Wilmington New Journal (somehow) fails to screw up the Windfarm Story – ALSO FREEP this online poll!!
The WNJ’s AARON NATHANS and JEFF MONTGOMERY, did a pretty fair job with the Windfarm story. Yes, this paragraph cntradicts the NJ’s headline which states that windpower is “untested”:
Denmark, the world’s fifth-largest wind energy producer, has meanwhile sunk billions of dollars into offshore wind and late last year published a study that found wind farms can be developed without significant harm or risk to birds or aquatic life, provided sites are chosen carefully and with adequate precautions
Yet, for the NJ – not too bad.
Take a second and freep this NJ online poll: Should Delaware invest in wind farm technology? (You have to scroll down a bit to get to the poll.)
Here is the link again if you want to email it around to some fellow travelers.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Should Delaware invest in wind farm technology?
yeah!!!!!!
the even give the idea some exta super fabulous love by calling it a wind PARK
I heart WNJ!!!!!!!!!
86% yes
14% no
out of ~330
Should Delaware invest in wind farm technology?
Are you asking if the State should build a wind farm and get into the wholesale elctric business?
or
Are you asking if the State should subsidise this “prefered” method of electrical generation with our tax dollars?
the answer to either question is NO
the answer to either question is NO
Knee-jerk conservative.
From the article:
The state required Delmarva to seek the bids as part of an effort to provide a long-term, Delaware-produced source of energy.
Yeah but how is it being funded?
Yet details about Bluewater’s capacity plans remain out of reach to the public, as do the details of the two power plants competing for the lucrative deal. Although confidentiality claims are now under review by all three bidders, Bluewater excluded information about the generating capacity and costs of its project from public versions of its application.
This is spooky, we need to know more, otherwise in a few years we could be calling for heads to roll just like we did for deregulation; no wonder the pols are wary of the Bluewater proposal.
And Carper actually said something sensible:
He said he’d like to see both a wind farm and a coal gasification facility, although he added, “I don’t know if that’s achievable.”
So be a leader, Sen. Carper, and figure out how to make it happen.
If, by subsidize this by buy electricty that it produces, sure. If instead, you mean paying a little extra for the power produced, absolutely.
And I’m not alone in this. A poll conducted by the UofD asked participants if they were willing to pay (the number varied by participant) between $5 and $35 (I believe that was the upper end, but it could have been higher) for wind energy, than coal, the answer was yes, by 91-9 percent.
So again, a conservative in the minority. Wind power has G.W.B. circa 9/11 levels of favorable ratings.
According to Prof. Kempton we have some very unique conditions here that make the coastal area off Delaware very attractive for this sort of electic-generation. Depth of water, favorable winds, favorable hurricane conditions, etc, etc. We could become the major US supplier of wind-generated electricity. Ya wanna look that gift horse in the mouth? The world’s energy demands are going to grow and fossil fuel is obsolete. We have a great opportunity to lead here. We also have a responsibility to do it right. Starting now, lets all be involved in the process.
Happy-shoot-form-the-hip
The presenters say that the cost will be equal to the NRG proposal.
They also claim that this requires not on penny of government money for construction. They will need a long-term contract, however, to secure the cash to build the farm.
Nancy – to be clear, when total cost is factored in (environmental costs, health costs, etc.) wind is relatively equal. Of course, the coal mongers only care about what the initial and operating costs are. For coal, these are much lower. It is only when you factor in infant mortality, asthma, black lung and loss of the environment that the picture looks rosy for the costs of wind.
That being said, it is worth it in my book, since I look at all the facts. If you are a conservative, you only have to look at some of the information. That’s the beauty of being clueless.