Brad Blake's Blog (128)

Fort Fairfield Enacts a Protective Wind Ordinance

Great news from the heart of vast Aroostook County, Maine.  By a 4-1 vote, the Town Council of Fort Fairfield has adopted an incredibly well researched and comprehensive wind power ordinance.  The key is the setback requirement for turbine siting of one mile from the property lines of non-participating property owners.  This compares to the "State Model" (written by the wind…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on September 18, 2015 at 11:55pm — 7 Comments

If You Don't Know Moosehead---View This Video. Save Moosehead from the Wind Power Scourge!

Moosehead Lake is simply astounding, truly a natural treasure. The iconic Mt. Kineo rises dramatically from the vast lake. The view from the top encompasses the blue water surrounded by verdant forest and the ancient Appalachian Mountains. Enjoy the vistas in this video, then envision the lake encircled with 50 story wind turbines on every available ridge. Please speak out against the destruction of this unique region that deserves national park status, not industrial wasteland…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on August 24, 2015 at 11:17pm — 5 Comments

Will Tall Wind Turbines Attract Lightning & Increase the Probability of Forest Fires?

This recent photo of the wind turbines on Lowell Mountain in northern Vermont in a lightning storm provokes the thoughts of the dangers of forest fires as these machines are erected throughout heavily forested areas in northern New England.  We know the turbines have lightning rods, but so have the thousands of barns that have burned down after lightning struck their rods.  If not properly maintained, lightning rods are simply ornaments, not protection.  A lightning strike on a turbine not…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on August 23, 2015 at 3:19pm — 4 Comments

Oakfield Ruined by First Wind (SunEdison, Whatever!) Turbines: Latest Photos

An erstwhile wind warrior grabbed his camera this week and sent in these sad photos of the Oakfield Wind project, still under construction, but with enough turbines up so the impact is clear.  First Wind bamboozled the Town of Oakfield with a so-called collaboration with a poor town that was eager for tax revenues and landowners eager to get leasing income.  Again, First Wind laughs all the way to the bank, having taken over the town at a cheap, rock-bottom price.  Then DEP Commissioner Aho…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on August 13, 2015 at 11:00pm — 4 Comments

Wind Power Critic Mike Bond In Portland on Friday, August 14

Wind power critic and author Mike Bond, a Maine native, will be discussing his book "Killing Maine" on Friday, August 8 at Sherman's Books at 49 Exchange St in Portland, ME.   The event starts at 7 PM.  Please come if you can to support Mike and to speak to the others about the scourge of industrial wind power.…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on August 13, 2015 at 7:12pm — 1 Comment

Must Read Article About Wind Power Devastation of Rural America

One of the foremost wind power activists in the Northeast is Mary Kay Barton of upstate New York, the only area in the eastern USA with more industrial wind turbines than Maine.  She has published a scathing analysis of wind power in Master Resource. …

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on August 12, 2015 at 10:40pm — No Comments

More Sad Photos of the Oakfield Wind Debacle

Our local Oakfield Wind opponent has supplied more photos of the all too common views of a wind power site being erected.

Turbine N12 going up.  At 489 ft from base to apex of blade, it towers above the surrounding forest and is less than a mile from homes, where residents will surely be affected by turbine audible noise and infrasound…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 17, 2015 at 12:15am — 5 Comments

Proof That Wind Power Costs More than Conventional

Clearview Peddles12 cents per kwh for Wind vs 6½ cents per kwh for the current "standard offer" in Maine

We are constantly criticizing the high cost per Megawatt Hour of intermittent wind power.  While people can shop around for a better deal than the default "Standard Offer" approved by Maine's PUC, seldom do people make a conscious choice to spend more on wind power supplied…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 16, 2015 at 11:30pm — 2 Comments

Eyes on the PUC as it Considers Deal between Iberdrola/CMP & its Wind Development Subsidiary

Spanish based Iberdrola, the parent company of Central Maine Power Co. is also, through Iberdrola Renewables, developing wind power sites.  It wants to destroy Fletcher Mt. in the mountains around Lexington, Concord and Pleasant Ridge Plantations with a project to be known as West Range Wind.



The staff of Maine's Public Utilities Commission is recommending against allowing Iberdrola to purchase a transmission right of way from Brookfield Hydro that would provide the line from the…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 14, 2015 at 12:55am — 4 Comments

Major Donations to Sierra Club to Promote Wind & Solar Revealed

With apologies to CTFWP members who are Sierra Club supporters based on the GOOD things the organization has done in protecting the environment, here comes the proof that Sierra Club was bought off by special interests to promote wind and solar development.  The folks who stand to make a lot of money off this scam have poured their money & influence into Sierra Club, as documented in "Big Donors . . . Big Conflicts".  That has to filter down to Maine, as Sierra Club…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 10, 2015 at 10:30pm — 12 Comments

