In 2015, wind turbines produced 6.4% of Hawaii's electricity. In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. So, 14,000 permanently inactive wind turbines world-wide is gross hyperbole at roughly four times the worst case scenario, and becomes close to an order of magnitude of inflation when compared to a likely scenario. They experienced problems from the noise and shadows that come and go with the turning of the blades, claiming that this produced sleep disruption, depression, seizures and other neurological effects. Abandoned and cannibalized Kamaoa wind farm turbines, Hawaii. I caution said challengers, I have quite a lot of knowledge in booth small scale and large scale power generation, so dont bother if all you have is talking corporation points. I think its okay as a small part of an overall energy strategy, but not as a sole source. The number of 2 per cent is likely much higher than the world-wide reality, but if true would represent roughly 4,800 permanently inactive wind turbines. The US has had wind farms since 1981: Some say that Ka Le is hauntedand it is. What is a good way to calculate the worst-case ratio of inactive wind turbines? The sensible methodology to arrive at a very conservative aka unreasonably large but defensible number of permanently inactive wind turbine has a few steps. Reproduced with permission. From Alex Newman writing in the New American: Despite billions in taxpayer subsidies pumped into the so-called WInd turbines dont whiz around like the fan you have in your office. Abandoned Wind Farm in Hawaii. No. Not so with subsidized turbines. This is obvious hypocrisy and shows everyone that wind farms are above the law and that anything that shows them in a negative light should be downplayed or simply ignored. Abandoned Wind Farms Apparently, once the subsidies and the wind run out, these 20-story high Cuisinarts are de-bladed and retired. He doesnt show calculations. The power companies could see we were making progress with our many DIY projects and because of the OPEC scare, we were growing as a group of concerned citizens who only desired all Americans to be free of energy bills. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Dilapidated Panhandle wind farm towers There are five other abandoned wind Wind power in Hawaii has the potential to provide all of the electricity generation in the electricity sector in Hawaii. The correlation between hunting grounds and wind farms seems to be the updrafts that are produced in the areas. Theyre also causing environmental problems for countries like China who are manufacturing the turbines and are actually failing at producing reliable energy. Hence the term I used above Hybrid where your solar produces on sunny days and your wind produces on cloudy, usually windy days, and if you can situate your site near a stream you could add small scale hydroelectric to your options. Why did President Obama seem to think the Wind farms needed protection from laws that protected birds? Our leaders want this power source so theyre giving, for a time being, a pass to the wind industry. [1]:2[2] In 2012, Hawaii generated 367 million kWh from wind power.[3]. In the meantime, Hawaii, where Walden saw an inactive wind farm and created his fantasy figure, is putting up more wind farms because they continue to make economic and environmental sense. It's easy. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), there are just under 240,000 working wind turbines as of Q1 2013. [12] In addition, Hawaii has the potential to generate 2,800,000 GWh/year from offshore wind power. Abandoned wind farm on Big Island Hawaii - Dreamstime The Audubon Society makes up numbers like the EPA, but theres a reason why they call them bird Cuisinarts. Is there a more immoral form of power generation than wind? Five other abandoned wind sites dot the Hawaiian Islesbut it is in California where the impact of past mandates and subsidies is felt most strongly. S What does this imply for the possible number of inactive wind turbines? Wind Farms WIND http://bit.ly/1UDskn6 The majority of the permanently inactive wind turbines were built in the 1970s and are very old technology. Giant corporate wind farms are the antithesis of self sufficiency. 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in USA > Hawaii Free In 1994, the site lease was purchased by Redwood City, CA-based Apollo Energy. In the meantime, Hawaii, where Walden saw an inactive wind farm and created his fantasy figure, is putting up more wind farms because they continue to make The same areas that are good for siting wind farms are also good for birds of prey and migrating birds to pass through, shame for the birds that none of the Green mental midgets who care so much about everything in nature, thought that one through when pushing their anti fossil fuel agenda. But its haunted not by Hawaiis legendary night marchers. WebAbandoned Wind Farms | American Elephants About About Us Elephant Talk dscott8186 on dscott8186 on dscott8186 on Questioning the Unknown dscott8186 on dscott8186 on I studied the available science papers and tomes such as Rodales Passive Solar Home which I still have and The Mother Earth News. Imagine the outraged Green chorus if those turbines were abandoned oil drilling rigs. 14,000 abandoned wind turbines As Jimi Hendrix may have put it: And the wind cries bankrupt Minnesotans for Global Warming report that in the last 30 years, the United States has had 14,000 wind turbines abandoned. If I shoot an eagle, its a $10,000 fine and/or a vacation of one to five years in a federal pen of my choice.. Youre no different from Humpty Dumpty. All rights reserved. Figure 3. Abandoned Wind Farms - 2aHawaii In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. (LogOut/ In 2006, transmission was finally cut off by Hawaii Electric Company.Californias wind farms then comprising about 80% of the worlds wind The normalised load factor for UK onshore wind farms declines from a peak of about 24% at age 1 to 15% at age 10 and 11% at age 15. "dG0_G*JYzWJGFk[6~w['O*eJ.