I began my study and participation in the alternative energy Game in 1973 fresh out of High School. Its a bubble which bursts as soon as the government subsidies end.. x\M8! kSNSimk:;K`x]h_cZM,jL7\;U=%V|,Nu"3JqZ![h3O jS*BwyG#[3.q^zv7ZMchgr9H4,$Xxz4.DD+- Wind farms So your science and math to debunk the 14,000 number is nothing but conjecture? Theres an anti-wind energy myth floating around that refuses to die. If a project owner chooses to close a wind farm completely, Monaghan explained, it is the responsibility of the owner to decommission the farm, which includes This means that birds of prey will most likely be put to the side in favor of wind farms. The owner of a dilapidated Oklahoma Panhandle wind farm has presented plans to clean up the most dangerous of the wind turbine towers. All the people who want to flip their switch and have electricity in their homes, said Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County planning commissioner. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation", "State wind energy potential (2010) spreadsheet", "Renewable Energy Technical Potential | Geospatial Data Science | NREL", The Cost and Feasibility of Floating Offshore Wind Energy in the Oahu Region, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wind_power_in_Hawaii&oldid=1111572894, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity, Kamaoa Wind Farm, 9.3 MW, in use 1987-2006, This page was last edited on 21 September 2022, at 18:17. 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. In 2006, transmission was finally cut off by Hawaii Electric Company.Californias wind farms then comprising about 80% of the worlds wind The claim that New Zealanders are unconcerned about whether the turbines kill birds has ZERO bearing on whether the turbines actually do kill birds. 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. They rotate at a speed around 20rpm or so that any flying creature could avoid. Existing law allows an, e.g., 600ft (180m) to be placed 600 feet from the nearest house (1:1).The Hawaii State Energy Office offered support for a setback of a mile or more from homes and structures. That last word, somewhere, is used advisedly. 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. 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, Spinning, post-industrial junk which generates nothing but bird kills.. THE MAINTENANCE ISSUE Wind power is a labor-intensive industry with rotating and electrical machinery that requires continuous maintenance. WIND This level of inaccuracy is fairly typical of that anonymous blog, so it isnt surprising. When it is not blowing, they require full-time backup from conventional power plants. Apparently this whole wind power thing is falling apart. Lack of maintenance will inevitably lead to failures. Thousands of abandoned wind turbines littered the landscape of wind energys California big three locationsAltamont Pass, Tehachapin (above), and San Gorgonioconsidered among the worlds best wind sitesCalifornias wind farms comprising about 80% of the worlds wind generation capacityceased to generate much more quickly than Kamaoa. Two developers have submitted proposals for three offshore wind farms. You may want to do more reading on the subject. The most recent citing was in the official policy of an Australian political party, the Democratic Labour Party of Australia. "dG0_G*JYzWJGFk[6~w['O*eJ.&aPSH*1|eR[ 0XD&$gZ/bQZ 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in USA > Hawaii Free (LogOut/ With governments facing financial troubles, the subsidies are unaffordable. PolitiFact | No, there arent 14,000 abandoned wind But its haunted not by Hawaiis legendary night marchers. 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. WebFigure 2. [7], In 2019 Kahuku residents protested the placement of wind towers, leading to hundreds of arrests for obstructing entry of equipment to the turbine sites. Apparently, the left only cares about the needs of society over the environment when it comes to climate change. In parts of the United States, there are cases where wind facilities were abandoned for some time before being decommissioned or repowered. Abandoned Wind Farm in Hawaii. The United States is Littered With More than 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines Wind power, the renewable 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 But even in a place where wind-shaped trees grow sideways, maintenance issues were overwhelming. +100. 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 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. Wind Built in 1986, the Kamaoa wind farm at South Point on the southern tip of the island of Hawaii stopped producing energy for the Big Islands grid in the last ten years. Abandoned windmills in Hawaii, click to enlarge. It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out.. Died a quiet Death. The United States is Littered With More than 14,000 Hawaii began research into wind power in the mid-1980s with a 340 kW turbine on Maui, and the 2.3MW Lalamilo Wells wind farm on Oahu and the 9MW Kamaoa wind farm on the Big Island of Hawaii . The MOD-5B, a 3.2MW wind turbine, on Oahu was the largest in the world in 1987. [citation needed] The 132 commercial wind turbines in the state have a total capacity of 236 MW. Hubs awaiting recycling. 