wind power woes

[tomauto]

I haven't had much time for this site as of late. About 2 months ago my town was approached by Florida Power and Light to put a windfarm in our area. Personally, I love the idea of alternative energy and tring to preserve our environment. I heard about this from our local newspaper and they are basically hating the whole ordeal. From what I have read on wiki it all seems like the upcoming form of energy in this century. So I started looking further into the details of the wind turbine technology and I deducted that the only thing that is remotely bad about them is how they look.

So here is the kicker. My family has a large tract of ''prestine'' un-marred land by humans. Our land has a great ridge where the wind turbine tower would be placed near but not on. Like I said earlier I am for alternative energy. But...My family has the idea that these wind farms are terrible from our local paper and resistance groups...

So what should I do when my relatives do not even give this technology a chance?

[SVOboy]

There's not much you can do besides present them with a logical argument based on facts and opinions, which can be taken from other reputable papers and from the examples set by countries investing heavily in wind power, such as Denmark.

Hopefully they'll come around!

[JanGeo]

The alternative is thick back smoke from a power plant poluting the air and getting soot for tens of miles around the smoke stack. People always say it wil ruin the view of the Ocean and they can't see anything but water anyway if they can even see the water - explain to them that if they want to turn on the light switch and have the bulb go on, the juice has to come from someplace. Would they rather make some poor guy go down into a coal mine or take some power from the air.

[tomauto]

Texas' demand for electricity is growing at an astonishing rate. Our governor has made it easy for energy providers to start and build new coal plants...16 of them to be exact, and the way the wind blows that brings the pollution up around my home adding to the beautiful haze. The Dallas mayor has tried to make a push to go for the new style of coal gasification plants, but TXU is stating that it isn't ''readily available" yet...so TXU is going to try and stick with the older and more profitable technology.

What really burns me up is that the government can only look at the Texas energy commission and slap their wrist, they can't really do anything to change the laws...which have always been very lax.

[vegasjetskier]

What is the newspaper's argument against the wind turbines? It will be easier to refute it when we know what it is.

Also, what is FPL's offer to you for letting them install the turbines? Maybe the dollar signs will help to change their minds.

Blue skies,

Patrick

[GasSavers_Ryland]

a few weeks ago I had a chance while driving thru minnasota to stop at a wind farm, around 50 of the monsters, they were much more attractive then they are in photos, and quite too! the sounds of the corn russling was drowning out the quite sweep of the 160 foot blades, I'm all for them, they creat well paying reansoably safe jobs, each one kill no more birds per year then a single window in your house kills per year (20 windows? 20 birds, why do you hate birds so much?) they don't take up alot of space, you can farm the land around them, and they are the cheapest and cleanest way to produce new power, with a 3-7 year payback if you have a good site.

but then again, maybe I'm just biased, having a 2.6K Jacobs in the back yard.

[tomauto]

A real estate agent started this group up www.northtexaswindresistance.com
It is basically the most bogus site ever. Tonight they had a "town hall" basically people wanting to stop it.

What will happen is that some people will have the wind turbines on their land and others will just miss the opportunity and have to look at their neighbors getting some subsidized money.

[vegasjetskier]

So their only argument is that they look bad and will ruin the view?

Originally Posted by tomauto

A real estate agent started this group up www.northtexaswindresistance.com
It is basically the most bogus site ever. Tonight they had a "town hall" basically people wanting to stop it.

What will happen is that some people will have the wind turbines on their land and others will just miss the opportunity and have to look at their neighbors getting some subsidized money.

[tomauto]

If you go to their site you can see their arguements...however, the only real thing they have going is the scare factor. Mostly our town is just afraid of change. The rest of their arguements on what they have on there is just made up bull.

[tomauto]

FPL has signed contracts with many landowners in town. (and yes there will be money for them) So they will be going up for sure. However my family has chosen not to at this time. It seems like 1 ridge that is near a river will be untouched, but one will go for sure. I think at this point, people with different views to wind power will become angry at eachother, I'll get a newspaper clipping from our local (and biased) news...

I find it kinda of funny when people are complaining about how horrible they will look when are land has 10 RF towers in a 5 mile radius and countless oil leases being put up everywhere. I'll get a few pictures too.

I'm planning a trip to Weatherford, OK to look at an existing wind farm built by FPL.