Passadumkeag Destruction for Wind Power has begun

One of the most contentious wind power projects has started construction, completely unreported by the Maine media.  The Passadumkeag "Wind Park" will desecrate the highest point of land between Cadillac Mt. and Mt Katahdin.  Initial public reaction reduced the original proposal from 27 turbines sprawled across the 5 mile long monadnock ridge to 14.  The application was filed on February 2, 2012 and the expedited wind…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 7, 2015 at 1:19am — 15 Comments

More Oakfield Wind Photos

We have been given permission to publish these copyrighted photos of the Oakfield Wind project.   Nothing to add.  The photos sadly tell the story.…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 5, 2015 at 1:23am — 5 Comments

24 cents per kwh Block Island, RI Wind Project Gets Underway

With the conventional generators providing the New England grid with wholesale prices around 5-6 cents per kwh, it is absurd that Deepwater Wind in the shallow waters between Block Island and mainland Rhode Island will come on line starting at 24 cents per kwh. …

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 5, 2015 at 1:01am — 2 Comments

Ellsworth American Editorial Blasts Wind Power Development in Maine

The Ellsworth American Newspaper clearly understands the issues regarding the proliferating wind scourge in Maine.  Its good they do, as the stretch of small mountains and ridges along Maine's remote Downeast Coastal region are targeted for heavy wind power development following theBull Hill project.  The problem is all this region consists of Unorganized Territories and tiny towns and plantations all enveloped by the heinous Expedited Wind Permitting Zone.

Here is an excellent quote…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on July 4, 2015 at 12:30pm — 5 Comments

Governor Signs LD 828 into Law--Unorganized Territories Citizens Now Have a Say About Wind Power Proposals

In a seesion of the legislature where the Governor has been vetoing legislation , Governor LePage stood up for the rights of the citizens in the state's Unorganized Territories and SIGNED LD 828 into law.  What a long and skillfully fought victory!  The following is the message from UT Citizens for Fair Policy.…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 30, 2015 at 11:42pm — No Comments

Bill Gates: Renewable energy can't do the job. Gov should switch green subsidies into R&D

It is interesting that there is no US media coverage of this perspective from Bill Gates.  This article comes from the UK.  The UK doesn't utilize direct taxpayer subsidies like the USA, but instead has forced a "Feed-in Tariff" on the grid, forcing electricity costs to skyrocket.  This, in turn, has led to poor and working class people to endure what has been termed "energy poverty" such that they must sacrifice heavily on other things to try to keep the lights on.…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 28, 2015 at 1:03pm — 7 Comments

Biased Reporting Continues Promotion of Wind Power in Maine--the Latest Example

One of the problems we have continually struggled with is the bias of the Maine media in their complicity with the wind industry in promoting this scourge in Maine.  When I saw this completely biased article in the Lewiston Sun Journal, from a reporter who I know must have my phone number and email from previous interactions (as well as contacts for other wind power critics), I got angry and fired off this email:

"Mr. Karkos, I have to strenuously object to the article…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 25, 2015 at 11:00pm — 2 Comments

Massive Oakfield Project has Towers Going Up

The massive Oakfield Wind project has towers being erected at a steady pace.  There will be 50 Vestas V112 turbines when complete, each standing 492 ft tall from base to apex of the blade.  This project represents one of the worst travesties in our sordid history of wind power projects in Maine, as DEP Commissioner Aho allowed First Wind (now SunEdison) to amend an existing license for 35 1.5 MW GE turbines, each at 389 ft tall, and expand it to this completely different project, impacting a…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 23, 2015 at 11:52pm — 8 Comments

Victory for Citizens' Rights in the Unorganized Territories of Maine as LD 828 Passes!

We have gotten few victories from the State Legislature, but the dogged determination of the Maine Citizens of the state's Unorganized Territories now have won a process to have a say about whether or not to be in the Wind Energy's Law's arbitrary "Expedited Permitting Zone".  Great job to the group "UT Citizens for Fair Policy".  Here is their press release:…

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 23, 2015 at 11:14pm — 2 Comments

Bonanza Opportunity to Bring Our Criticisms of Wind Power to City-Based Supporters

The Portland Phoenix  weekly edition has just been posted on-line.  There are several articles relating to wind power and other issues that relate to wind power.  Chris O'Neil of Friends of Maine's Mountains and Brad Blake of Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power were both contributors, but this is a great opportunity for us to bring our case to readers of the Phoenix. 

The Phoenix is one of the most prominent "freebee" news tabloids that are distributed everywhere, plus it is on-line. …

Continue

Added by Brad Blake on June 17, 2015 at 10:30pm — 6 Comments

 

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/

Not yet a member?

Sign up today and lend your voice and presence to the steadily rising tide that will soon sweep the scourge of useless and wretched turbines from our beloved Maine countryside. For many of us, our little pieces of paradise have been hard won. Did the carpetbaggers think they could simply steal them from us?

We have the facts on our side. We have the truth on our side. All we need now is YOU.

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

 -- Mahatma Gandhi

"It's not whether you get knocked down: it's whether you get up."
Vince Lombardi 

Task Force membership is free. Please sign up today!

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/

© 2024   Created by Webmaster.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service