White House touts EPA emission rules as long-term subsidy for wind

The White House says the power plant rules it plans to roll out this summer are part of a bid to create "long-term" incentives for wind and solar energy.

President Obama's senior climate change adviser, Brian Deese, explained the strategy Tuesday in a conference call with reporters to discuss a new agreement between the U.S. and Brazil to derive 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy by 2030, excluding hydro-electric resources.

The Environmental Protection Agency's emission rules for power plants, known as the Clean Power Plan, would be used to undergird that goal, according to Deese.

"Our path to get there is consistent with the overall approach we've laid out, including principally being driven by the long-term incentives in the Clean Power Plan," Deese said. "One of the things we intend to accomplish in implementing the final Clean Power Plan rule … is to demonstrate strong, long-term incentives for investments in renewables."

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Former Cohocton clerk repays $36K, gets sent to jail

A former Cohocton Town Clerk will serve four months in jail for stealing $36,000 from town coffers.

Sandra L. Riley, 50, of Cohocton, was also sentenced Monday by Steuben County Judge Peter Bradstreet to five years probation. She has repaid the town its $36,000.

She resigned the clerk position in October 2014 and pleaded guilty to grand larceny in December.

District Attorney Brooks Baker said the sentence is a message to those who would line their own pockets at taxpayer expense.

“It’s a demonstration of what happens when somebody breaches the public trust,” Baker said. “It’s not being tolerated anymore.”

Riley was immediately remanded to the Steuben County Jail to serve her time.

She stole approximately $36,000 over a six-year period, according to police, from interest and penalties on property tax payments, as well as from the sale of marriage licenses, dog licenses, hunting licenses, Steuben County Landfill tickets and building permits.

Her arrest in September 2014 followed an investigation by the state police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Bath and the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

Town Supervisor Jack Zigenfus told the court Monday that Riley’s role as an elected official makes her offenses particularly heinous.

“This is a person that was elected by the people of our town six times and took an oath of office,” he said at the sentencing. “I believe … a person under those circumstances should be held to a higher standard than others.”

Zigenfus also said Riley’s actions have placed a burden upon town officials to regain the trust of those they serve.

“She has cast a dark shadow over all of us elected town officials due to her actions,” he said. “I have always been proud as the Town Supervisor and Chief Fiscal Officer that I ran a tight ship and swore that I would do my best to make sure that such a thing would not happen under my watch. I now have to answer to the Comptroller of the State of New York for what happened.”

Zigenfus told The Leader the town now has tighter controls in place for tax payments and other transactions, and has contracted an outside firm to oversee the town’s finances on a monthly and yearly basis.

He also said there remains ongoing investigations into Riley’s actions, and believes it’s possible more could be uncovered.

“(The investigation) only went back seven years,” Zigenfus said. Riley served as clerk for 15 years.

As for the town’s future, he said he believes the position is now in good hands.

After Riley’s resignation, the Town Board conducted interviews to fill the unexpired term for the position.

The board selected Martha Hall.

“She came to us from Five Star Bank,” Zigenfus said. “She was an excellent candidate.”

While Hall holds the full powers and responsibilities of an elected Town Clerk, she will need to win election in November to retain the position.

Source

Former Cohocton Town Clerk Given Prison Time

March 2, 2015

BATH, NY – Former Cohocton Town Clerk Sandra Riley was sentenced this morning in Steuben County Court.

Riley was given 4 months in Steuben County Jail, 5 years probation, and must pay restitution.

The former town clerk was arrested in September 2014, and pleaded guilty on December 22, 2014.

Riley was accused of stealing over $36,000, while working at Cohocton Town Hall.

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SunEdison’s Brave New World: YieldCos, First Wind

SunEdison has gone through a lot of changes in the past year, diversifying beyond solar power and into wind power through its $2.4 billion acquisition of First Wind, and beyond being solely a developer of projects for others into owning its own projects through its YieldCo, TerraForm Power.

On Wednesday, SunEdison reported fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2014 results that helped illustrate how these shifts are affecting the company’s bottom line -- and laying the groundwork for matching global demand for renewable energy.

SunEdison reported fourth quarter non-GAAP revenues of $625.5 million and a net loss of $42.7 million, or 16 cents per share, compared to revenues of $540 million and a net loss of $181.8 million, or 68 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2013.

On a GAAP basis, the company reported fourth-quarter 2014 revenues of $610.5 million and a net loss of $242.1 million, or 89 cents per share, compared to fourth-quarter 2013 revenues of $681.2 million and a net loss of $283.4 million, or $1.06 per share.

