More Hot Air from US Wind Force
29 March 2006 -
FRANKLIN, W. Va. - So Frank Maisano thinks that the deal between US Wind
Force and FirstEnergy ". . . drives a stake through the heart of
the arguments that there is no real market for the power from the Pendleton
and Grant County wind generation projects." I think he's making that
up. I've never heard that argument. Unfortunately, there definitely is
a market - a phony, mandated market created by the intrusion of state
and federal legislators into the free market operations of businesses
supplying power to customers.
Furthermore, the "deal" announced in the paper turns out to
be nothing more than a public relations ploy aimed at fooling the public
and perhaps the PSC as well, that Liberty Gap, by having a "customer"
in the wings, is a credible enterprise. The "deal" as described
in the press release issued by FirstEnergy Corp. of Akron, Ohio mentioned
two major contingencies affecting the agreement: that Liberty Gap obtains
financing and more to the point, regulatory approval.
The press release also included a disclaimer in very fine print that never
made it into the Pendleton Times. Read the
disclaimer in normal-sized type.
What the disclaimer basically does is warn investors that such deals don't
always turn out as advertised. Buried in the fine print was a passing
reference to the Aug. 14 2003 regional power outage. A little research
revealed that on that day the largest power blackout in US history occurred,
affecting 50 million electric utility customers in 8 states and some Canadian
provinces as well. When it was finally sorted out, the cascading power
failure was traced back to one company. That company, FirstEnergy, had
been playing fast and loose with the industry adopted rules for transmitting
power on the grid. A year later, FirstEnergy paid out $89.9 million to
settle lawsuits related to the blackout. Frank Maisano picked a good partner.
The citizens of Pendleton County have an excellent chance of voiding this
"deal" if they will show up in large numbers when the PSC holds
public hearings in Franklin in late May, voicing their strong opposition
to industrial wind turbines in our county.
I am not opposed to using wind as an energy source. Its best use is to
spin the blades on home-installed units that will 1) reduce homeowners'
electric bills, 2) put energy into the grid without the need for more
transmission lines, and 3) encourage conservation as homeowners become
more aware of both their power production and its consumption. Industrial
wind turbines, on the other hand, exist only because of the many tax breaks,
subsidies and guaranteed market share they have acquired thanks to a persuasive
public relations campaign, a gullible public and compliant legislators.
I am opposed to industrial wind turbines because of their non-competitive
mandated advantages, their miniscule power output compared to the footprint
they make, and the waste of taxpayer money made available in the name
of renewable energy. When it comes to Pendleton County, I am even more
opposed because of the irreversible damage industrial wind turbines will
do to what is unquestionably the most beautiful, unsullied county in the
entire state. And don't think the Liberty Gap project will be the only
one to desecrate our ridges. Once the door is open there will be no stopping
the projects sure to come.
I know many county residents who think that 400' tall
towers on Jack Mountain will have no impact on them personally, living
as they do in parts of the county where Jack Mountain can't be seen. I
urge them to reconsider. This is not a one-time deal. Other turbines will
follow as long as the government handouts remain in effect. And county
residents need to consider that apart from the visual desecration of our
scenic treasures, there will be a negative economic impact on the entire
county. Pendleton County's economic future is predicated on making the
most of what sets it apart from any other place in West Virginia: the
incomparable beauty of its forested ridges rolling on to the horizon,
and the fertile, farm-dotted, river valleys nestled between those ridges.
This scenery drives the tourism, outdoor recreation, and vacation and
retirement home construction businesses that play an increasingly important
role in the economy of our county. The tax revenues that would come to
the county from the 5% scrap valuation of non-appreciating wind turbines
will amount to chump change compared to the tax revenues based on the
60% valuation of all the new and appreciating houses to be built in the
next 20 years.
Don't make the mistake of thinking we can have both. Turbines on Jack
Mountain will have a spillover effect on property values. Testimony was
given at the SCC hearing in Monterey that when the Highland County Board
of Supervisors approved the Highland New Wind project, relocation package
requests to the Highland County Chamber of Commerce dropped dramatically,
and one realtor testified to a 50% decline in his real estate business.
I'm not saying land sales in Pendleton County will come to a standstill,
but industrial wind turbines in the county will extract a hidden tax on
sales in the form of lower prices that result from factoring in the possibility
that other turbines will follow.
Wind turbines on Jack Mountain will cast a very long shadow on our economy.
The buyers of lots in the various restricted housing communities, which
are under development in the county and who are paying full price in the
belief that their own particular viewshed is protected, may be in for
a rueful awakening as other ridges in Pendleton County begin to sprout
400' tall towers.
In closing I ask those who are opposed to industrial wind turbines to
talk to the "undecideds" in the county and get them to understand
that it is the entire county that will feel the impact, not just the part
of the county where Jack Mountain is located. Then plan to attend and
perhaps read a prepared statement stating your opposition at the PSC hearings
in late May in Franklin. The PSC will base its decision on what is presented
in the hearings as it relates to the provisions in WV Code 24-2-11c. One
of the provisions is that the Commission may issue a siting certificate
if, among other things, construction of the facility "will result
in substantial positive impact on the local economy and local employment."
It is clear to me and I think it will be clear to the PSC - putting industrial
wind turbines on Jack Mountain will have substantial adverse impact on
the local economy and employment for many years to come.
