On Chicago company suspends plans for Wis. wind farms
Posted on March 30 at 6:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Midwest Energy did not have a power purchase agreement with anyone and that makes the project impossible to finance. Wisconsin utility companies don’t want to by wind power from developers, they will build their own wind facilities.
Canceling this project had nothing to do with the regulatory climate in Wisconsin, Midwest couldn’t find anyone to buy the power because it’s so expensive.
On These are not your grandma’s windmills
Posted on February 3 at 6:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wind turbines have never shut down a coal plant anywhere in the world. In 2009 Germany was the world leader in installed wind turbines, about 10,000, and in that same year there were 26 coal plants under construction or proposed.
Green energy jobs are low paying and for every one created 2 higher paying manufacturing jobs are eliminated.
In WI there is a 30% excess capacity to generate electricity so we shouldn’t be building anything.
Eight out of ten of our renewable energy and tax dollars are going overseas to buy turbines and create jobs there.
Wind energy must be backed up by coal power continuously.
Wind turbines increase our dependency on foreign oil as each machine uses hundreds of gallons every year during routine maintenance and lubrication.
Wind energy is not dispatchable and is almost worthless to grid operators.
At times turbine owner operators must PAY to have their power on the grid not charge for it. Wind turbines produce the most power at night when the demand for electricity is the lowest.
The electric utility that says they are going to power your home with wind energy is the same as your water utility telling you they will provide tap water to your home when it is raining.
I could go on and on, wind turbines are a scam and we as tax and rate payers are taking it in the shorts so that a few people can get rich.
Posted on January 21 at 2:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Greg,
The statement that the 1800’ setback will end wind development in WI is false and misleading.
We heard the same scare tactics from the lobbyist groups like Clean WI during the permitting process for the Glacier Hills project last year. At that time the setback was going from 1000’ to 1250’ and it was the same rhetoric “this will kill wind development”. The developer relocated a few turbines and signed a few more landowners and the project is being built right now.
The 1800’ setback although still too short is better than 1250’. It will protect the property value and quality of life for a few more families that are forced to live too close to poorly sited wind turbines.
When these lobbyists and developers say 1800’ will kill development aren’t they indirectly telling us we really don’t have a wind resource? If an additional 550’ (less than a city block) will totally stop development then we don’t have the open land to put up these machines. Having the land is as important as having the wind which coincidentally we don’t have either, WI is a class 2 wind area described as marginal.
These developers want no restrictions of any kind and even the mention of anything to protect people and they throw their hands in the air and threaten to pick up their turbines and go elsewhere.
Wind developers prospecting in WI are cleaver, very resourceful, and very very aggressive. The 1800’ setback won’t even be a small speed bump for them. They will prevail and continue to squander our tax money building electric dinosaurs. That is until we as taxpayers say we have had enough and cut the subsidies.
On Is the Clean Energy Jobs Act a good one?
Posted on February 25 at 3:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
jv 92
Right now in Wisconsin there are more people working for the state government than there are in manufacturing jobs. Every month the state falls further in the red as fewer people are here to pay taxes.
The green jobs we hear so much about are little more than an extension of government welfare. When the funding runs out for these jobs, and it will, the jobs will end.
On Is the Clean Energy Jobs Act a good one?
Posted on February 24 at 6:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yes it is a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Greg, would you order another printing press tomorrow and hire the people to operate it if your readership was falling off 5% a year? I bet not, why, because you have to balance your checkbook every month. Gov. Doyle does not. As you pinch pennies to survive he spends money like he has own printing press for money.
We have an excess power production capability in Wisconsin of 30%, and consumption is falling every year. Gov. Doyle’s plan would add 400 MW of renewable energy mostly wind every year until 2025. This will cost somewhere between 16 and 20 billion dollars. Today wind energy costs 3 million per MW. This will be paid for by rate payers so yes you electric bill will skyrocket. Moreover manufacturing will be expected to pay a large share driving more business out of Wisconsin. It became crystal clear during the permit process for the Glacier Hills Wind project that no coal plants will be shut down as a result of wind energy so where are we gaining?
A state Rep. has figures that show a car in Wisconsin will cost between $1500.00 and $3000.00 more if the California standards and adopted here. How would you like to be a Janesville new car dealer? How about being a dealer anywhere within 100 miles of the state line to the south or west if customers could cross the line and save that kind of money.
Hopefully there will still be something to salvage in this state after Gov. Doyle leaves office.
On Newcomer to challenge Hixson in fall
Posted on January 21 at 4:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I think we all need to give Mr. Gaboda a chance.
He does have a good understanding of the biomass potential in Wisconsin. Remember, any move away from coal is going to cost us as ratepayers more money. Unfortunately for us ratepayers our PSC is not going to approve anything but wind turbines in the near future. The PSC didn’t approve the coal/biomass combo plant because we have an excess of power generation capacity in Wisconsin now lasting to 2024.
There are several documents describing the biomass potential in Wisconsin and hopefully they will be available on Matt’s web site for your review.
As an independent he won’t have to play ball with either party. At a meeting with a recently elected State Senator I was told ” you know I have been told if you oppose things around here (Madison) they will make sure you never get anything you want either”. This man was turned into a Madison robot the first week, he does as instructed by a select few senior Senators.
This go with the flow attitude must stop.
Think term limits.
On Sheridan prepares for legislative session
Posted on January 18 at 6:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The Clean Energy Jobs Act, what a joke. This scheme has been tried in other countries with total failure. Mr. Sheridan will spend a million dollars to create each (GREEN) job that pays $25,000.00 per year, and when the federal dollars run out the job ends. Worse yet for every (GREEN) job they fabricate they will kill 2 good paying jobs in Wisconsin.
Our elected officials have discovered that if the attach the word “jobs” to any “bill” it goes right thru.
Why do the people we send to Madison think that federal dollars are free? We as taxpayers have to pay for all their foolishness.
The only thing green about the Clean Energy Jobs Act is the color of the money that will fill the pockets of a select few.
State Rep. Mike Heubsch spells it out very well in his recent news letter, you can read it here.
Rep.Huebsch [Rep.Huebsch@legis.wisconsin.gov]
If Mr. Sheridan really wants to make an impact how about a bill that would force the babies in Madison to get along be requiring any bill to have at least 25% support from the minority party.
They could call it the Let’s Work Together Jobs Bill.
On Convicted sex offender being released
Posted on December 2 at 1:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
schnckstac1, I looked on the circuit court system web site and quickly found 24 entry’s for this 25 year old man. He spends almost as much time in court as a judge. He is a habitual offender that has no respect for anyone or anything. He may grow out of this in time but it’s impossible for a leopard to change his spots.
On Convicted sex offender being released
Posted on December 2 at 12:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Is the person with the authority to sign his release papers willing to be held responsible if this man violates again. Will this person of authority go to jail for the mistake he made in releasing a sex offender? If not then keep the convicted offender in jail forever. The police do not have the resources to track these snakes 24hrs a day.
If released the sex offender should have his entire body tattooed blaze orange so that he can be easily identified at a distance.
A loud beeper should be implanted in his body so that we can also hear him coming or know where he is lurking for his next victim.
My daughter was recently attacked by one of these freaks and had he been blaze orange and beeping she would have been able to avoid him.
It seems like this is a small price to pay for the privilege of being released.
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On "Why are all the barns wrecked?"
Posted on December 30 at 5:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Steve, the answer is simple, money. I own two barns, both are listed on the state and national historic registries. We do the best we can to maintain them. The older they get the more repair and maintenance they need. Everything you do on one of these great old buildings costs 5 figures.