There's a stretch of Highway 10 that I have occasion to traverse a couple of times a month. Between Dundalk and Shelburne the landscape has been hijacked by industrial wind turbines. They begin north of Dundalk now and march to both the east and the west horizons.
The trips up and down Highway 10 have occurred at various times of day and in all weather conditions year round.
Here's the mystery; whether the turbines are running or how many are running appears to be completely unrelated to peak load hours and wind conditions. Obviously when there's no wind nothing is turning. But I've often driven through there when there's a good wind and no turbines are turning, or some are and some aren't.
Time of day seems to have no bearing on the chances of the turbines being used. I've often driven through there during peak electricity usage hours and a handful of them are spinning but most are not.
Since the corporations who put this stuff up enjoy massive public subsidies, would we not expect that the public be advised as to why this resource is used so intermittently? The rationale for wind power is that we can use less fossil fuel on windy days. Should not all those turbines be turning whenever wind conditions permit?
It's a mystery to me...
Showing posts with label wind power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wind power. Show all posts
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Friday, December 23, 2011
Powerful labor union tramples on citizens' rights
Oh my God! Did I just write that?
Yes I did. If you've followed the Falling Downs blog at all you know we're totally pro-labor here. Or pro-labour if you happen to be reading this in England or Canada.
So I'm feeling more than a little conflicted. Looking on the bright side, maybe that title will get me some funding from the Koch brothers or the American Enterprise Institute. I'm like Newt; I'll take the money wherever it comes from.
But it's true, and it's happening not an hour's drive from here, in Port Elgin, Ontario.
The CAW wants to put up an industrial scale wind turbine at their "education center" in Port Elgin. Many years ago Bob White took the Canadian auto workers out of the UAW and birthed the CAW. I have nothing but respect for Bob White and the CAW, but they've failed to test the wind on this one.
Alternative energy is a great idea, but given the present state of technology it can't exist in the Ontario market without massive government subsidies. These subsidies run rampant in Ontario, and the CAW has organized the workers in a few foreign owned branch plants that assemble components for both solar and wind technology. So I can see the thinking of the union guys; let's support policies that keep our membership employed.
Unfortunately, the industrial scale wind turbine developments that have been sprouting up all over the province in the last ten years have pissed off a lot of people. Generally, the closer you are to a wind farm the more pissed off you'll be. And the CAW wind turbine is pretty much in the middle of a small vacation community where people go to get away from it all.
They're not happy with the proposed CAW wind turbine.
So I hope my union friends figure out which way the wind is blowing. You can bulldoze over the objections of the locals and put up your windmill, as a show of support for a government policy that might keep a few of your members employed in the short term, but is doomed to failure in the long run.
Or you can do the right thing, be a good neighbor in the community, and scrap that wind turbine.
Yes I did. If you've followed the Falling Downs blog at all you know we're totally pro-labor here. Or pro-labour if you happen to be reading this in England or Canada.
So I'm feeling more than a little conflicted. Looking on the bright side, maybe that title will get me some funding from the Koch brothers or the American Enterprise Institute. I'm like Newt; I'll take the money wherever it comes from.
But it's true, and it's happening not an hour's drive from here, in Port Elgin, Ontario.
The CAW wants to put up an industrial scale wind turbine at their "education center" in Port Elgin. Many years ago Bob White took the Canadian auto workers out of the UAW and birthed the CAW. I have nothing but respect for Bob White and the CAW, but they've failed to test the wind on this one.
Alternative energy is a great idea, but given the present state of technology it can't exist in the Ontario market without massive government subsidies. These subsidies run rampant in Ontario, and the CAW has organized the workers in a few foreign owned branch plants that assemble components for both solar and wind technology. So I can see the thinking of the union guys; let's support policies that keep our membership employed.
Unfortunately, the industrial scale wind turbine developments that have been sprouting up all over the province in the last ten years have pissed off a lot of people. Generally, the closer you are to a wind farm the more pissed off you'll be. And the CAW wind turbine is pretty much in the middle of a small vacation community where people go to get away from it all.
They're not happy with the proposed CAW wind turbine.
So I hope my union friends figure out which way the wind is blowing. You can bulldoze over the objections of the locals and put up your windmill, as a show of support for a government policy that might keep a few of your members employed in the short term, but is doomed to failure in the long run.
Or you can do the right thing, be a good neighbor in the community, and scrap that wind turbine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)