Dear Editor,
Regarding the 2/18 editorial on wind power -- I was astounded that anyone could possibly assert that electric rates will go down by adding in MORE expensive additions.
Anyone who touts wind's "economic benefits" is sadly misinformed of the fact that it is OUR taxpayer/ratepayer dollars paying up to 80% of of these projects.
The U.S. EIA reported in 2008, on a dollar per MWh basis, our government subsidizes wind at $23.34 — compared to our reliable, conventional energy sources: natural gas at 25 cents; coal at 44 cents; hydro at 67 cents; and nuclear at $1.59. Despite decades of these massive handouts to wind, the EIA states that wind still contributes less than 1% of our nationwide generation.
To put these massive subsidies into better perspective, Tufts economist, Gilbert Metcalf ran the numbers and found that the effective tax rate for wind is a minus 163.8 percent.
Together, natural gas, coal, hydro, and nuclear produce 97% of our nation’s electricity supply, and provide extremely high reliability and performance — each with a Capacity Value (specified amounts of power on demand) exceeding 99.99%.
Wind is NOT reliable, predictable, or dispatchable & provides NO Capacity Value, & thus needs constant "shadow capacity" from our reliable, conventional power sources - meaning consumers pay twice.
Wind is simply an inimical power source which furthers only civil discord, while devastating peoples' lives, communities, habitats, and our priceless NYS landscapes.
Industrial wind's nominal benefits are NOT worth the horrific costs.
Mary Kay Barton
P.O. Box 69
Silver Lake, NY 14549
585-813-8173
No comments:
Post a Comment