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. But, once again, we have to balance all the needs of society. President Obamas offshore wind farms will be far more expensive than those sited in Californias ideal wind locations. These add to the outflow of wealth from the US and provide no If they cant avoid that, they are easy prey and wont last long anyway. The trouble with wind farms In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. Californias wind farms, almost 80% of the worlds wind generation capacity ceased to generate even more quickly than Kamaoa Wind Farm in Hawaii. In 2006, transmission was finally cut off by Hawaii Electric Company.Californias wind farms then comprising about 80% of the worlds wind generation capacity ceased to generate much more quickly than Kamaoa. Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care, Hawaii Free Press - All Rights Reserved. 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. 9a. 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. These early examples were all out of service by 2010. The wind does not blow all the time, or even most of the time. That there are 14,000 permanently inactive wind turbines out there somewhere. Spinning, post-industrial junk which generates nothing but bird kills. Wind power, the renewable energy that will save the world from global warming, is actually an environmental disaster that is directly affecting the bird population in certain places and causing a nuisance to the people who live close to these monsters. 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 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. Corporations however survive on making their basket the only basket in town. These deaths have likely increased as wind power capacity increases across the country., In 2012, breaking the European omerta on wind farm mortality, the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/Birdlife) reviewed actual carcass counts from 136 monitoring studies. k here to add your own text and edit me. A July, 2008 study by the Alameda County Community Development Agency points to 10,000 annual bird deaths from Altamont Pass wind turbines. 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. 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! 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. The tax payers who paid for the subsidies to build the wind farms, then paid over the odds for an unreliable source of power generation will, ultimately be left to pick up the bill for clearing up the Green eco mess in the post man made Global Warming world. There are about 2,500 of these golden eagles in California and the biggest wind turbine farm is said to kill about 80 of these eagles each year, on average. Is there a more immoral form of power generation than wind? Mike Barnard has been a deeply interested observer of energy systems for three decades. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. He doesnt make any effort to show how he arrived at this magical number. Californias wind farms, almost 80% of the worlds wind generation capacity ceased to generate even more quickly than Kamaoa Wind Farm in Hawaii. This ratio is 2 per cent, and is at one of the oldest operational wind farms in the United States, where massive tax breaks combined with immature technology have created one of the highest ratios of inactive to active wind turbines in any location. these useless, inefficient, space-hogging eyesores kill every year? 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. 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. 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 $8.68 million estimate. From Alex Newman writing in the New American: Despite billions in taxpayer subsidies pumped into the so-called [1]:2[2] In 2012, Hawaii generated 367 million kWh from wind power.[3]. You gonna dismiss that, too? He wrote an article starting with the Kamaoa Wind Farm in Hawaii, that was heading for decommissioning and repowering and pulled the number of 14,000 permanently inactive wind turbines out of somewhere. Concerned residents To rely on wind alone would have rolling blackout issues. It would appear this was a wrought! Abandoned Wind Farm on the Road to South Point It was a nice dream, a very expensive dream, but it didnt work. Xrp>*oNPWu56?>Xr/XYY~yV+&k_r'uBhjs~]21_,=|&qe5g%s sLk"sMdz$ +p^|Elb.B hx3) "MQfc@Wi5S"p5q AKKN_0 [LX p '?>&GG(7ZNc. 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. Youre no different from Humpty Dumpty. This is seen through their quiet attitudes regarding the slaughtering of bird species caused by the wind turbines. Major Hawaii wind farm shut down after turbine parts fall 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. Sadly, this same area is a hunting ground for birds of prey as well as a migratory path for birds that travel from Canada to Mexico with the change of seasons. 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. He doesnt show calculations. 194 Hawaii Wind Farm Premium High Res Photos - Getty 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. source:https://americanelephant.wordpress.cunited-states/. 