Wind Turbines

[OKIEGunner]

Maynard,

He may not have time to write ya back. He's to busy attempting to sell the 667 windmills he ordered (2 Billion dollars worth) from GE. But it sure sounds like someone South of you may have bought some of them.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

Maynard,

He may not have time to write ya back. He's to busy attempting to sell the 667 windmills he ordered (2 Billion dollars worth) from GE. But it sure sounds like someone South of you may have bought some of them.

He has time to issue marching orders to 'his Army'.

There are wind leases(no turbines yet, just leases) near me. Because of my fondness of the lesser prairie chicken I have no intention of leasing for a wind farm.

 

[OKIEGunner]

He has time to issue marching orders to 'his Army'.

There are wind leases(no turbines yet, just leases) near me. Because of my fondness of the lesser prairie chicken I have no intention of leasing for a wind farm.

I am by no way advocating wind farms. My friend that has 8 windmills on his property did so to save his farm from for closure and secure his families future for years to come.

I think the whole issue of go-green is a way of getting to our green $$$. The Prairie Chicken windmill is a controversial issue much like that of the gas wells and Sage Grouse issue throughout CO and WY. I have a young Biologist that worked for me this year that was part of the PC Windmill study for the past several years. From my discussions with him, I’m not sure that the study focused enough on the loss habitat. As you know political influence always plays a major role in any study that the government funds.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

I am by no way advocating wind farms. My friend that has 8 windmills on his property did so to save his farm from for closure and secure his families future for years to come.

I think the whole issue of go-green is a way of getting to our green $$$. The Prairie Chicken windmill is a controversial issue much like that of the gas wells and Sage Grouse issue throughout CO and WY. I have a young Biologist that worked for me this year that was part of the PC Windmill study for the past several years. From my discussions with him, I’m not sure that the study focused enough on the loss habitat. As you know political influence always plays a major role in any study that the government funds.

I would certainly not go against your friend's decision to save the farm. Most of us in farming have experienced those back breakers that leaves you hanging on only by a thread. Fortunately, my family has been able weather the storms and hold on to a poor(crop production wise) piece of real estate. I am confident the place will never be photographed and written up in Farm Journal or Successful Farming, but that is just fine with me.

I see the LPC hanging on by a thread. How thick the thread, I do not know. I just know the habitat in their range is fragmented and threatened and I want to do my part to keep this majestic grouse of the prairies around.

 

[Uncle Buck]

More than likely you as an american taxpayer will foot the bill.

BINGO!!!! THE FOREIGNERS ARE PICKING UP THE SUBSIDIES. Many of these burn out before they pay for themselves.

 

[Fred74]

Always good to get the government involved in something that the private sector should be handling. There has never been one that legitimately operated in the black, but they keep putting more up.

Usually the only thing the government has to do with a wind farm is the subsidies, and what evidence do you have that none have ever operated in the black ?

 

[Fred74]

Some of my very favorite spots that I've hunted for years have been leased out to turbines and such. I know that they are a huge resource for energy, blah blah blah. But, personally, my energy bill hasn't gone down, and yet I'm seeing more of them.

Don't they have a negative impact on prairie chickens and such? Is anyone else noticing, or losing spots to the increased number of these? Is anyone seeing a benefit to them?

All the land should be accessible except for the service road leading to the turbine, and the small piece of ground where the turbine sits.

Considering everything else you pay for seems to raise in price all the time, what would make you think your energy prices will go down ?

I don't know anything about prairie chickens, but unless they fly into the tower or fly high enough to hit a blade, I wouldn't think it should impact them much. Raptors and bats seem to be somewhat effected by them.

The benefeits would be zero emissions and it's totally a renewable energy.

 

[Fred74]

Amen to that! It is hard to operate in the black when your max efficiency is 30%. They will never be a stand alone energy source.

Rut

Your max efficiency rate is total bunk, and no they will never be a stand alone energy source because the wind doesn'y blow in one area all the time, but it's always blowing somewhere.

Consider this, theretically there's enough wind blowing across North and South Dakota to supply the total electricity needs of the united states. Possible but may not probable.

 

[Fred74]

Let’s see, our country is trying to reduce our dependency on Foreign Oil. So we allow Foreign investors to fund our Windmill Farms. So lets see, in the long run, we still will be dependant on Foreign energy.

Not to long ago our government was looking at letting foreign investors take care of our toll areas, highways and interstates.

Now were letting semi trucks trucks from mexico into the us, thank our wonderful guvernment !

 

[Fred74]

A friend of mine has 8 of these Foreign windmills on his property. Gets a pretty healthy check in the mail each month. Drives all new trucks and tractors.