&aPSH*1|eR[ 0XD&$gZ/bQZ But its haunted not by Hawaiis legendary night marchers. It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out.. Major parts of a wind turbine at the 21-megawatt Auwahi Wind project at the Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui separated from the tower structure and fell to the ground, It would appear this was a wrought! He asks:If wind power made sense, why would it need a government subsidy in the first place? If they cant avoid that, they are easy prey and wont last long anyway. Read my posts to find out more about me. In 2021 residents and the Kahuku Community Association objected to the presence of 20 large-scale wind turbines in their neighborhood. Now, how about all the birds, bats, eagles, etc. More money Its a bubble which bursts as soon as the government subsidies end therein lies a lesson that is going be learnt by those that sought to make fortunes out of tax payer subsidies, the whole renewables industry of solar, wind and biomass is just an artificial bubble incapable of surviving without subsides from governments and tax payers which many businesses and NGOs like WWF, FoE and Greenpeace now think is their god given right, as the money is going on Green Climate Religion approved clean energy.The Green evangelists who push so hard for these wind farms, as usual have not thought the whole idea through, no surprises for a left agenda like Climate Change, which like all things Green and socialist is just a knee jerk reaction: Altamonts turbines have since 2008 been tethered four months of every year in an effort to protect migrating birds after environmentalists filed suit. The United States is Littered With More than 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines Wind power, the renewable Californias wind farms, almost 80% of the worlds wind generation capacity ceased to generate even more quickly than Kamaoa Wind Farm in Hawaii. There are many hidden truths about the world of wind turbines from the pollution and environmental damage caused in China by manufacturing bird choppers, the blight on peoples lives of noise and the flicker factor and the countless numbers of birds that are killed each year by these blots on the landscape.The symbol of Green renewable energy, our saviour from the non existent problem of Global Warming, abandoned wind farms are starting to litter the planet as globally governments cut the subsidies taxes that consumers pay for the privilege of having a very expensive power source that does not work every day for various reasons like its too cold or the wind speed is too high.The US experience with wind farms has left over 14,000 wind turbines abandoned and slowly decaying, in most instances the turbines are just left as symbols of a dying Climate Religion, nowhere have the Green Environmentalists appeared to clear up their mess or even complain about the abandoned wind farms.The US has had wind farms since 1981: Some say that Ka Le is hauntedand it is. When an honest history of this period in the United States is written, it will no be kind to the corporate cronyism that preyed upon public ignorance of earth science to create a crisis global warming to exploit and loot the Treasury. The owner of a dilapidated Oklahoma Panhandle wind farm has presented plans to clean up the most dangerous of the wind turbine towers. [4] The MOD-5B, a 3.2MW wind turbine, on Oahu was the largest in the world in 1987. Jimi Hendrix | Tarpon's Swamp One can be sure that if the societal needs had to do with oil rigs, the same people remaining silent on the death of birds would be up in arms against the oil companies. Major Hawaii wind farm shut down after turbine parts fall Endangered species in Hawaii threatened by planned Its a bubble which bursts as soon as the government subsidies end.. The alternative is to simply abandon the outmoded turbines as several operators in Hawaii and California have already done, lay the costs on the so-far unsuspecting public, or find some way to use the unrecyclable materials in the blades for other purposes. One more instance of companies paying up for harming protected species was in 2005 when a fish hatchery owner had to pay $65,000 and spend six months in a federally-run halfway house after shooting an eagle for feeding out of his businesss hatchery. [citation needed] The 132 commercial wind turbines in the state have a total capacity of 236 MW. The reality is that it results in significantly increased power prices that hurt those least able to afford it the most. Aivars Lode 14000 Abandoned Wind Turbines In The USA Nov 17 Posted by Tory Aardvark 40 VotesAbandoned wind farm at South Point HawaiiThere are many hidden truths about the world of wind turbines from the pollution and environmental damage caused in China by Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Built in 1985, at the end of the boom, Kamaoa soon suffered from lack of maintenance. But even in a place where wind-shaped trees grow sideways, maintenance issues were overwhelming. 