These results didn’t match analysts’ fourth-quarter targets of revenues of $683.8 million and a loss of 32 cents per share, pushing SunEdison’s share price down slightly in after-hours trading Wednesday. But shares had regained those losses in early Thursday trading -- perhaps because of the rosier picture painted by the company’s record-setting 2014 project growth, as well as its backlog and pipeline of projects.

SunEdison reported a record 1,048 megawatts of new projects in 2014, up 506 megawatts, or 94 percent, from the previous year. That included 783 megawatts of projects retained on its balance sheet through the spinout of TerraForm this summer, and projects “dropped down” into that YieldCo since then, SunEdison CFO Brian Wuebbels said in a Thursday morning conference call. TerraForm Power reported fourth-quarter 2014 net sales of $42.6 million, up from  $4.5 million in the same quarter in 2013.

The YieldCo structure allows SunEdison to retain the ongoing income from projects and attract investors looking for steady income and dividends, rather than the revenues from projects developed and sold to third parties. Other companies have set up YieldCos such as NRG Yield, NextEra Energy Partners, Abengoa Yield, and TransAlta Renewables.

But SunEdison, unlike these other companies that have created their own YieldCos, has not reported a profitable quarter on a GAAP basis since 2011. The company’s vertically integrated silicon and semiconductor manufacturing and solar project development business model, created when U.S. semiconductor manufacturer MEMC bought SunEdison in 2009, was hit hard by ongoing price pressures, and the future worry of losing the U.S. federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar projects in 2017.

SunEdison reported 467 megawatts of projects under construction at the end of the fourth quarter, and a pipeline of 5.1 gigawatts, with 973 megawatts of gross additions in 2014. Here’s a breakdown of those projects by geographic region and size, along with a chart that shows the growth of projects retained on the company's balance sheet.



“As we continue to see the acceleration of our yield vehicles, you’re going to see the plan to move further and further to retaining more projects and selling fewer projects,” Wuebbels said.

SunEdison is still growing its utility-scale and distributed solar business in North America, CEO Ahmad Chatila said in Thursday’s call. Indeed, SunEdison has quietly launched a residential solar loan program called SolarOwn. At the same time, “We continue our strong momentum in emerging markets,” and “we expect these markets to outpace the overall markets in the coming years,” he said.

In particular, “when Europe went through its challenges, we refocused our efforts on LatAm,” he said, using shorthand for Latin America, where SunEdison has taken the lead in terms of operational capacity, according to GTM Research’s Latin America PV Playbook. SunEdison has also submitted a confidential S-1 filing to create a second YieldCo, focusing on emerging markets in Africa and Asia, he said.

As for First Wind, it brought 1.6 gigawatts of pipeline and backlog to the company’s fourth-quarter results, as well as an additional 1.6 gigawatts of projects eligible for U.S. Production Tax Credits (PTC), Wuebbels said. First Wind is also the 11th-largest solar PV developer in the U.S., with a total of 468 megawatts in operation and in development, according to GTM Research's U.S. Utility PV Market Tracker.

SunEdison has also set up a warehouse facility, which combines $500 million in equity financing with $1 billion in long-term and revolving debt, to finance construction of both wind and solar projects, Wuebbels said. “This is only the first of several innovations we’re working on to create additional sources of growth capital beyond capital markets while continuing to drive down the cost of capital for our capital business,” he said.



Fourth-quarter non-GAAP gross margins were 10.8 percent, down from the third quarter’s 15.8 percent but up from the 4.9 percent gross margins of the fourth quarter of 2013. As this chart indicates, the company’s margins have been dragged down by the poor performance of its silicon materials segment.


Other highlights of the quarter included:

• An average cost of solar installations of $2.97 per watt, on the high side of the company’s projections for the year
• Fourth-quarter capital expenditures of $47.8 million, of which $23.1 million was incurred in the semiconductor materials segment
• $158.9 million in capital expenses incurred to secure the wind turbines expected to result in 1.6 gigawatts of PTC-eligible wind projects
• $304.3 million spent on acquisitions

Source

DOWN WIND - Wind Turbine documentary (part one)

Hawaii Wind Farm, Failing, for Sale

An SEC filing required as a condition of the potential sale of windfarms from Hawaii’s largest wind farm developer, First Wind, to TerraForm Power, Inc., have revealed a number of difficulties the subsidized windfarm has faced in meeting its terms of operation with regard to generating and delivering reliable power to the grid.