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. NEWS | Noturbines 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. Smallwood and cohorts are quite shocked that the US Fish and Wildlife Service havent taken action against the wind turbines in order to enforce the US Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Tehachapi Pass Renewable Transmission Project, just under 240,000 working wind turbines as of Q1 2013, Summer on the NEM: What the extreme heat didnt do to demand, What you need to know about Obamas energy secretary nominee, New premium solar panel brand hits Australian rooftop market, Most inverters for rooftop solar and storage wrongly installed, audit finds, Inverter giant targets rooftops that cant go solar, with new lightweight panel solution, Tesla Robotaxi could hit roads this year, analysts say, as safety data stacks up, California to ban new diesel trucks from railyards and ports from 2024 in landmark move, Daimler debuts new Rizon brand for electric trucks for last mile and city use, Calculate the worst-case ratio of inactive wind turbines, Determine the total number of wind turbines, Calculate the worst-case scenario using the ratio. Green Junk: 15k Abandoned Windmills Litter the This means more bats and migratory birds will live. Audubon calls Altamont, probably the worst site ever chosen for a wind energy project.. But its haunted not by Hawaiis legendary night marchers. According to the Golden Gate Audubon Society, 75 to 110 Golden Eagles, 380 Burrowing Owls, 300 Red-tailed Hawks, and 333 American Kestrels (falcons) are killed by Altamont turbines annually. The Audubon Society makes up numbers like the EPA, but theres a reason why they call them bird Cuisinarts. Thousands of abandoned wind turbines littered the landscape of wind energy's California "big three" locations -- Altamont Pass, Tehachapi, and San Gorgonio -- considered among the world's best wind sites. In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. The 14,000 number has been applied to the entire world, the continental United States and the confines of the state of California. Wind turbines dont kill many creatures. Its a pretty flexible number and a pretty flexible and well-traveled myth. California is just funny, as there are about 14,000 wind turbines in total in that state, so 100 per cent of them would have to be rusting in place for that claim to be true. California had the big three of wind farm locations Altamont Pass, Tehachapi, and San Gorgonio, considered the worlds best wind sites. Simply put, Dont do as I do, do as I say.. Spinning, post-industrial junk which generates nothing but bird kills. When not enough wind they wont function. In this push for more wind turbine farms, Kern County picked out an area of 225,000 acres slightly north of Los Angeles due to its wind resources. It took nearly a decade from the time the first flimsy wind turbines were installed before the performance of California wind projects could dispel the widespread belief among the public and investors that wind energy was just a tax scam.Ben Lieberman, a senior policy analyst focusing on energy and environmental issues for the Heritage Foundation, is not surprised. Abandoned turbines: Another Madigan wind energy myth [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. Wind One thing sources who inflate the number of inactive wind turbines do is mistake temporarily inactive wind turbines for permanently inactive ones. Theyre also causing environmental problems for countries like China who are manufacturing the turbines and are actually failing at producing reliable energy. [ Multitudes of abandoned wind turbines at South Point, Hawaii, USA. So, what is an accurate number or methodology for determining the current number of permanently inactive wind turbines? Kawailoa (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power ; Online store . In 2012, Hawaii generated 367 million kWh from wind power. This article was originally published on Barnard on Wind. Giant corporate wind farms are the antithesis of self sufficiency. Abandoned wind farm on Big Island Hawaii - Dreamstime When wind gusts above 30 mph occur they must be shutdown. 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. The Kahuku wind farm has been the subject of past protests, including one that led to more than 200 arrests in 2019. In addition to concerns about bats, wind farm opponents and Kahuku residents have said the 568 foot turbines are too big and too close to their homes. Wind farms databases; National reports; Offshore market; Players databases; Manufacturers and turbines; Online access . It has been a point of contention for residents After the debacle of the First California Wind Rush, the European Union had moved ahead of the US on efforts to subsidize renewable energyincluding a Feed in Tariff even more lucrative than the ISO4 contracts. Wind power in Hawaii has the potential to provide all of the electricity generation in the electricity sector in Hawaii. Hawaii; Details. What does this imply for the possible number of inactive wind turbines? I think its okay as a small part of an overall energy strategy, but not as a sole source. Hawaii began research into wind power in the mid-1980s with a 340kW turbine on Maui, and the 2.3MW Lalamilo Wells wind farm on Oahu and the 9MW Kamaoa wind farm on the Big Island of Hawaii . All rights reserved. http://bit.ly/1UDshb7 When it is time to clean up after a failed idea, no green environmentalists are to be found. Cannibalizing parts from the original 37 turbines, Apollo personnel kept the declining facility going with outdated equipment. Web[ Multitudes of abandoned wind turbines at South Point, Hawaii, USA. [6] They are under review by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 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. In 1994, the site lease was purchased by Redwood City, CA-based Apollo Energy. Californias green energy is growing quickly with wind turbine growing the fastest. 