14,000 ABANDONED WIND TURBINES LITTER THE UNITED STATES. x\M8! kSNSimk:;K`x]h_cZM,jL7\;U=%V|,Nu"3JqZ![h3O jS*BwyG#[3.q^zv7ZMchgr9H4,$Xxz4.DD+- In response, rules that govern turbine siting, such as increasing the minimum distance from residences to 1.25 miles, are under review by the Honolulu City Council. Abandoned Wind You gonna dismiss that, too? This article is the work of the Nice. Apparently this whole wind power thing is falling apart. Hawaii News Now reports: An endangered native bat is at the center of a fight over a controversial wind farm proposal on Oahu's North Shore. According to the Golden Gate Audubon Society 75-110 Golden Eagles, 380 Burrowing Owls, 300 Red-Tailed Hawks and 333 American Kestrels are killed by the turbines every year. Xrp>*oNPWu56?>Xr/XYY~yV+&k_r'uBhjs~]21_,=|&qe5g%s sLk"sMdz$ +p^|Elb.B hx3) "MQfc@Wi5S"p5q AKKN_0 [LX p '?>&GG(7ZNc. by Don Surber, UK Daily Mail Nov 19, 2011, As Jimi Hendrix may have put it: And the wind cries bankrupt. Residents also expressed concern about the threat to endangered wildlife, particularly the opeapea bat. All the people who want to flip their switch and have electricity in their homes, said Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County planning commissioner. There are many reasons why a wind turbine might not be spinning despite the presence of wind, and the majority of these are in keeping with good grid management techniques. Had the DIYers gotten the bulk of the research money, individual power provided on a per home basis would have been realized by now. Californias green energy is growing quickly with wind turbine growing the fastest. Hawaii; Details. Corporations however survive on making their basket the only basket in town. Two developers have submitted proposals for three offshore wind farms. It was a movement of radical, idealists, like myself who wanted everyone to be able to produce their own power needs, which when coupled with conservative measures would be much less than you might believe possible. A more reasonable but still very conservative upper limit of 1 per cent would bring that down to a maximum of 2,400 permanently inactive wind turbines. California had the big three of wind farm locations Altamont Pass, Tehachapi, and San Gorgonio, considered the worlds best wind sites. Apparently, once the subsidies and the wind run out, these 20-story high Cuisinarts are de-bladed and retired. You may want to do more reading on the subject. Genious? Theres an anti-wind energy myth floating around that refuses to die. This hypocrisy has always been a cornerstone of Al Gores climate change rhetoric. This article was originally published on Barnard on Wind. A 2013 study found that 573,000 birds and 888,000 bats are killed every year in America by wind turbines a figure 30 percent higher than the federal government estimated in 2009. Despite these cases of companies and individuals being held responsible for harming wildlife, the USFWS has yet to punish any wind turbine company for their role in the deaths of protected bird species. Thanks Rob for the article. Kawailoa (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power ; Online store . Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. WTr;.ZQeRE.75fV9{ukRZoN8GB)q?SS3ve1C[q+Rl6[e2z@[Iv}-L3e}m)q?0'pBfB0+!w Wind turbines dont kill many creatures. This level of inaccuracy is fairly typical of that anonymous blog, so it isnt surprising. Isnt it amazing, these climate change sceptics are quick to trash professional scientific analysis perceived errors, yet they can go and make arbitrary claims of this nature with no basis of proof! Wind turbines, like solar panels, break down. Wind farms You apparently know little about the carnage they cause worldwide to our flying friends. As this happens, wildlife experts are warning that this renewable energy source will have a negative impact on the bird species in the area including the numerous protected eagles, owls, and hawks. The problem with wind farms when they are abandoned is getting the turbines removed, as usual there are non Green environmentalists to be seen: The City of Palm Springs was forced to enact an ordinance requiring their removal from San Gorgonio. They lobbied the government to get the bulk of the grant money for research given to them, and to squash the idea of individual power with huge wasteful energy farms, paid for largely with tax money, but after construction, the monthly bill profits goes to the corporations. farm, hawaii, wind, island, abandoned, big, background, http://bit.ly/1UDshb7 cAGcE%k+.h[]1E%t$>eDJr%+=7]p21g,LkY.)X-wsMou} Web[ Multitudes of abandoned wind turbines at South Point, Hawaii, USA. This means more bats and migratory birds will live. Following a lengthy discussion with Margaret Atwood and others related to siting of wind turbines in a major birding area on her blog, he became a blogger on energy concerns, focusing on debunking myths about wind energy. It was a nice dream, a very expensive dream, but it didnt work. The inactive wind turbines would be much smaller than the typically 1.5 MW to 4.5 MW turbines currently installed, as typically it is older wind turbines that are out of production. Its also unreliable. The mysterious sounds are Na leo o Kamaoa the disembodied voices of 37 skeletal wind turbines abandoned to rust on the hundred-acre site of the former Kamaoa Wind FarmThe ghosts of Kamaoa are not alone in warning us. Most jurisdictions are seeing replacements of older and inactive wind turbines with modern technologies. Commissioned in 2006, it comprises sixteen 660 kW wind turbines In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. 