Somerset County – Those Windmills Would Be A Very Beautiful Thing!
These photos and the discussion were published in the Sept. 17, 2014 issue of the Crisfield-Somerset County Times, which is the leading newspaper for Somerset County news by far.
Additional information or a detailed report on the Planning Commission meeting of Sept. 18 will be posted if reasonable in length and content, along with additional photos or other pertinent material.
If someone wants to send live reports from the upcoming meeting of the County Commissioners, please contact us in advance.
These windmill farms are an eyesore and they do nothing to help local customers in terms of lowering their bills. The power generated will be shipped to New York and New Jersey where those states pay a premium price for it.
The animosity caused by the threat of these monstrosities will continue for many years. The County Commisioners knew this before they started it. Vote them out.
Germany with all it's engineering expertise, (best in the world, probably)is having MASSIVE failure of all their win power productions. All their plans are failing.
The Great Bay Wind project will be a manmade disaster because the wind resource is poor, it is in the Atlantic Flyway, hundreds of bald eagles will be slaughtered, electricity rates will rise, the population density is too high, locals cannot afford hard hats, and property values will drop. Follow the money.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Windmills of Somerset has not a thing to do with beauty = that is if you have a brain to seriously study the pros and cons and reach a decision backing your findings. To get on here spewing without knowledge is a disservice to yourself, as it gives the appearance of an uneducated person.
I guess beauty is a matter of opinion however in my travels I have seen many wind farms. they always have a parking area along side the road generally with people out taking pictures. I consider the North Shore of Oahu the prettiest place I've ever seen and its covered with turbines. There they camouflage the cell towers as trees but are proud of the Turbines. I think its neat on flights to Philly to spot the Turbine in Lewes. As Great Bay is privately funded what difference does the wind make? They have put up two towers and measured the wind for years, if the people paying the bills say there is enough wind that's good enough for me. Studies have shown Bald Eagles avoid Turbines and while there will be some loss it will be sustainable.
Safe For Somerset continuously puts out lies and misinformation. Look at the latest add which states the Turbines will be 690' tall. Great Bay submitted a copy of the FAA application which states 599' or less. The leadership of Safe For Somerset knows this but continues with their lies. They lie about property values. Numerous studies from respected universities and organizations have been done and show little to no change. They counter with a misleading study that does not take into account the national Real Estate bubble. They claim Turbines sound like jet engines. I challenge anyone to post one of their releases that does not contain misinformation or for that matter one of Great Bays that does.
The only reason Great Bay will get investors is if the production credit is in place, without it wind makes negative cents! Bald eagles do not avoid turbines. No turbines have been placed near bald eagles nests. Please educate yourself before spewing false information.
3:47 Glad I left before the wind turbines spoiled the North Shore. Just checked out some pictures, what an abomination. Go check out South Point on Hawaii Island to see what it will look like in 20 years.
I wonder why there haven't been any studies about the effect of wind turbines on weather patterns. Removing that much energy from the wind has to have an effect on the local weather pattern.
USFWS confirms Pioneer Green Environmental Assessment studies are based on 5.0 MW turbines with a hub height of 459' and blade lengths in excess of 200'. The US NAVY also confirms the turbine height being discussed are 690' and Adam Cohen is quoted in the So MD News saying the turbines being planned are up to 690'. Please do your homework instead of relying on the lies of Paul Harris. By the way, is Somerset getting $1 million or $2 million? According to Paul Harris, there is not difference.
@4.58 The only way your argument makes sense is in regard to National Energy Policy. To say we should not have Turbines in Somerset because they receive tax credits makes as much sense as saying we shouldn't have LED light bulbs or geothermal heat pumps because they receive subsidies. As far as changing energy policy good luck on that but in the mean time we have to operate with the system we have. Keep in mind all forms of energy receive subsidies with fossil fuels receiving many times more than renewable energy sources. As far as Eagles I'll take the word of the Audubon Society over you guys any day.
The FAA permits allow for 599 feet of intrusion into airspace. There is no way under those permits they can put turbines up to 600 feet or more. Please do YOUR homework.
The myth of massive bald eagle kills is a outright lie perpetrated by those in opposition to the turbines that you have apparently fell for. Articles in The Journal of Applied Ecology and The Journal of Raptor Research verify that wind turbines are not a major killer of bald eagles. USFWS surveys also verify that any losses to the bald eagle population will be sustainable. They do pose a risk to Golden Eagles but that species is not native to somerset county. There are pros and cons to every business and project including this one but if you want to take a stand against it please educate yourself and at least take a stand against the turbines based on facts not myths. Furthermore Pioneer has had multiple monitors running, testing the winds of the area and the investors seem to be pleased with the amount of wind available so who are you to say there is not enough wind for their project?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would take a wind turbine for scenery any day over a chicken house, manure shed, hog farm, dilapidated house, abandoned gas station or vacant factory.
