Progressive Action New Hampshire

Iberdrola turbines on Tenney Mountain, NH

From the very interesting and informative site, Stop Ill Wind, we put up here for your perusal the well researched and thorough answer to the wind industry’s claims about their wind power plants.  In order to ensure that people will take the time to look through these, we have copied them here and linked each myth.  This took a lot of time, but we feel it was worth the effort; the wind industry, like all industrial giants with making a buck in mind, have lobbyists and marketing professionals working for them full time, for good pay.  A few hours assembling this for public information seems the least one should do.

It should be noted that although the writing focuses on wind turbine development efforts on the Northern eastern region from Maryland to Virginia and out to the mid-Atlantic regions, the similarities to the attack in New Hampshire cannot be ignored such as:

1. That the wind industry targets in-land areas with high ridge tops that are primarily low income and poorly developed economically.

2.  That the wind industry depends on such government incentives as double depreciation allowances, tax credits and lopsided lease contracts with private land owners which shelter them from liability and also guarantee an immediate profit even if actual output is marginal long term.

3.  That communities are promised income benefits, increased tourism and other glowing incentives which rarely materalize or are greatly exaggerated.

4.  That the number of jobs created, like long transmission line projects produce over the long-term only a couple low-wage, subsistence level maintenance jobs, that almost all skilled labor is imported to meet machinery warranties and that all jobs (besides the one or two maintenance personnel) last only on average about six months.

5.  That estimates and results of attitudes of potential buyers in areas affected to threatened with wind turbines decreases, causing damage to areas that all too often depend on their mountain top or ocean viewsheds for tourism and real estate dollars for local income.

6.  That the environmental destruction wrought by the construction and placement of wind turbines, with their attendant easements and buildings interrupts natural habitats, causing serious damage if not death to delicate ecosystems and wildlife.

7.  That wind turbines have a history of interrupting the flow of bird migration, especially pronounced when placed on ridgelines.  That bat populations are decimated by wind turbines — so much that among ornithologists and others, serious concern about resulting species destruction exists.

8.  That wind turbines have a history of creating noise, light and other nuisances, to the point where most turbine companies will put waivers in place in contracts with owners to avoid possible lawsuits regarding disruption to persons living near wind plants, within a number of miles.

There is more, please read on.  The claims are similar if not exactly what residents and especially legislators have been told about wind power.  It is important that people in all parts of New Hampshire become aware.  Wind power is not green, will not reduce CO2 emissions nor can the wind industry provide support for its insinuated claim (they don’t even make the claim directly because they know its false) that wind energy does something to save us from the threat of climate change.

So without further ado:

Myth #1: Industrial Wind Developers are Interested Only in Providing a Public Service

Myth #2: Wind Plants are Harmless to Wildlife

Myth #3: Windplants Will Reduce the Mining/Burning of Fossil Fuels and Lessen Dependence of Foreign Oil

Myth #4: Windplants are Highly Efficient and Provide Power for Significant Numbers of Homes

Myth #5: Locals Who Oppose the Wind Industry are NIMBY’s

Myth #6: Windplants Will Generate Significant Tax Revenue and Increase Property Values

Myth #7: The Wind Industry Will Create Many Local Jobs

Myth #8: Wind Technology is Noiseless and Creates Few Disturbances

Myth #9: Wind Technology Consists of “Wind Mills” on “Wind Farms”

Myth #10: Those Who Are Concerned About Wind Power are Not True Environmentalists