The land owner gets a certain amount of money for having the turbine on his land, and usually a small percentage of how much electricity it produces.

 

[Fred74]

And if they pull the plug on the operation who foots the clean-up bill? The last offer I saw for some in Smith County required the land owner to pay for the removal of all concrete on their own as well as any restoration.

Rut

Most wind farms have a 20-30 year life span. Usually there's an escrow account set up for decommissioning of the site when that time is reached. It's also possible at that time to reuse the tower and put a new nacelle and rotor on.

 

[Fred74]

If you are putting one on your property, you had better make sure you read the fine print, it will more than likely come out of your pocket!

Rut

That's what lawyers are for, a good idea when entering into contract with some of those companies.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

I don't know anything about prairie chickens,

+1 I will not argue with you on that point.

 

[RuttCrazed]

Your max efficiency rate is total bunk, and no they will never be a stand alone energy source because the wind doesn'y blow in one area all the time, but it's always blowing somewhere.

Consider this, theretically there's enough wind blowing across North and South Dakota to supply the total electricity needs of the united states. Possible but may not probable.

Prove me wrong! Better yet, prove to me they are more efficient than a coal fired power plant, natruarl gas power plant, nuke plant, etc.....

Wind turbines need a certain speed of wind to operate, just because the wind is blowing doesn't mean you can put a wind turbine in that location, believe it or not, the wind can actually blow too hard in a certain area for a wind turbine to operate.

Rut

 

[RuttCrazed]

Most wind farms have a 20-30 year life span. Usually there's an escrow account set up for decommissioning of the site when that time is reached. It's also possible at that time to reuse the tower and put a new nacelle and rotor on.

Sounds great IF they actually set the whole thing up and it operates for the life span of the unit. What if they come in tear your property up (level, roads, pads, footers, etc..) and then determine there is a better location? Yeah, it has happened before.

Rut

 

[RuttCrazed]

Prove me wrong! Better yet, prove to me they are more efficient than a coal fired power plant, natruarl gas power plant, nuke plant, etc.....

Wind turbines need a certain speed of wind to operate, just because the wind is blowing doesn't mean you can put a wind turbine in that location, believe it or not, the wind can actually blow too hard in a certain area for a wind turbine to operate.

Rut

http://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica...d-turbine-promotion-as-a-scam-and-stealth-tax

Just sayin'

 

[oldandnew]

I'll weigh in with the simple fact that there is absolutely nothing controversial, debateable, or data subject to interpretation about the effects on Prairie Chickens by power generating windmills. It's just plain bad!!! It may not be any worse than cutting a road through isolated habitat, or running a powerline through the same area, but the result in all cases is bad for the chickens. When it comes to a fuzzy math value equation between power and prairie chickens and a cost benefit summary, I'll take the chickens. There is an area between Salina and Concordia Kansas I used to frequent on hunting trips, now covered for miles with wind towers, same in North Missouri, I add from an asthetic point of view, to this hunter, they suck, I just as soon hunt among the skyscrapers in central park. Anybody who expects to see some savings on their power bill will be waiting long after I'm gone, along with the chickens, and the entire plains, the aquifer now pumped dry, carpeted with wind towers.

 

[kansasbrittany]

My hope is that we never see 'em where I live.

 

[Fred74]

Prove me wrong! Better yet, prove to me they are more efficient than a coal fired power plant, natruarl gas power plant, nuke plant, etc.....

Wind turbines need a certain speed of wind to operate, just because the wind is blowing doesn't mean you can put a wind turbine in that location, believe it or not, the wind can actually blow too hard in a certain area for a wind turbine to operate.

Rut

How can turbines be more efficient than these others you have mentioned ? Turbines rely on mother nature, she's not always predictable or cooperative !

Yes, turbines do need a certain amount of wind to produce power, usually 7-9 mph. The industry is working on technology for low wind areas. The plants you mentioned can take years to build, and leave hazard waste that can be deadly for thousands of years, how efficient is that ?

Turbines are not just put up in any old area, there are exhaustive tests done that last years to determine whether an area is feasible or not. Yes the wind can blow to hard in certain areas, that's probably why no turbines are there.

Normally a turbine will shut down in 50-70 mph winds, but how many places do you know of that have sustained wind speeds that are that high ?

 

[Fred74]

Sounds great IF they actually set the whole thing up and it operates for the life span of the unit. What if they come in tear your property up (level, roads, pads, footers, etc..) and then determine there is a better location? Yeah, it has happened before.

Rut

Sounds like someone didn't do their job, or at least not very well !