As reported in the Hawaii Free Presss (Feb. 8), the SEC filing paints a company in trouble, even before the sale is approved. In the filings TerraForm acknowledged:

We have limited experience in energy generation operations. As a result of this lack of experience, we may be prone to errors .... We lack the technical training and experience with developing, starting or operating non-solar generation facilities. With no direct training or experience in these areas, our management may not be fully aware of the many specific requirements related to working in industries beyond solar energy generation. Additionally, we may be exposed to increased operating costs, unforeseen liabilities or risks, and regulatory and environmental concerns associated with entering new sectors of the power generation industry, which could have an adverse impact on our business as well as place us at a competitive disadvantage relative to more established non-solar energy market participants. In addition, such ventures could require a disproportionate amount of our management’s attention and resources. Our operations, earnings and ultimate financial success could suffer irreparable harm due to our management’s lack of experience in these industries.

Equipment Problems

TerraForm’s filing also indicates First Wind’s wind farms suffer from an array of problems. For instance, under its power purchasing agreement, First Wind was required to install and maintain a battery energy storage system to maintain electric grid stability and reliability. However, the battery system manufacturer and manager, Xtreme Power, is in bankruptcy and no longer provides replacement batteries or other necessary components. Though First wind is attempting to secure replacement batteries, it admits the new battery system may not be able to meet the company’s terms of operation.

An additional equipment problem uncovered in TerraForm’s SEC filing is the turbines and other equipment originally produced and supplied to First Wind by Clipper Windpower are no longer manufactured, backed or serviced by Clipper. A number of defects were found in the turbines and other equipment Clipper provided, affecting various turbines operations up to the present. The defects resulted in prolonged, “downtime for turbines at various projects,” according to TerraForm’s SEC filing.

Prolonged arbitration and litigation ensued, resulting in a settlement agreement signed by First Wind releasing Clipper from all warranty and maintenance obligations. As a result, TerraForm reports, “if Clipper equipment experiences defects in the future, we will not have the benefit of a manufacturer’s warranty on such original equipment, may not be able to obtain replacement components and will need to self-fund the correction or replacement of such equipment, which could negatively impact our business financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.”

Location and Financing Problems

TerraForm lists a number of other problems potentially resulting in losses or even the closure of some turbines or windfarm sites entirely. For instance, First Wind did not properly notify the FAA of wind turbine construction in certain locations, thus if aviation conflicts arise, the turbines may have curtail their operation or even be shut down. In addition, operations at some wind farm locations have been curtailed due to an excessive number of endangered bats and birds being killed by the turbines.

TerraForm is also concerned the wind farms it wishes to purchase may be unable to secure financing for ongoing operations unless Congress keeps in place the entire panoply of subsidies and tax advantages wind farms currently benefit from. According to TerraForm, “PTCs and accelerated tax depreciation benefits generated by operating projects can be monetized by entering into tax equity financing agreements with investors that can utilize the tax benefits, which have been a key financing tool for wind energy projects. The growth of our wind energy business may be dependent on the U.S. Congress extending the expiration date of, renewing or replacing PTCs, without which the market for tax equity financing for wind projects would likely cease to exist.” It is an open question whether Congress will continue to renew the wind production tax credit or if it will continue to provide favorable tax breaks to the energy industry.

With the all of these forces buffeting First Wind’s wind farms, one may wonder why TerraForm wants to purchase the assets.

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Peer-reviewed literature supports anti-wind sentiment

In a recent WBOC newscast, Paul Harris, development manager for Pioneer Green’s Somerset County wind farm project, said there are “more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific studies that dispel health concerns related to turbines.”

I asked Harris to provide a list of these publications, which he did. Upon inspection, however, the list included only seven peer-reviewed literature reviews, none of which were experimental studies. Most of the list consisted of non peer-reviewed reports, some written by paid consultants for the wind industry.

Peer-reviewed experimental studies are important because they are the gold standard for scientific knowledge. As scientists conduct studies, they gather evidence, interpret the results and write a paper that is submitted for publication in a scientific journal.

Prior to publication, the journal sends the paper to anonymous reviewers who are experts on the topic. The expert reviewers are asked to provide a critique of the paper to ensure it meets rigorous scientific standards.

If the paper does not stand up to such scrutiny, it is not published. This process ensures the data provide the best information available and are as unbiased possible.

