Lisa Linowes: "The Texas Wind Power Story" - Parts 1 and 2

The full papers from Ms. Linowes can be downloaded at the links below.

June 20, 2018 - Part 1
Texas Public Policy Foundation released the paper “Texas Wind Power Story: Part 1 – How Subsidies Drive Texas Wind Power Development,” which shows that the growth of the wind industry in Texas is spurred by, and only viable because of subsidies such as the production tax credit, along with tax breaks at the state and local level. Texas has witnessed a boom in wind energy development over the past 15 years that put the state on the map as a leader in renewable energy. The state remains attractive for further development but the expansion of wind power has placed a strain on the reliability of the state's delivery system. A summary of the paper is provided below. The full paper can be downloaded from the links on this page...........

Key Points:

Federal subsidies, public- funded infrastructure expansion, and low barriers for wind power siting and construction, make Texas an attractive state for wind power development.

Tax equity including the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) and depreciation now accounts for over 50 percent of the capital needed to construct a typical wind facility.

After committing nearly $7 billion to resolve Texas’ transmission congestion and wind curtailment issues, the problem is returning as more wind is built.

Around 50 percent of Chapter 313 agreements involve wind energy facilities with a lifetime total cost of $1.56 billion as of 2016.

http://www.windaction.org/posts/48338-texas-wind-power-story-how-su...

July 13, 2018 - Part 2

Texas Public Policy Foundation released Part 2 of its research on wind power in the state of Texas. This paper addresses the human and environmental impacts of wind power development. Part 1 reviews the subsidies supporting wind power and how industry growth remains reliant on public outlays.

“Wind farms” are sprawling power plants that create a unique set of effects for nearby residents. Noise, shadow flicker, safety setback distances, aesthetics and property value loss are the effects of greatest concern.

Key Points:

The impacts of Texas wind projects on birds could have far-reaching effects for some species.
There is growing concern that decommissioning provisions found in private land lease agreements are insufficient to protect the public from abandoned turbines.
The state of Texas took an important first step with passage of SB 277 in rolling back wind subsidies, eliminating Chapters 312 and 313 tax benefits for wind farms sited within 25 nautical miles of a military installation with flight operations.

http://www.windaction.org/posts/48436-the-texas-wind-power-story-pa...

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Comment by Long Islander on July 15, 2018 at 2:07pm

Retiring worn-out wind turbines could cost billions that nobody has

Linowes said most of the wind turbines operating within the United States have been put in place within the past 10 years. In Texas, most have become operational since 2005.

“So we’re coming in on 10 years of life and we’re seeing blades need to be replaced, cells need to be replaced, so it’s unlikely they’re going to get 20 years out of these turbines,” she said.

Estimates put the tear-down cost of a single modern wind turbine, which can rise from 250 to 500 feet above the ground, at $200,000.

With more than 50,000 wind turbines spinning in the United States, decommissioning costs are estimated at around $10 billion.

In Texas, there are approximately 12,000 turbines operational in the state. Decommissioning these turbines could cost as much as $2.3 billion.

Which means landowners and counties in Texas could be on the hook for tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars if officials determine non-functional wind turbines need to be removed.

Or if that proves to be too costly, as seems likely, some areas of the state could become post-apocalyptic wastelands steepled with teetering and fallen wind turbines, locked in a rigor mortis of obsolescence.................................

https://m.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/article_3a81176e-f6...

Comment by Frank Haggerty on July 14, 2018 at 12:10pm

 Lisa Linowes: "The Texas Wind Power Story" - Parts 1 and 2

http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blog/show?id=4401701%3ABlogPo...

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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