Wind on the Wane: An Update on Recent Wind Project News

From www.IAlohaMolokai.com Kaunakakai, Molokai November 13, 2012

Wind projects have potentially “catastrophic consequences” on tourism, a nationwide British poll has determined. Nearly half (43%) of UK residents interviewed said they would be “less likely” to visit areas with wind turbines, according to a survey released by Britain’s leading environmental group, the John Muir Trust[1].

Pennsylvania and New Jersey: electric ratepayers are getting more than a 2:1 return on their solar energy investments, a new study reports[2]. Solar also generates “far more in-state jobs than central plant generation” in addition to its “proven public health, security and environmental benefits”.

Michigan: Wind and other renewable energy portfolio standards “crushed”: By a stunning 2:1 margin, Michigan voters defeat a proposition to increase the state’s wind and other renewable energy to 25%[3].

Arizona: Anti-wind and anti-renewable proponents sweep the election to the five-member Arizona Corporate Commission, which oversees critical decisions on the state’s energy policy.[4]

Britain halts all future onshore wind projects.[5] Wind project impacts “may be worse than climate change,” says UK Environment Minister[6].

Maine: The state’s first scientific analysis of the human health impacts of wind projects finds that turbine noise is “worse than aircraft noise” with substantial human health impacts. Residents of communities within 1 mile (1.4 km) had “impaired mental health and sleep deprivation”, states the medical journal Noise and Health.[7]

In other Maine news, 95% of voters in the town of Peru pass an anti-wind ordinance to “make it very hard to bring wind turbines here,” according to local officials[8]. Wind project rejected due to cumulative impacts: the state’s Bureau of Environmental Protection rejected a large industrial wind project due to its “cumulative impacts” on the environment, local residents, human health and tourism[9].

[1] http://www.jmt.org/news.asp?s=2&nid=JMT-N10737

[2] http://mseia.net/site/ wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MSEIA-Final-Benefits-of-Solar-Report- 2012-11-01.pdf

[3] http://www.freep.com/article/20121106/NEWS15/121106073/5-statewide-proposals-crushed-Prop-1-is-passing-but-barely?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

[4] www.rechargenews.com 

[5] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/9644558/Death-knell-for-wind-farms-Enough-is-Enough-says-minister.html

[6] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215471/Soviet-style-wind-farm-subsidies-blight-rural-lives-worse-impact-climate-change-says-minister.html#ixzz29D9AMI4i

[7] http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2012/14/60/237/102961

[8] http://www.sunjournal.com/news/river-valley/2012/11/08/wind-recall-ordinances-peru-approved-voters/1277770

[9] http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/09/news/penobscot/maine-dep-rejects-passadumkeag-wind-project/