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Wind Lobby Strives to Adapt to Tea Party Era
Documents show how the industrial wind lobby is trying to adapt to Republican power in Washington D.C. in order to keep federal tax money flowing through the "Production Tax Credit." The documents show the lobby's efforts to frame its opponents as tax hikers, and to use opposition research against subsidy critics. Read more at the Washington Examiner
Gouged by the Wind
The Wall Street Journal explains how the Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, a mandate for wind energy, is raising the cost for rural electrical rate payers in Minnesota. "Politicians keep promising to reduce energy prices, but they keep ignoring one easy step: repeal renewal energy standards. Twenty-nine states have these rules requiring local utilities to purchase between 20% and 33% of their electric power from renewable sources. They were enacted over the past decade when lawmakers bought into the fad about cheap "clean energy." Their real effect has been to force utilities to pay above-market prices for electricity, which means higher electric bills for consumers. No state has learned that lesson the hard way more than Minnesota. '"Right now we're paying for wind power we don't need, we can't use and can't sell,"' says association executive director Mark Glaess. Utilities absorb some of the cost, but Mr. Glaess estimates that annual residential utility bills are between $50 and $100 higher per household due to the renewable mandate. That may be nothing to a $10,000 donor to the Sierra Club, but tell that to family of four living on $25,000 a year in Fergus Falls. Read the full story here
T. Boone Pickens' AWA Goodhue LLC sues Goodhue County landowners
From the Star Tribune: "A T. Boone Pickens-backed wind energy company is suing several Goodhue County landowners who backed out of leases for a proposed wind farm near Red Wing that has run into opposition from surrounding residents. Minneapolis attorney Dan Schleck, who represents groups opposing the project, said Wednesday that the lawsuits appear to be an attempt by AWA to frighten the landowners into reinstating their leases. Read more at the Star Tribune. Read attorney Dan Schleck's press release on the lawsuit here.
Eaglegate
The Coalition for Sensible Siting was provided the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) plan to steer the US Fish and Wildlife Service decisions affecting industrial wind energy siting regulations and the Incidental Take Permit (ITP) process. This document from the AWEA Board of Directors meeting also contains the AWEA lobbying plan for elected officials, Congressional staff and agency staff in Washington D.C. Read the document here (PDF Download)
A Voice For Concerned Citizens
Efforts have been supported by individual citizens contributing their time, talent and money and by a few educated legislators acting in the public interest. In addition to raising technical and economic concerns, citizens around the world have shared their experiences of wind turbine impacts including: unique unregulated industrial noise, loss of property value, induced voltage, wildlife impact (protected eagles), and shadow flicker. In Minnesota and other parts of the Midwest, foreign-owned wind companies control ever-increasing prime agricultural production acreage on 50-year leases. The wind companies have your tax dollars, legal mandates written by their attorneys and lobbyists, government agencies, huge multi-national corporations and well-funded “non-profit wind promotion organizations” disguised as environmental organizations. Their goal is to get more of your tax and electrical rate money. Relentless participation by local citizens is bringing effective change. Help us change the future of industrial wind.
More about The Coalition for Sensible Siting
Coalition for Sensible Siting (CSS)
CSS recognizes the scientific, economic, and safety short falls of industrial wind. Turbines are, none-the-less, being installed and the Coalition for Sensible Siting advocates that citizens’ broad concerns, based upon science, economics and experience should hold sway over politicalagendas driven by financial gain when siting turbines. Citizens, who pay both the tax and electrical rate bill for renewable energy, should have a significant voice in the formation of national and state energy policy.
Your donations will help CSS work with elected officials, government appointees, and the individual farmers, landowners and parties affected by the reckless and uncontrolled siting of these projects.
Learn about wind energy basics
The Bald Eagle: National protections not enforced while state mandates have pressed past caution
Today there are not enough young golden eagles left in Altamont Pass, CA to replace those lost by running into turbine blades, highlighting complex issues facing wildlife authorities.
Details
Bald Eagle Siting: National protections not enforced while state mandates have pressed past caution
MN mandates 25% (30% for Xcel) renewable electrical generation by the year 2025. Wind generation is the vast majority must be at least 24% of this, pressing wind farm growth while disregarding known dangers.
Details
Eagle' Nests: Important bald eagle and golden eagle flight areas in the path of industrial wind.
The Coalition for Sensible Siting is working for local governments and citizens rights related to industrial Wind Energy in Minnesota.
Details
Turbine Blades: Produce unique, unregulated, difficult-to-measure industrial noise.
The carcasses are found dismembered, or heads cut off. Causalities are usually found at the base of turbines within 15 meters. Those that survive never fly again.
Details
Wind Farms: dot Minnesota's farmland and blue skies
Wind turbines are proposed near bald eagle nesting and feeding areas and in migration routes.