Contrary to Harris’s claims that industrial wind turbines pose no health risks, a quick literature search turned up more than 30 peer-reviewed studies showing negative health impacts from wind-turbine noise. Specifically, these studies include multiple human experiments demonstrating that industrial wind turbine-type noise affects human ear function and interferes with sleep.

The fact that communities continue to sue wind developers and utilities on the grounds that their quality of life and health has been compromised further reflects this reality.

Sadly, wind developers and local governments continue to ignore known health hazards and put profits before citizens.

Ryan Taylor of Westover is an associate professor of biology and bioacoustics at Salisbury University.

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SunEdison gets $410 million loan for First Wind acquisition

SunEdison, the Maryland Heights-based solar developer, has received a $410 million loan from Deutsche Bank to help pay for its $2.4 billion acquisition of First Wind, a U.S. developer, owner and operator of wind projects.

The loan carries a 3.75 percent interest rate and matures in January 2020.

The loan will be paired with financing SunEdison secured earlier this month.

The First Wind acquisition, which closed last week, added more than 1.6 gigawatts of pipeline and backlog projects for SunEdison. Those projects will eventually be sold to TerraForm Power, a subsidiary of SunEdison that serves as a yieldco for SunEdison, which owns a majority of the company.

The deal was paid for with an upfront payment of $1 billion, including the assumption of $361 million of debt at closing, and an expected $510 million of earn-out payments over two and a half years.

First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor has been appointed executive vice president of SunEdison's North American Utility and Global Wind business unit.

SunEdison shares were trading at $20.51 per share at market close Tuesday.

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SunEdison Appoints EVP of North America Utility

SunEdison has appointed Paul Gaynor as Executive Vice President of SunEdison, responsible for the North America Utility and Global Wind business unit.

Paul Gaynor was previously the Chief Executive Officer of First Wind Holdings, LLC, which SunEdison acquired earlier this year. As the leader of the North America Utility and Global Wind business, Mr. Gaynor is charged with reinforcing SunEdison's leadership position in the North America utility scale solar market, growing the global wind platform and accelerating the development and construction of the projects acquired from First Wind.

"Paul possesses both the breadth and depth of industry experience and the leadership abilities that are essential to growing SunEdison's North America Utility and Global Wind business. At First Wind, Paul helped to build one of the leading U.S. wind energy companies, putting in place first-class development and operations," said Ahmad Chatila, President and Chief Executive Officer of SunEdison. "At SunEdison, Paul will apply his development and management expertise to accelerate the growth of our business as we go to market with a clean energy platform."

"I'm excited to join SunEdison and lead a very dynamic and experienced North American team," said Gaynor. "I look forward to working with my team to develop, build and operate well-sited and well-run renewable energy projects that deliver clean, cost effective solar and wind energy to our customers across North America and around the world."

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Baron Winds Wind Project, Steuben County, NY

http://everpower.com/baron-winds-wind-project-steuben-county-ny/

• Up to 300 MW
• Up to 150 wind turbines
• Approximately 320,000 tons of offset CO2 each year

The Baron Winds Wind project is a proposed 300 MW wind farm located in the Towns of Hornellsville, Hartsville, Fremont, Wayland, and Cohocton and  in Steuben County, NY. The project will be located on primarily farmland and recreational land and could include up to 150 turbines when completed. The project’s point of interconnection is expected to be in the existing Canandaigua  substation in the Town of Cohocton. Current plans will utilize a turbine at 100 meter (330 feet) hub height and will include a series of project roads and overhead and underground collection and transmission lines throughout the project area.

The project will be subject to the New York State Article 10 Siting Process and will also be required to obtain other state, local and federal permits prior to construction and operation. If built the project would result in an estimated 320,000 tons of CO2 emission reductions, and will span up to 40,000 acres.

Power projects in NY are now permitting using the Article X Process.  Information on the Process can be found by clicking the links below.  Please check this site often for updates on the progress of the Baron Winds Wind Project.

Contact

For additional information and questions contact Kevin Sheen

Email: ksheen@everpower.com

Project Maps

Article 10 Law

Article 10 Regulations

Article 10 Guides

Article 10 FAQs

Siting Board Home page

Case Record

Public Information Coordinator

FIRST WIND - TerraForm Power Announces Public Offering of Common Stock

In the event the First Wind acquisition is not completed, TerraForm Power intends to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes.

http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/01/14/697481/10115580/en...

