Steel Winds project generates power, profit

According to the Buffalo News:

Ten of the turbines are located in Lackawanna, while four -- all part of the latest expansion -- are in Hamburg. The two turbines that were built in Lackawanna as part of the second phase of the project were split between the original windmills, with one on the north end and one to the south.

The initial phase of the project cost an estimated $40 million, and the latest expansion added $25 million to $30 million to the project's overall price tag.

While the project received large tax breaks, the project is expected to generate about $190,000 a year in tax revenues to Erie County and schools and municipal governments in Hamburg and Lackawanna.

Steel Wind

At a cost of $70 million dollars to heat 9,000 homes, each house electric bill would have to be approximately $7800 a year just to break even on the turbines (no maintenance or personnel). I'm not really sure how they figure a $190,000 tax revenue, but then I'm not a politician.

Thanks for the reply.
The wholesale diversion of assets, with out detail disclosure, about the real cost for untested Greening and Corporate-Government Corruption will be our ruinous legacy to our children and their children. Hope the Alternate-to-Obama candidates start forcing to the front in their campaigns. The only one I think can handle it is Gingrich, Santorum should have been jumping all over it given he is from a coal state.

it’s got to be backed up by conventional power units.

And that's "hot" or "spinning" backup. It takes over 12 hours to fire up a boiler and get the turbines spinning from a cold start. So while they are on hot standby they're consuming fossil fuel.

Actually the subsidies to coal includes regulations not implemented, and oil/gas declares the depletion allowance is a subsidy. It takes all the greenie claims and still proves that the renewables are still not cost effective.

BTW....The main reason the "nuclear renaissance" has not happened is due entirely to the huge influx of natural gas due to the new techniques to get gas out of shale formations. A combined cycle plant can be built and in operation in 18 months and at gas prices less that $3.50 per KCF, it geenrates electricity cheaper than nuclear and coal fired.

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