Environmental Law

Painful Lessons for Wind Power - HUMAN EVENTS

By STEPHEN HOLZER

Neil Anderson lives a quarter of a mile from the turbine.  He?s an avid supporter of alternative energy, having owned and operated a passive solar company on Cape Cod for the past 25 years.  ?It is dangerous,? he told WGBH in Boston.  ?Headaches.  Loss of sleep.  And the ringing in my ears never goes away.  I could look at it all day, and it does not bother me ? but it?s way too close.?

Tired of the constant chopping sound, pained residents decided to lawyer up.  This month a deal was struck with the town to disengage the turbine when winds exceed 23 miles an hour.  This is problematic because giant windmills such as Wind One operate at optimum efficiency at about 30 miles an hour.

So now Falmouth?s investment has taken a hit.  According to Gerald Potamis, who runs the wastewater facility, shutting off the turbine during higher winds will cost the town $173,000 in annual revenue, because now they?ll have to rely more on natural gas.

via www.humanevents.com

Full post as published by Environmental Legal Blogs on March 26, 2011 (boomark / email).