Select SEC filings:

Prospectus dated 1/9/15

and

Amendment No.1 to Form S-1 filed 1/14/15

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First Wind Secures Energy Sales Agreements with Idaho Power Company

http://www.altenergymag.com/news/2015/01/07/first-wind-secures-energy-sales-agreements-with-idaho-power-company/35769

Boston, MA and Boise, ID – January 5, 2015 – First Wind, a leading renewable energy company, today confirmed that the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved Energy Sale Agreements with five proposed First Wind solar projects and the Idaho Power Company. The contracts are for 20 years and for projects that total 100 megawatts (MW). The five 20 MW projects are spread across southern Idaho where they will provide energy and economic diversity to Ada, Elmore, Owyhee and Power counties.

 "We're excited to announce these agreements for new solar energy in Idaho," said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. "These five projects will deliver clean, renewable solar energy to homes and businesses in Idaho at a cost-competitive price. The new long-term contracts with Idaho Power Company will enable us to move forward quickly and create a source of major economic activity for Idaho through good construction jobs and significant local tax revenues."

Each project is targeted to be completed by the end of 2016. Taken together, close to $10 million in direct property taxes will be generated by the projects over 20 years. The five projects combined are expected to generate approximately 250,000 MW hours annually – enough to power the equivalent of nearly 30,000 homes.

First Wind currently operates four solar projects in Massachusetts, and has additional solar projects in development in Hawaii and Utah. In Idaho, First Wind operates the 45 MW Power County Wind project on behalf of a third-party owner.

About First Wind
First Wind, which recently entered into an agreement to be acquired by SunEdison and TerraForm Power, is a leading renewable energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind is operating or building renewable energy projects across the country, with combined capacity of nearly 1,300 megawatts (MW) – enough to power more than 375,000 homes each year. For more information on First Wind, please visit www.firstwind.com or follow us on Twitter @FirstWind.

Cape Wind Dealt Setback As 2 Utilities End Power Contracts

Two major utilities on Tuesday evening terminated their contracts to buy power from Cape Wind, the long-debated proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound, saying project managers had missed a crucial deadline.

National Grid and NStar, a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, say Cape Wind missed the Dec. 31, 2014, deadline contained in the contracts to obtain financing and begin construction, and had chosen not to put up financial collateral to extend the deadline.

NStar had agreed to buy 27.5 percent of Cape Wind’s power. National Grid had signed on to purchase 50 percent.

Cape Wind has proposed a $2.5 billion, 130-turbine offshore wind farm off of Cape Cod. If built, it would be the first offshore wind farm in U.S. waters.

“The deadlines Cape Wind has missed were contractually agreed-upon by both companies,” a Northeast Utilities spokeswoman said in a statement late Tuesday. She added: “We remain committed to meeting the commonwealth’s clean energy goals through competitively bid contracts while also keeping prices down on behalf of our customers.”

A National Grid spokesman said in a statement the utility is “disappointed that Cape Wind has been unable to meet its commitments.” He added: “We will continue to pursue other renewable options, including solar, competitively priced on- and off-shore wind, and other technologies as they become available.”

Mark Rodgers, a Cape Wind spokesman, said in an email that the developer does not “regard these [power contract] terminations as valid” because of provisions in the contracts that extend deadlines, including protracted litigation.

Cape Wind cited “extended, unprecedented and relentless litigation by the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound that prevents Cape Wind from achieving the [project’s] remaining critical milestones.”

Audra Parker, president and CEO of the alliance, said in a statement that the “decision by NSTAR and National Grid to end their contracts with Cape Wind is a fatal or near-fatal blow to this expensive and outdated project.”

She added: “It’s very bad news for Cape Wind, but very good news for Massachusetts ratepayers who will save billions of dollars in electric bills.”

Without buyers for its power, Cape Wind’s ability to secure financing needed for the project would become all but impossible.

Ian Bowles, who as Gov. Deval Patrick’s first energy and environment chief helped shepherd the offshore project, said the project may be dead.

“Presumably, this means that the project doesn’t go forward,” he told The Boston Globe.

Patrick, a strong supporter of the project, issued a brief statement Wednesday that did not refer directly to Cape Wind, but expressed confidence in offshore wind energy.

“The future of off-shore wind in the Commonwealth remains bright, as does the path for the marine commerce terminal in New Bedford,” said Patrick, who leaves office Thursday.

Cape Wind signed a lease agreement with the state in September to use New Bedford for staging and construction of the project.

Matthew Beaton, who is the energy secretary-designate of Gov.-elect Charlie Baker, told WBUR the utilities’ decisions will not affect other renewable energy projects. 