14,000 abandoned wind turbines November 19, 2011 by Don Surber As Jimi Hendrix may have put it: And the wind cries bankrupt Minnesotans for Global Warming report that in the last 30 years, the United States has had 14,000 wind turbines abandoned. They have THOUSANDS of wind turbines in New Zealand, where their native fauna is predominantly birdlife, and they are totally unconcerned about wind farms killing birds. ABANDONED WIND As a day job, Mike has had the good fortune to work on Smart Grid projects for IBMs clients, in addition to many other interesting initiatives that IBM is uniquely positioned to undertake. Renewable Energy: Still Breaking Wind I guess being an environmentalist means what you folks say it means, and nothing more or less. Lack of maintenance will inevitably lead to failures. The mysterious sounds are Na leo o Kamaoa the disembodied voices of 37 skeletal wind turbines abandoned to rust on the hundred-acre site of the former Kamaoa Wind Farm WebThe bottom line is that using the demolition costs from the other wind turbine project decommissioning study would translate to a Beech Ridge demo cost of $12.03 million, i.e., $3.35 million more the applicants $8.68 million estimate. ]. [11] Hawaii used 9,962 GWh in 2011, so Hawaii has the potential to generate all electricity used in the state from wind and solar power. When similar environmental tragedies happened, like the 2009 Exxon oil spill that killed around 85 birds across five states, they were fined $600,000. Green Junk: 15k Abandoned Windmills Litter the The reality we figured out way back in the 60s and 70s was for most sites a person would have to combine two or more alternative energy technologies to make enough power. I can't even imagine how many tax payer dollars have been wasted on this boondoggle and these rusting hulks littering the landscape and killing endangered birds. As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another although you dont hear state officials admitting it. If you or I killed an eagle, were looking at major consequences.. Abandoned windmills in Hawaii, click to enlarge. What percentage of generating capacity would these represent? When wind gusts above 30 mph occur they must be shutdown. k here to add your own text and edit me. Of course, the inactive wind turbines are being replaced with new generation capacity as part of the Tehachapi Pass Renewable Transmission Project, so the number of dead turbines is going to drop substantially. Theres a big, big hypocrisy here, Sue Hammer of Tehachapi Wildlife Rehab in Kern County said. He doesnt list sources. You would think that the lack of any supporting evidence would prevent people from quoting and then exaggerating even his already wildly exaggerated claim. THE MAINTENANCE ISSUE Wind power is a labor-intensive industry with rotating and electrical machinery that requires continuous maintenance. Died a quiet Death. @ Copyright RenewEconomy 2020. Self sufficiency is empowering to the individual. Minnesotans for Global Warming report that in the last 30 years, the United States has had 14,000 wind turbines abandoned. About 75% of the capital cost of wind farms is for turbines, turbine parts and components, towers and blades so a large share of the wind farm cost is for imports. But Californias Kern County, encompassing the Tehachapi area, has no such law. I was wondering what had happened to the ones in Kahuku and elsewhere. 9a. They are highly unsightly, and they are huge, and thats a lot of material to get rid of. They produce less energy before they break down than the energy it took to make them. Updated November 24thIn answer to several allegations that the number of abandoned wind turbines was made up, the following quote from the article and link will confirm this figure to be true: Californias wind farms then comprising about 80% of the worlds wind generation capacity ceased to generate much more quickly than Kamaoa. The myth started with Andrew Walden, a Hawaiian anti-wind activist in early 2010. While Hawaii has six abandoned wind farms, most of Californias derelict turbines are only now being removed decades late after disgusted local authorities threatened to sue. In Palm Springs, those who campaigned against the turbines included the late singer Sonny Bono, former husband of Cher. He just comes up with 14,000 for the world through some magical process. P:]:%N]WC]kT2dA9yi?7wM^|~il].'\kn_:/.oO{z3F\x@{X "Hawaii - State Energy Profile Overview - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)", "California company plans to build $13M wind farm on Hawaii's Big Island", "Hawaii NIMBY fight reveals Biden offshore wind challenge", "Offshore Wind Energy Bill Sails Through Hawaii Senate", "The Struggle Over Towering Wind Farms Is At The Center Of A Honolulu City Council Debate", "Wind Powering America: Installed U.S. Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations", "WINDExchange: U.S. The 14,000 number has been applied to the entire world, the continental United States and the confines of the state of California. But nice tax scams for his crony-capitalist backers will work well as long as he can blame it all on saving the planet. WebFigure 2. (LogOut/ When they are abandoned, getting the turbines removed is a major problem. But, once again, we have to balance all the needs of society. Abandoned turbines: Another Madigan wind energy myth