Is wind energy right for Florida?

Wind energy is gearing up across the United States. But it is meeting resistance in Florida where experts say the flat terrain does not generate sufficient consistent wind power, except in some coastal areas. Residents are also putting up a fight on aesthetic and cost-efficient grounds.

FPL Energy, the country's largest wind energy company has major wind farms in Texas but none in Florida. It has been forced to scale back its first project in St Lucie County. This leaves Florida 'Twisting in the Wind, says The Miami Herald.
(Photo by AP)

- David Adams

Comments

[spocK]

Aesthetics? I guess they'd rather look at a nuke plant?
To advocate, however, why is it that the generators are typically painted stark white?

[Tino]

They are painted white so that wildlife can see them. If they were light blue, the fields would be coated with bald eagle carpaccio.

[David (Fueling Station)]

That was nicely put, Tino! I too was wondering about the color of the blades.

[spocK]

;) I was thinking brown or green, and if it was the case that wildlife couldn't see those pigments, they would all starve.

[John Spagnoli]

I have a hard time understanding what people seem to have against windmills. They are the least polluting energy producer now available. Would you rather have oil stained beaches? Take a break people these things would be good for everyone.

[Frank]

Tino, stop spreading misinformation....the myth of wind turbines killing massive numbers of birds, bats, etc.... has been debunked numerous times in the past few years. Consider the numbers of eagles electrocuted by improperly designed power poles, or the millions of birds killed by cell phone towers, or the millions killed by collisions with cars and buildings.

[Tino]

Frank -- you fail at reading comprehension. Please try again.

But since you brought it up, if "millions" of birds are being killed by STATIONARY cell towers, why would a blade moving 500 mph be safer to them? That seems contradictory to me.

[Frank]

My response was clear and concise...it seems that you are the one that needs to go back to school to learn how to do basic research....

It's out there for anyone that WANTS to know the truth....do your own research....it's not my responsibility to teach you....just to debunk your lies....

[Tino]

The topic was "why are they painted white?" I am not sure how the fact that birds also like to hit windows addressed that, Senor Smartypants.

I find the topic ironically humorous because it results in environmental groups suing each other. For example, the Center for Biological Diversity, Audubon Society and Sierra Club are big haters of wind power for that very reason, and they LOVE to file suits to stop windfarm projects.

Here's some more food for thought: "A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that Altamont Pass bird deaths are more prevalent than previously thought. According to the study, previous studies conducted by wind farm operators had underestimated Altamont Pass bird kills by 25 to 300 percent. Moreover, new technologies designed to reduce the number of bird deaths will actually have the effect of increasing turbine bird kills."

More food for thought, from a greenie-green site:

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30802/story.htm

[paminator]

Florida has wind class 1 everywhere but along the scenic coastlines, where it is class 2, and where no-one will want wind turbines. Good wind locations are class 4 and higher. In good locations, wind turbines still provide (on average) only 25% of their nameplate rating. It cannot be scheduled as a baseload energy source, so backup spinning reserves are needed to fill in when the wind dies down. That makes wind a very expensive source of electricity. It also helps to explain why wind turbine installation rates in the US ebb and flow with the renewal of the fed's production tax credit.

[Tino]

But paminator, if the installations require the PTC to get built, why do we always hear pro-wind advocates claim that they are "the cheapest power available, even cheaper than coal"?

The bragging/begging dichotomy is another delicious irony of wind farms.

[paminator]

Tino- Agreed on the PTC. Wind turbines don't look too bad if you use the nameplate rating and don't expect to have power when you need it.

I'm still trying to figure out if Algae biofuel is another VC money-grab or if its real. The claimed numbers don't seem to add up.

[Tino]

Algae: what may work in a petri dish does not always apply to a commercial-sized application.

[see: cold fusion]