14,000 Abandoned wind turbines. Abandoned Wind When similar environmental tragedies happened, like the 2009 Exxon oil spill that killed around 85 birds across five states, they were fined $600,000. 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. 14,000 is a number that has been conjured from thin air by an anti-wind advocate for rhetorical purposes. Similarly, an Oregon utility company, PacifiCorp, had to pay up $10.5 million when 232 eagles died after power lines were placed in Wyoming. [8], Hawaii has the potential to install 3,000 MW of wind power, capable of generating 12,000 GWh/year with 80 meter hub heights operating at 30% capacity factor or more. The Democratic Labour Party of Australia is hardly a force in the Australian Government. xncendangered_species_in_hawaii_threatened_by_planned_wind_farm.html E/PC`HB10 $= AZe-wc^^)F> d4g>g`!%(' ]v7c0A.rx6`ATr`cQ\#=FR+K| See my above comment about Individual Power. Why did President Obama seem to think the Wind farms needed protection from laws that protected birds? Salt water is far more damaging than sun and rain, and offshore turbines dont last as long. In the best wind spots on earth, over 14,000 turbines were simply abandoned. They are actually worse than big oil because at least I can choose who to buy my oil from. We knew no one technology would stand on its own, and like smart people we did not favor putting all our eggs in one big energy farm basket. Abandoned Wind According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), there are just under 240,000 working wind turbines as of Q1 2013. He gives the wind farms a free pass when Eagles are killed. [13] Authorities approved feasibility in 2016 for 3 companies looking at floating wind turbines up to 400 MW.[14][15]. Abandoned Wind Farms - 2aHawaii I challenge any scientist or engineer to prove that energy farms are not wasteful. Abandoned and cannibalized Kamaoa wind farm turbines, Hawaii. 14,000 wind turbines permanently inactive would represent about 6% of the total installed base being inactive today. The average wind turbine size in 1990, about 20 years ago or the lifespan of a wind turbine, was 200 KW. Its also unreliable. 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.. ik/+ Bm;GjEh_MD K3U6&[\Oe)BsSww=X.P,uA + http://bit.ly/1UDsnzt And the number of permanently inactive wind turbines is diminishing as they are replaced with working modern turbines. [ Hit "play" button below, or click click here to view or download as a 1-MB FLV file or Instead of being concerned about this number, the state is looking to triple their wind turbine capacity in order to generate 33% of its electricity from green energy by 2020. WTr;.ZQeRE.75fV9{ukRZoN8GB)q?SS3ve1C[q+Rl6[e2z@[Iv}-L3e}m)q?0'pBfB0+!w The correlation between hunting grounds and wind farms seems to be the updrafts that are produced in the areas. Self sufficiency is empowering to the individual. 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. I was wondering what had happened to the ones in Kahuku and elsewhere. What percentage of generating capacity would these represent? The hype is great use natural wind resources. WInd turbines dont whiz around like the fan you have in your office. They concluded that Spains 18,000 wind turbines are killing 6-18 million birds and bats yearly.. The reality is that it results in significantly increased power prices that hurt those least able to afford it the most. 10 Amazingly-Abandoned Renewable Energy Plants Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. WebHawi Wind Farm is a wind farm on Upolu Point, the northern tip of Hawaii's largest island, Hawai'i. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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 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. There are five other abandoned wind farms in Hawaii. Residents also expressed concern about the threat to endangered wildlife, particularly the opeapea bat. Dilapidated Panhandle wind farm towers News and analysis for the clean energy economy. [12] In addition, Hawaii has the potential to generate 2,800,000 GWh/year from offshore wind power. http://bit.ly/1UDsOJT, (Also, 20rpm = 1 full rotation every 3 seconds. It just doesnt happen. 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. I guess being an environmentalist means what you folks say it means, and nothing more or less. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Abandoned wind farm at South Point Hawaii. Read my posts to find out more about me. You would think that the lack of any supporting evidence would prevent people from quoting and then exaggerating even his already wildly exaggerated claim. 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. A cluster of 37 wind turbines formerly marked the spot of the Kamaoa Wind Farm, at the far south end of Hawaiis Big Island. The small wind farm opened in 1987 and was decommissioned 20 years later after a deal for the turbines power expired.