Comparing tax subsidies for fossil fuel and wind power is like comparing the tax deduction for the standard deduction with the earned income credit. It's apples to oranges. One is a reduction from taxable income for expenses the other is a cash gift from the government for existing.
11:25 Pioneer does not receive any subsidies. They do receive tax credits which as you point out is a reduction in taxable income for expenses. They do not receive any "cash gift" for existing and are 100% investor funded. Many in the opposition have claimed tax credits and subsidies are the same thing however like you said this is like comparing apples to oranges. Pioneer receiving tax credits puts no taxpayer money at risk unlike a company like Solyndra and to actually receive these tax credits Pioneer will first need to turn a profit. The opposition continues to make the statement that due to lack of wind Pioneer will never turn a profit so I don't see how they then continue to argue that they are against the turbines as Pioneer receives tax credits. Both are poor arguments against the project as almost every company receives tax credits and its really no ones concern but the investors if Pioneer profits or not. Knowing now that Pioneer does not receive a cash gift for existing and that they are 100% investor funded I take it you will now support the project?
Tax credits are a subsidy in disguise. Instead of giving away tax dollars, the credit is used to avoid having to pay the tax and is sold to a company to use for that purpose.
Pioneer and similar firms would not be in business but for the tax credit subsidy and the state mandate for power companies to buy electricity generated by wind power, which costs much more to produce. That's why they target place like Somerset County and wave some money at the locals to get leases and zoning approvals and changes needed to trash the area, after which they move on to other places and laugh at the suckers they have just screwed.
Are you one of the land owners who will get some bucks. If not how far is your home from any of them?
@7:55 I'm not 7:13 but please stop your BS! Yes the state has put mandates for green energy so which is better bring in some much needed money to Somerset or send it out of state? Your statement that wind power cost much more to produce is more BS. Yes land based wind power is a bit more but modern turbines produce electricity nearly as cheap es coal. Don't compare off shore and older turbines to the newer 2 MW or larger turbines. Yes Pioneer is in business to serve a need that are Government Energy Policy has caused but what of it? One of the few prospering businesses in Somerset is Somerset Well Drilling. I don't know what percentage but I know a large percentage of their business is geothermal heat pumps. Again these are not worth the cost without tax credits. Does that make Somerset Well Drilling evil? Should we run them out of the county? I think the Halls are some of the finest people and a great asset to the county. Just like Great Bay will be!
I am not a hosting landowner and I am much closer to the turbines than the majority of the people voicing complaints at the zoning meetings. Tax credits are very different from subsides. Tax credits only allow the company to keep a larger portion of profits. Tax credits place no taxpayer money at risk unlike subsidies which as pointed out by 11:25 for the most part are simply a government handout for existing and place taxpayer money at risk. There is a huge difference between companies that use tax credits (which is practically every company in existence) and companies such as Solyndra that rely on subsidies and grants to exist as they cannot actually turn a profit to survive. There are states that have "green" energy mandates such as Maryland but to my knowledge there is no state with a wind mandate. Please stop YOUR BS. If you oppose these green mandates (as I do) then take it up with the legislature, not a group of investors that form a business to meet the needs produced by laws passed. I don't know of any lease for any rental or land use that does not require money so there is nothing out of the ordinary with the land leases Pioneer has done. Who on the Zoning board has Pioneer slipped cash to and can you document this or is this simply another baseless accusation made behind an anonymous post to try to slander honest individuals and a company that has been a very good neighbor in the community? Who is the sucker? The participating landowners I have spoken too seem very content with their lease agreements? Trash the area? Have you even ever been through Somerset County? As 10:50 pointed out the turbines hold much more visual appeal than much of the current "scenery" in Somerset county. Why do you have such animosity towards the landowners involved with this project? Do you not feel that individuals that have invested much in farm land should be allowed to profit from their investment? I have to wonder if your opposition to the project isn't just based on your inability to personally profit from it. As with most of the oppositions statements your argument lacks merit and facts and relies on baseless accusations and emotional rants.
These windmill farms are an eyesore and they do nothing to help local customers in terms of lowering their bills. The power generated will be shipped to New York and New Jersey where those states pay a premium price for it.
ReplyDeleteEnhances the landscape...not!
ReplyDeleteCool! 21st century version of Dutch windmills, only way cooler and produce much needed energy without polluting the air.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the view of the windmill is no worse than the view of some of their neighbor's yards (junk piles). It's all in the eye of the beholder.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the back-up required, wind turbines cause more carbon dioxide to be produced than just using natural gas.
ReplyDeleteThe animosity caused by the threat of these monstrosities will continue for many years. The County Commisioners knew this before they started it. Vote them out.
