Bert Bowers Galloo Island PILOT Letter

To the members of the Jefferson County Legislature:

As a naval architect/shipping economist, I have taken an interest in wind power since it was originally proposed for installation in some of the towns in our area several years ago. The principal facts I have found concerning industrial wind power in three years of research are:

Electricity from wind cannot replace any of the conventional sources of power, such as nuclear, coal, or natural gas. The principal limitation with wind generators is the natural variability and unpredictability of the wind.

*The use of wind power will not reduce our dependence on foreign oil, as very little oil is used to generate electricity and what is used is generally not of foreign origin.
*The inclusion of wind-generated power on the grid will not measurably reduce consumption of fossil fuels for electrical energy production. Developer claims of savings are based on computer modeling with assumptions favorable to wind power.
*The inclusion of wind-generated power on the grid will not measurably reduce emission of greenhouse gases by electrical energy production.
*In many cases wind generated power simply displaces other renewables. The PSC now requires developers to prove that they are not simply displacing other renewables, such as hydro.
*The cost of wind power, even though heavily subsidized by federal and state governments, is substantially higher than any of the conventional sources of power.
*Wind power will not be economical under any foreseeable set of economic circumstances and would not be built except to obtain generous federal, state and local tax benefits and subsidies for investors.
*The manufacture, construction and erection of wind turbine generating facilities produces more emissions and causes more damage to our environment than can ever be compensated by the relatively small and intermittent amounts of power produced from the completed facility.
*Wind turbines do not make good neighbors for people or animals.
*The work of erecting and commissioning wind towers requires highly trained personnel and will generate relatively little local employment. The components of wind generators are mainly produced outside of the US.
*Maintenance of wind turbine facilities is normally performed by roving crews of highly specialized technicians, permitting few local jobs.
*Our current Federal Stimulus program offers grants of 30% of their capital investment to wind developers. To date nearly 90% of this money has gone to foreign companies.

The way in which power sources are integrated into our electrical grid is very complex, however, neither analyses of my own or others I have been able to find, have convinced me that wind power will measurably reduce our consumption of fossil fuels or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I believe the reduction in use of fossil fuels and reduction of emissions is a worthy goal whether or not one subscribes to the idea of global warming. I simply have found no evidence to support the notion that wind power will help us achieve these goals.

The only thing fueling the current rush toward wind power projects is the very lucrative support given by the federal and state governments. I can see no justification for further subsidizing proposed wind developments by offering PILOT agreements. In the case of Galloo Island, please consider that it is one of the last remaining wild places in the eastern Lake Ontario basin. Once it is given over to wind development, it can never be recovered.

Sincerely,
Bert Bowers

Co-Chair, The Coalition for the Preservation of the Golden Crescent
Albert H. Bowers III
Naval Architect & Maritime Consultant
PO Box 177
11891 Academy Street
Chaumont, NY 13622-0177
315-649-2191
315-408-8507 cellular
bertna@twcny.rr.com