Details
Wind Lobby Strives to Adapt to Tea Party Era
Documents show how the industrial wind lobby is trying to adapt to Republican power in Washington D.C. in order to keep federal tax money flowing through the "Production Tax Credit." The documents show the lobby's efforts to frame its opponents as tax hikers, and to use opposition research against subsidy critics. Read more at the Washington Examiner
Gouged by the Wind
The Wall Street Journal explains how the Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, a mandate for wind energy, is raising the cost for rural electrical rate payers in Minnesota. "Politicians keep promising to reduce energy prices, but they keep ignoring one easy step: repeal renewal energy standards. Twenty-nine states have these rules requiring local utilities to purchase between 20% and 33% of their electric power from renewable sources. They were enacted over the past decade when lawmakers bought into the fad about cheap "clean energy." Their real effect has been to force utilities to pay above-market prices for electricity, which means higher electric bills for consumers. No state has learned that lesson the hard way more than Minnesota. '"Right now we're paying for wind power we don't need, we can't use and can't sell,"' says association executive director Mark Glaess. Utilities absorb some of the cost, but Mr. Glaess estimates that annual residential utility bills are between $50 and $100 higher per household due to the renewable mandate. That may be nothing to a $10,000 donor to the Sierra Club, but tell that to family of four living on $25,000 a year in Fergus Falls. Read the full story here
T. Boone Pickens' AWA Goodhue LLC sues Goodhue County landowners
From the Star Tribune: "A T. Boone Pickens-backed wind energy company is suing several Goodhue County landowners who backed out of leases for a proposed wind farm near Red Wing that has run into opposition from surrounding residents. Minneapolis attorney Dan Schleck, who represents groups opposing the project, said Wednesday that the lawsuits appear to be an attempt by AWA to frighten the landowners into reinstating their leases. Read more at the Star Tribune. Read attorney Dan Schleck's press release on the lawsuit here.
Eaglegate
The Coalition for Sensible Siting was provided the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) plan to steer the US Fish and Wildlife Service decisions affecting industrial wind energy siting regulations and the Incidental Take Permit (ITP) process. This document from the AWEA Board of Directors meeting also contains the AWEA lobbying plan for elected officials, Congressional staff and agency staff in Washington D.C. Read the document here (PDF Download)
Efforts have been supported by individual citizens contributing their time, talent and money and by a few educated legislators acting in the public interest. In addition to raising technical and economic concerns, citizens around the world have shared their experiences of wind turbine impacts including: unique unregulated industrial noise, loss of property value, induced voltage, wildlife impact (protected eagles), and shadow flicker. In Minnesota and other parts of the Midwest, foreign-owned wind companies control ever-increasing prime agricultural production acreage on 50-year leases. The wind companies have your tax dollars, legal mandates written by their attorneys and lobbyists, government agencies, huge multi-national corporations and well-funded “non-profit wind promotion organizations” disguised as environmental organizations. Their goal is to get more of your tax and electrical rate money. Relentless participation by local citizens is bringing effective change. Help us change the future of industrial wind.
More about The Coalition for Sensible Siting
CSS recognizes the scientific, economic, and safety short falls of industrial wind. Turbines are, none-the-less, being installed and the Coalition for Sensible Siting advocates that citizens’ broad concerns, based upon science, economics and experience should hold sway over politicalagendas driven by financial gain when siting turbines. Citizens, who pay both the tax and electrical rate bill for renewable energy, should have a significant voice in the formation of national and state energy policy.
Your donations will help CSS work with elected officials, government appointees, and the individual farmers, landowners and parties affected by the reckless and uncontrolled siting of these projects.
Learn about wind energy basics
Wind Energy Safety
Turbines
The Environment
Industrial wind.
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Wind Watch Video.
Wind Watch Video.
Wind Watch Video.
Wind Watch Video.
Industrial wind promises electricity produced from wind will lower CO2 emissions, free the country from foreign oil, lower electrical rates, and have an overall positive environmental and human health effect. None of the wind promises have proven true anywhere on the planet. Delivery on these promises is a technical and scientific impossibility. Concise details can be found in a document by Ir. J.A.Halkema. An engineer from the Netherlands, he explains what makes the electric power of a wind turbine extremely variable and unpredictable, and therefore unreliable. Further, in this video presentation, Dr. David Schnare explains why wind energy on the electrical grid creates more pollution than it saves.
Coalition for Sensible Siting recognizes that the most common human health complaints attributed to industrial wind turbines apparently arise from the unique, unregulated and difficult to measure noise they produce.
Bald eagles and Golden Eagles are protected by two major federal laws: the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Recent proposed changes to federal guidelines would require 30 year “incidental take permits” for wind devleopments to kill eagles. You can help by contacting the US Fish and Wildlife Service directly and voicing your concerns. In addition, state governments can enact state laws that afford more protection than federal laws to conserve wildlife species. Please see www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html for state or territorial wildlife agencies’ contact information.