

2. So now we have this poor kid who is soon to obtain the title "Doctor", which will instantly qualify him to discuss Climate Change issues on PMS/NBC as an "expert" on the topic. Here's the real problem, though: Clearly -- as evidenced from the article -- his thrust of research is not about the truth. It is about how to Tell The Big Lie and make it believable. That degree will come in real handy once Climate Change is finally flushed down the toilet of public opinion... oh, but wait... your research area is on techniques of modifying public opinion? Well, okay, you should be able to easily find work for a future Democrat administration.

Well done, George Mason University: you promote Doctoral degree programs in the Art of The Lie.

[TADSLOS]

Ping. Right up your alley. Oregon isn’t the only state engaged in this tomfoolery.

[cripplecreek]

Gov. Perry Announces TEF Investment in Solar Power Company

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today announced the state will invest $1 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) in HelioVolt Corp. of Austin for the construction of a 125,000 square foot manufacturing facility and development space to test and produce the company’s thin-film solar power cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. The deal will create nearly 160 jobs and $62 million in capital investment.

HelioVolt Corp. puts off growth. Plant is ready but demand not there yet

After months of stealthy operations, solar cell maker HelioVolt Corp. has delayed by two years its job creation projections.


Gov. Rick Perry: Wind Energy Keeps Texas' Air Clean and Our Future Bright

Texas doesn't just believe in the potential of wind energy, we are reaping its benefits already. People who talk about wind energy as a technology of the future clearly haven't been to West Texas lately: the future of wind energy in Texas is now. I probably don't need to spend too much time talking about the benefits of wind energy to a bunch of people who specialize in this remarkable technology, but a few things really stand out for me. I am proud that our state's installed wind generation capacity leads the nation, a place we did not reach by accident.

(snip)

Just last year, nearly $3 billion worth of wind-powered electric generators were installed, twice as much as any other state. This addition of more than 1,600 megawatts of capacity bumped up our total wind capacity by 59 percent. And the hits keep on coming. For example, this afternoon, one of the world's largest manufacturers of alternative energy equipment is announcing a new research facility here in Houston. And I recently got word that Hill Country Wind Power has acquired the Wind Turbine Company and is moving their manufacturing operations from Bellevue, Washington to the Lone Star state. With progress like this, I am confident we'll hit the next milestone, 10,000 megawatts, or 10% of our current capacity, well before the deadline in 2025.

[PDMiller]

Great point re: the George Mason angle.

When I fought wind turbines in Southwest Michigan, my nemesis was a guy dispatched from Michigan State's School of Agriculture. His pitch was to get farmers to sign up for the lucrative lease arrangements being dangled in front of their noses. Needless to say having to fight for my property rights against a guy on the State payroll was yet additional salt in an already irritated wound.

[alancarp]

Yeah, I’ll bet. Even when it’s tax money being spent, a lot of people have a hard time turning down “free” money.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks PDMiller.

[nascarnation]

Sometime folks see Baraq’s ultra left background but forget that he got a “masters” in “operations” from the Chicago political mob.

Those are the folks that wrote the book on corruption.

He’s learned well.