“As we go into the new administration, we’re going to look at every form of renewable energy
electricity and weigh them on their merits and on their effectiveness to generate electricity at a reasonable price,” he said. 

Source

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree: Tax Breaks Critical for Wind Energy

That’s critical tax credits for things like wind energy developers and people in our state who just need to know what their investments in the future are going to look like," Pingree says, "and this uncertainty is just bad for the business."

Pingree says tax policy should be established for at least several years to allow businesses and individuals to plan. 

http://news.mpbn.net/post/will-congress-tackle-tax-reform-2015-maybe

Perhaps a reporter should ask Congresswoman Pingree about the following:

Chellie Pingree's husband, largest media owner and political campaign contributor in Maine, incubated D.E. Shaw (Half owner of First Wind), largest wind developer in Maine and New England

http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/majority-owner-of-portl...

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Citizens' plea: End the wind PTC

The fight is on, again, over which tax credits will make the cut in this latest round of extender bills. The House of Representatives just passed HR 5771 which revives dozens of lapsed tax credits totaling $42 billion, including the controversial wind production tax credit (PTC) that expired last year. If approved by the Senate, HR 5771 will reinstate the 22-year old 'temporary' subsidy retroactively for 2014. 

Wind proponents argue the 1-year extension is akin to no extension at all. They paint a dire economic picture of curtailed project development, lost jobs and the unraveling of an entire manufacturing sector. A failure to extend the PTC, they claim, will effectively impose an unfair tax on the industry in the form of higher wind prices. Those who oppose the credit are collectively dismissed as Koch-brother sympathizers, a narrative that has worked short term -- after all, it's easy to hate big oil. But the label is flatly false.

The Grassroots Speak

Leading up to the House vote, a grassroots network of thousands (and thousands!) of Americans nationwide quietly signed letters to Congress asking their representatives, and the leadership, to vote 'no' on any extension of the wind PTC. The signers, all regular, main street Americans impacted by the subsidy-driven push for more wind everywhere, hope their voices will be heard past the slick wind-marketing campaigns and paid mouthpieces with access. 

They tell a different story as reflected in these excerpts from the letters sent: 

Indiana: "Most of the [nearly 3000] Hoosiers who have signed this letter are directly threatened by the choice you will make. We live in the communities impacted by wind development. Many of our local elected officials have passed restrictive ordinances that effectively ban wind development due to the harms to our local economies, property values, health, wildlife and employment. The PTC encourages wind development in inappropriate places – it has fostered a generation of developers who are rewarded for siting turbines on every free acre that has transmission access, no matter who is in the way or how poor the wind resource." 

Ohio: "The Production Tax Credit for wind “energy” serves only one purpose: tax avoidance. Wind is subprime power foisted upon rural communities by a predatory industry. Wind will not reduce the country’s carbon footprint. It will not power our factories. It is highly disruptive to the landscape we cherish. It is about tax avoidance – pure and simple. The burden of wind’s costs falls most heavily on those who can least afford to pay.... The signers of this letter are citizens –volunteers not funded by any organization. We are mothers and fathers. We are ratepayers and taxpayers. Unlike [Jonathan] Gruber’s acquiescent Americans, too dumb to understand the ACA, we understand wind energy. We understand it is little more than a dressed up bit of crony capitalism and support comes only at our expense. Speaker Boehner, please help to stop it. Don’t make us continue to pay for it. " 

Texas: There is significant concern about the impact of wind energy subsidies on other sources of generation in Texas.  ... Your active involvement in helping end the unjustifiable PTC for industrial wind energy is appreciated.  

And for New Hampshire, Nebraska, Alabama and other states: "Renewing the PTC would cost billions that our nation simply cannot afford and the negative impacts on our communities, our scenic beauty and wildlife are significant." 

Given the vigor in which proponents are pushing for another PTC extension, it's unrealistic to believe the wind industry can survive without the subsidy. Big wind grew up on the tax credit, developed market plans and forecasts that relied on it, and now the wind PTC appears to be a required component of the industry's economics. Warren Buffet recently reminded us that wind investment makes no sense without handouts from taxpayers. 

The consequences back home of more federal subsidies for big wind are real. After more than two decades, it's time Congress learns what the public already knows and heeds the plea to pull the plug on this endless subsidy once and for all. 

Linowes is executive director of the Windaction Group (windaction.org), an organization that opposes the wind power industry.

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