ReplyDeleteSo who will pick up all the dead birds killed by these monstrosities?
ReplyDeleteIt's OK, Obama likes windmills and we all know how intelligent he is. Only morons would want a windmill in their back yard.
ReplyDeleteDestroying the county so a few greedy land owners can get
ReplyDeleterich-er makes not CENTS.
The locals are the ones who pay while the county collects more taxes.
Germany with all it's engineering expertise, (best in the world, probably)is having MASSIVE failure of all their win power productions. All their plans are failing.
ReplyDeleteWe the feral cats say yes to wind turbines. We're hungry.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Bay Wind project will be a manmade disaster because the wind resource is poor, it is in the Atlantic Flyway, hundreds of bald eagles will be slaughtered, electricity rates will rise, the population density is too high, locals cannot afford hard hats, and property values will drop.
ReplyDeleteFollow the money.
You people should have voted for Lankford for Commissioner in the primary,he was a critic of the magical wind turbine myth.
ReplyDeleteThey will cost you residents of Somerset Co.This whole windmill thing only benefits rich and political people no one else.
ReplyDeleteBeauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Windmills of Somerset has not a thing to do with beauty = that is if you have a brain to seriously study the pros and cons and reach a decision backing your findings. To get on here spewing without knowledge is a disservice to yourself, as it gives the appearance of an uneducated person.
ReplyDeleteThere is a rumor that Lankford will run as a write-in.
ReplyDeleteJames Mathias is pushing wind turbines in Somerset and Worcester Counties. He needs to be voted OUT.
ReplyDeleteI guess beauty is a matter of opinion however in my travels I have seen many wind farms. they always have a parking area along side the road generally with people out taking pictures. I consider the North Shore of Oahu the prettiest place I've ever seen and its covered with turbines. There they camouflage the cell towers as trees but are proud of the Turbines. I think its neat on flights to Philly to spot the Turbine in Lewes. As Great Bay is privately funded what difference does the wind make? They have put up two towers and measured the wind for years, if the people paying the bills say there is enough wind that's good enough for me. Studies have shown Bald Eagles avoid Turbines and while there will be some loss it will be sustainable.
ReplyDeleteSafe For Somerset continuously puts out lies and misinformation. Look at the latest add which states the Turbines will be 690' tall. Great Bay submitted a copy of the FAA application which states 599' or less. The leadership of Safe For Somerset knows this but continues with their lies. They lie about property values. Numerous studies from respected universities and organizations have been done and show little to no change. They counter with a misleading study that does not take into account the national Real Estate bubble. They claim Turbines sound like jet engines. I challenge anyone to post one of their releases that does not contain misinformation or for that matter one of Great Bays that does.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason Great Bay will get investors is if the production credit is in place, without it wind makes negative cents!
ReplyDeleteBald eagles do not avoid turbines. No turbines have been placed near bald eagles nests. Please educate yourself before spewing false information.
3:47 Glad I left before the wind turbines spoiled the North Shore. Just checked out some pictures, what an abomination. Go check out South Point on Hawaii Island to see what it will look like in 20 years.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why there haven't been any studies about the effect of wind turbines on weather patterns. Removing that much energy from the wind has to have an effect on the local weather pattern.
USFWS confirms Pioneer Green Environmental Assessment studies are based on 5.0 MW turbines with a hub height of 459' and blade lengths in excess of 200'. The US NAVY also confirms the turbine height being discussed are 690' and Adam Cohen is quoted in the So MD News saying the turbines being planned are up to 690'. Please do your homework instead of relying on the lies of Paul Harris. By the way, is Somerset getting $1 million or $2 million? According to Paul Harris, there is not difference.
ReplyDelete@4.58 The only way your argument makes sense is in regard to National Energy Policy. To say we should not have Turbines in Somerset because they receive tax credits makes as much sense as saying we shouldn't have LED light bulbs or geothermal heat pumps because they receive subsidies. As far as changing energy policy good luck on that but in the mean time we have to operate with the system we have. Keep in mind all forms of energy receive subsidies with fossil fuels receiving many times more than renewable energy sources. As far as Eagles I'll take the word of the Audubon Society over you guys any day.
ReplyDeleteJosh Hastings is a big supporter of the Wind Mills and Alternative Energy. What a loser.
ReplyDelete@9:16
ReplyDeleteThe FAA permits allow for 599 feet of intrusion into airspace. There is no way under those permits they can put turbines up to 600 feet or more. Please do YOUR homework.
