Industry waiting to see effect of renewed subsidy for wind power
January 12, 2013 at 12:00 am in Grand Forks Herald
The outgoing Congress on Jan. 1 approved a one-year extension of a subsidy for wind power, giving a lift to an industry bracing for a drop in activity.
But despite the credit, the industry is still waiting to see how much new generation will be installed with the encouragement of the credit. Continue Reading
For one more year high level executives will continue to receive high pay while jobs continue to move to Brazil to get more work for less wages and the whopping 2% of Americas energy that is derived from wind power will maintain the status quo.
All of this success story brought to you by the American Taxpayer!
Like or Dislike:
19 
9
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
12 
25
Run Chicken Little, Run!!!!
The Sky is falling!
Its called a climate cycle for a reason, get used to it.
We have had millions of species go extinct and millions more evolve and adapt and become something new due to these cycles.
so either evolve or go extinct.
either way, there is ZERO you or I can do about it.
Hot debate. What do you think?
25 
13
So much for Political mandates….
http://www.eia.gov/beta/state/analysis.cfm?sid=MN
the line in particular is the following:
“Minnesota has numerous wind farms, particularly in the southwest, and is a major producer of wind power. Wind contributes nearly 5 percent of Minnesota’s electricity production.”
and that paltry 5% is good enough to put Minnesota at #4 in the nation in use of Wind energy.
Kind of pathetic when you really think about it and you are looking to kill off oil and coal when the nation can manage a mere 2% as a whole.
Good idea.
Hot debate. What do you think?
21 
9
How depressing to argue with people whose religion is fatalism as in, “species go extinct so if we do so what, there’s nothing we can do about it”.
Hot debate. What do you think?
14 
22
i only have a finite time on this earth.
I will do what i can to take care of it the best i can but im not going to spend everyday worrying about things i have no control over.
I cant control how power is made, i can only control how much of it i use.
The rest of my statement was just simple facts.
We will be extinct at some point in the future, sad but true. look at the dinosaurs, what did they do wrong? stuff happens, then you go extinct.
Hot debate. What do you think?
18 
13
Capt., Would there be a difference in public policy enacted if most citizens believed Humans cause global warming vs. few?
Like or Dislike:
9 
18
Wind power, on a commercial scale, is really and R & D project and should be treated and funded only in a similar manner to a corporation developing a new product. We are 50 years away from this technology and solar from solving our energy needs. We need to divert the billions of dollars Obama is giving to wind and solar to clean coal utilization. Coal is a proven, economical energy source, it’s been around forever, and with the money Obama is peeing away on wind and solar, clean up the stacks and the burners will be successful on a far more aggressive scale. America’s consumers need the best economical energy available, and right now that is coal and natural gas.
Like or Dislike:
14 
5
Good comment. There’s a piece in the Herald today bragging about the jobs wind has created. It’s typical of politicians and special interest groups to only see the jobs lost when a wind plant closes, but what about the jobs lost when electric commodity costs increase at 10 time the rate of inflation. Minnkota power raised their rate 35% in 2011 and maybe 20% in 2012, mostly because of EPA rules for coal and high cost of wind power. China, totally unregulated, is killing our planet while we completely wreck our economy with high utility rates. Painfully simple.
Like or Dislike:
14 
6
Capt.: You about nailed it in the first comment here. Sadly, it’s a burden on the taxpayer AND the ratepayer. Many of us feel we’ve cleaned up our act since the 1960′s, but the EPA will not let up. Now, we’re trashing our utility rates, moving jobs overseas and burying our economy. And Democrats are blaming big business for moving out. Wind and solar, in their present form, are not an asset, but a huge burden. You and I are very much in the minority on this one, though. I can’t believe so few people give this serious thought.
Like or Dislike:
10 
4
Blaming the EPA is like blaming the car for the accident. The EPA is just following the instructions of the legislation that they operate under as well as court rulings that have mandated their actions in some cases. Go to the source on this one if you have to assign blame. It’s Congress that makes the laws.
Like or Dislike:
4 
10
Technically, I suppose, but EPA committees do the recommending similar to the National Trans Safety Board who, for example, is recommending backup cameras in every new car to potentially avoid 100 serious accidents per year. At a cost to consumers of $10 million per life saved, your congress will approve it. Of course, your answer is, “I’d feel differently if it was my child” which is no way to run a balance sheet. Remember, way more people agree with you than me, which is why we’re in this mess, in my opinion.
Like or Dislike:
10 
4
100 serious accidents? Get serious.
