Wind is a fiscal disaster

To the Editor:

Where are we headed with wind power? A cleaner planet? Economic prosperity? An improved living standard? No more being afraid of consequences of advanced technology? So, with all of the above to take place with wind power, why isn’t wind being used?

Approximately 25 TWh (yes, 25 terawatt-hours) of wind energy was curtailed (idled) in the U.S. last year to keep the off-peak grid energy price from frequently going negative. That is about equal to the energy in 700 million gallons of gasoline just being thrown away. Curtailed wind energy in the U.S. appears likely to exceed 40 TWh in 2011.

Maine uses 14 terawatt-hours of electricity per year. The country will waste in 2011 almost three times as much on unreliable wind power as Maine uses in a year. Something isn’t working here. We are told incessantly to avoid wasting power: turn down thermostats, drive less, inflate tires, save, save, save energy, and now, energy is just being thrown away.

Why do we save energy? Because it costs so much. Do you want to stop the waste of wind energy so that we may have it to use? Then be prepared to pay because it is going to take a lot more grid structures and advanced technology to make it work. It’s the cart before the horse and it will take one expensive horse to haul this cart forward.

Alternative energy such as wind creates the same or more energy costs than we are seeing now.

Is there any value to a product that can’t be used? Do towns really think developers are going to pay property taxes if they are told to stop producing power? The country isn’t in the mood for another bailout to save this wind fad.

With all the handouts from taxpayers to this industry, what good comes our way from wasting the energy from them?

On second thought, maybe it is better to keep wind development out of here. It will save the taxpayer, the ratepayer, and property owners a lot of money, and that pretty much is the majority of us.

Wind is a fiscal disaster made appealing by quick bucks to a few. I am not one of the few.

Dan McKay,

Dixfield