DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
17 comments:
I can appreciate all the problems , however , under the leadership that appears ongoing , I would vote on the wind turbines because if we keep going in the same direction electric will be a luxury that most can't afford.
Sorry , but true , of course if you are a minority , no problems.
Wind turbines will greatly increase the cost of electricity. That is a fact, especially low wind areas like the Eastern Shore.
All of these "green projects" are highly taxpayer subsidized with grants, mandates and tax credits. Political considerations including political contributions (Pioneer Green principals contributed thousands) and "participating landowner" payments to friends and relatives of local politicians guanantee support.
Counties expect high payments from developers, but there is no guarantee except that property tax revenues will be reduced. Most companies with no real economic model except subsidies go bankrupt. Solyndra is an example.
Wind ain't the answer maybe solar but I doubt it I think natural gas is what we need and we have plenty of it.
Great, wind turbines kill some birds.
Did everyone miss the BP Oil Spill? Or the hundreds of other oil spills that have happened in our country ALONE? What about cutting the tops off of mountains in the name of coal? You don't think we didn't just destroy countless habitats?
I think wind is BY FAR a lesser evil. And if we really want out of the wars and enemies of the future, we better figure it out.
Well written comprehensive article from the oppositions view. His two main points seem to be we have bad government policy regarding energy and we need to focus more on conservation. I agree completely on those points. However as a farmer I long ago realized you can't make decisions based on how government policy should be but how it is. Our government has decided to back green energy and even the writer admits that's not likely to change so the question is does Somerset take advantage of the policy or should we continue to send our energy dollars elsewhere. How can we say we are too principled to take a green energy project that receives tax credits when we grow corn and soybeans that receive huge subsidies. Or how about how all Somerset kids receive free lunch and breakfast because Somerset is so poor its not worth while means testing. Many of his points regard turbines on mountain ranges and just don't apply to Somerset. His comments on noise are based on what he describes as a very quiet neighborhood that just doesn't apply to Somerset. If you visit a wind farm or even the turbine at Lewes you Know that chicken houses are at least as noisy.Then there are fire fans when the chickens move,grain dryers, back up generators, farm equipment at all hours. I hardly think anyone is going to notice the sound a turbine makes. His argument on property values was very weak because he ignores all the research done that show little to no change. In Somerset the poverty and the chicken houses both have a much more negative effect on property values than turbines ever will.
4:09 I highly doubt you are a farmer. If you were you would know that subsidies from corn and soy no longer exist.
Now think of how stupid off shore wind will be. The electricity that they will produce will be reduced by 50% because it will have to be transmitted 20 miles thru sub cables. The resistance in the length of cabling will kill it. And what about the maintenance in a salt air environment.
Wind turbines in Somerset make ZERO sense. The wind resource is poor/marginal, it impedes on national defense, it is a bald eagle haven, it is in the Atlantic flyway, the population density is too great, the turbines are 690', property values will decrease, and electricity rates will increase. Too bad Somerset is too poor to have competent leaders! Shame on you county commissioners for selling out your county and its people.
@6.00pm What evidence do you have the wind is poor? Great Bay has had two towers gathering data for years and their investors are happy with the wind.What evidence do you have it impedes defense as the Navy has said in public it does not. The Audubon Society and the Sierra Club both say Bald Eagles avoid turbines and they endorse Great Bay what do you know they don't. Great Bays FCC application is for turbines 599' or less how will they build turbines 690'. As Maryland has mandated green energy, we will be buying it from one place or another. How will it being produced in Somerset increase electric rates?
There are numerous wind maps available that show the Eastern Shore to be a low wind area except for offshore.
Audubon and Sierra care about contributions, not birds.
The Navy has not said that the turbines will not impede their work.
Lots of free meat and no cost of hunting!
6:00 Somerset will never have competent leaders because they always vote for Democrats.
I'm on 6:00's side. Solar on every roof with battery backup and still connected to the grid is what to shoot for. We just need to perfect the battery and other stored energies in every household.
Wind is stupid, and offshore saltwater wind is suicide, or worse.
@ 6:00
If the investors are happy about the amount of wind their investment will capture why are you worried about it? Are you insinuating that you should be able to go to every potential business and determine if they should be allowed to open based on your assessment of their chances of thriving?
@ 7:34 The Navy has said when the blades are not spinning they do not affect their radar. Pioneer solved this dilemma by giving the Navy the authority to shut down the turbines whenever they need to. The investors accepted this compromise also. If it works for the Navy and the investors why does it bother you?
...A heck of a message to send to our enemies. .."when we are testing top secret technology you will know it...just keep your eye on those turbines fellas"...how ridiculous.! If the government needs a right of way they should simply compensate Somerset property owners for the "taking" of that lost revenue. ..0 dead birds and bats...no increased rates...no ugly towers blocking views...no noise issues...
9:49
Before testing the radar the Navy has to launch a weather balloon to check ambient atmospheric conditions. If you were a spy would you watch turbines which can be shut down for a multitude of factors, or monitor for the launch of a weather balloon? How ridiculous indeed! The government does not need a right of way and even the Navy has indicated that as long as they have the authority to shut down the turbines for testing then they are satisfied. Your theory that this is a homeland security issue has no merit and is actually quite laughable. Also do your research on your birds, bats, rates, etc. Studies have shown that local bird population losses will be sustainable. We have no protected bats which is a principal reason Pioneer is here. Ugly towers is a personal opinion similar to ugly houses. Rates will rise or lower based on Maryland's energy policies not Pioneer. If you want change their voting is the best you can do but in Maryland current policies are unlikely to change. As for noise none of the turbines I have seen can compare to a chicken house so I take it you want to zone agriculture out of the county also? In regards to your suggestion on government compensation in lieu of private business have you considered that perhaps the hosting landowners would rather use the property they have invested in to turn a profit rather than receive another government handout? I am not a hosting landowner so I can only speculate but most of the farmers I know try to survive with as little government assistance and interference as possible. Has it occurred to you that Somerset also needs the revenue?
@9.49 That is the stupidest argument yet! Spies are going to sit in Somerset watching turbines to see when Pax is testing instead of just using a radar detector tuned to that frequency. Really! Is that the best you can do? Pax has to send up a calibration balloon every time they turn that thing on its hardly top secret
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