Like or Dislike:
3 
7
That’s all you got out of my last two comments? And my side is the problem? spearman, you and I aren’t going to find any middle ground, are we? I have to live with the fact that you are with the winners, which, by definition, makes me the loser. It actually keeps me awake at night.
Like or Dislike:
7 
3
What does “technically, I suppose” mean? You mean I was right? The EPA may make recommendations since they have the subject experts on staff, but when did Congress lose their ability to say “no” to a group of scientists. Now that Lisa Jackson has given her notice, EPA bashers will have to come up with another focus of their ill-advised criticism. Please consider that the majority is actually right on this. At least they are more right than your side.
Like or Dislike:
3 
4
“Technically, I suppose” speaks volumes. It actually illustrates that you, spearman and 52% of the population do that same thing. You take two or three words from a paragraph and dissect it without regard to the more complete message. I’ve said it before. The majority sees the iceberg. My side sees the other 90%. You catagorize us all as religious right, big business when most of us are religious neutral and very small business. No middle ground, case closed.
Like or Dislike:
6 
4
Capt., Would there be a difference in public policy enacted if most citizens believed Humans cause global warming vs. few?
Of course there would. Thank God people are smarter than that. Al Gore has been exposed as a fraud and hypocrite.
Like or Dislike:
5 
4
Gore as a fraud? Is that what the wing-nut press saying these days? Actually, the last couple of weeks we’ve seen a number of reports that have reinforced man-made climate change, but don’t abandon your tin-foil hat too soon.
Like or Dislike:
3 
6
Phil: we probably should save our breath. realist & spearman speak for the majority. You and I are dinosaurs, living in the past. We live in a world where Hollywood, Michael Moore and Bill Maher make sense to the majority. This is a complete waste of time.
Like or Dislike:
7 
4
Alvin, do you and Phil read anything except what reinforces your own views on issues like alternative energy? If you were actually reading anything scientific you would be totally convinced the issues concerning the need for alternative energy are more serious than a heart attack. I too lose sleep thinking about how out of it deniers are.
Like or Dislike:
3 
5
Realist and alvin, I want to be positive so let’s be proactive together to make GF a better place. It is likely this proposal has not been seen anyplace but here right now. Since sea level rise will make Wash. DC unlivable as the US capitol we need to start lobbying to move the US capitol to the center of the continent.
The closest city with a relatively advanced infrastructure is GF. UND will be obsolete as most students will be studying online so the need for UND buildings will no longer exist.
The US capitol can occupy those buildings. GF has tremendous GFAFB & Andrews Airport facilities to make it the equivalent of Dulles & Reagan airports in DC. There is unlimited space for growth for added runways @ the 2 sites. Being at the center of the continent will also be the center of the pop. since US pop. will be migrating to N.Dak. and Canada to escape the blistering heat of the Western US.
Flying to Grand DC @ the center of the continent will be the cheapest way to get people to the new national capitol. Canada’s economy will be absorbed by the US and will in effect be an added 30-40 new states making the new country of USCAN a reality with GFDC at the center of everything.
After sea level has risen the 300 ft. because of the loss of Greenland and Antarctic icecaps GFDC will still be 600 ft. above sea level. GFDC will be even closer than it now is now to sea level as the Hudson Bay coast retreats toward Winnipeg. Of course Winnipeg will be our main competition as the site for a new national capitol.
At any rate Alvin & realist, I’m trying to create some middle ground here where we can agree on some proactive strategy to make GFDC as the capitol of USCAN a reality. What do you think? This has to be a team effort to insure our common future. We can be the “New Founding Fathers”. So much for turning ND into a “Buffalo Commons”. Go Sioux!!
Like or Dislike:
4 
5
Well, never say never, but I think you may have wasted some bandwidth here, spearman. But, hey, that’s how ideas are generated. I had a great experience early in my life emphasizing brainstorming as a useful idea-generation technique. Keep throwing out there, you never know….
Like or Dislike:
3 
1
Sorry realist the post was meant for Phil & alvin
Like or Dislike:
0 
2
Spearman, that low budget movie has already been done. It was a failure because it didn’t make any sense.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
spearman: that sounds like a well thought-out plan, but I’m pretty sure, in your scenario, Grand Forks will be at the bottom of Lake Agassiz. I’m in, though, but only if you move the wind generator manufacturing to Hoople. Where do I sign up.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
Gotta go but I’ll engage later this morning/
Like or Dislike:
1 
1