@ 8:33
ReplyDeleteThe myth of massive bald eagle kills is a outright lie perpetrated by those in opposition to the turbines that you have apparently fell for. Articles in The Journal of Applied Ecology and The Journal of Raptor Research verify that wind turbines are not a major killer of bald eagles. USFWS surveys also verify that any losses to the bald eagle population will be sustainable. They do pose a risk to Golden Eagles but that species is not native to somerset county. There are pros and cons to every business and project including this one but if you want to take a stand against it please educate yourself and at least take a stand against the turbines based on facts not myths. Furthermore Pioneer has had multiple monitors running, testing the winds of the area and the investors seem to be pleased with the amount of wind available so who are you to say there is not enough wind for their project?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would take a wind turbine for scenery any day over a chicken house, manure shed, hog farm, dilapidated house, abandoned gas station or vacant factory.
ReplyDeleteComparing tax subsidies for fossil fuel and wind power is like comparing the tax deduction for the standard deduction with the earned income credit. It's apples to oranges. One is a reduction from taxable income for expenses the other is a cash gift from the government for existing.
ReplyDelete11:25
ReplyDeletePioneer does not receive any subsidies. They do receive tax credits which as you point out is a reduction in taxable income for expenses. They do not receive any "cash gift" for existing and are 100% investor funded. Many in the opposition have claimed tax credits and subsidies are the same thing however like you said this is like comparing apples to oranges. Pioneer receiving tax credits puts no taxpayer money at risk unlike a company like Solyndra and to actually receive these tax credits Pioneer will first need to turn a profit. The opposition continues to make the statement that due to lack of wind Pioneer will never turn a profit so I don't see how they then continue to argue that they are against the turbines as Pioneer receives tax credits. Both are poor arguments against the project as almost every company receives tax credits and its really no ones concern but the investors if Pioneer profits or not. Knowing now that Pioneer does not receive a cash gift for existing and that they are 100% investor funded I take it you will now support the project?
7:13 -- Please stop your BS.
ReplyDeleteTax credits are a subsidy in disguise. Instead of giving away tax dollars, the credit is used to avoid having to pay the tax and is sold to a company to use for that purpose.
Pioneer and similar firms would not be in business but for the tax credit subsidy and the state mandate for power companies to buy electricity generated by wind power, which costs much more to produce. That's why they target place like Somerset County and wave some money at the locals to get leases and zoning approvals and changes needed to trash the area, after which they move on to other places and laugh at the suckers they have just screwed.
Are you one of the land owners who will get some bucks. If not how far is your home from any of them?
@7:55 I'm not 7:13 but please stop your BS! Yes the state has put mandates for green energy so which is better bring in some much needed money to Somerset or send it out of state? Your statement that wind power cost much more to produce is more BS. Yes land based wind power is a bit more but modern turbines produce electricity nearly as cheap es coal. Don't compare off shore and older turbines to the newer 2 MW or larger turbines. Yes Pioneer is in business to serve a need that are Government Energy Policy has caused but what of it? One of the few prospering businesses in Somerset is Somerset Well Drilling. I don't know what percentage but I know a large percentage of their business is geothermal heat pumps. Again these are not worth the cost without tax credits. Does that make Somerset Well Drilling evil? Should we run them out of the county? I think the Halls are some of the finest people and a great asset to the county. Just like Great Bay will be!
ReplyDeleteI am not a hosting landowner and I am much closer to the turbines than the majority of the people voicing complaints at the zoning meetings. Tax credits are very different from subsides. Tax credits only allow the company to keep a larger portion of profits. Tax credits place no taxpayer money at risk unlike subsidies which as pointed out by 11:25 for the most part are simply a government handout for existing and place taxpayer money at risk. There is a huge difference between companies that use tax credits (which is practically every company in existence) and companies such as Solyndra that rely on subsidies and grants to exist as they cannot actually turn a profit to survive. There are states that have "green" energy mandates such as Maryland but to my knowledge there is no state with a wind mandate. Please stop YOUR BS. If you oppose these green mandates (as I do) then take it up with the legislature, not a group of investors that form a business to meet the needs produced by laws passed. I don't know of any lease for any rental or land use that does not require money so there is nothing out of the ordinary with the land leases Pioneer has done. Who on the Zoning board has Pioneer slipped cash to and can you document this or is this simply another baseless accusation made behind an anonymous post to try to slander honest individuals and a company that has been a very good neighbor in the community? Who is the sucker? The participating landowners I have spoken too seem very content with their lease agreements? Trash the area? Have you even ever been through Somerset County? As 10:50 pointed out the turbines hold much more visual appeal than much of the current "scenery" in Somerset county. Why do you have such animosity towards the landowners involved with this project? Do you not feel that individuals that have invested much in farm land should be allowed to profit from their investment? I have to wonder if your opposition to the project isn't just based on your inability to personally profit from it. As with most of the oppositions statements your argument lacks merit and facts and relies on baseless accusations and emotional rants.
ReplyDelete