For centuries, the ocean provided a linchpin for New England’s economy, from fishing grounds that brought the first Europeans, to whaling that made New Bedford the nation’s richest city, to merchant ships that built New England’s first great fortunes.
Now the region is reinventing its maritime industry again, turning to the sea not for fish or whales or trade, but energy. From the Bay of Fundy to Long Island Sound, new technologies are harnessing the power of ocean tides and winds, promising not only an inexhaustible source of energy, but also hundreds of jobs, billions in revenues, and new life for struggling fishing communities along New England’s 473-mile coastline.
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Piggy-backing failure with the public piggy bank.
Eight-five % of fish consumed in the US is not caught in US waters. The local fishing stocks are not depleted. The science is questionable and convenient. Green laws enacted by the Patrick Administration favor the renewables sector beyond any other industry, on and offshore. Project merit is lacking because politics, crony capitalism and corporate welfare are the driving forces. .
In the category of Solyndras, 4 out of 5 of the renewable entities have failed in the US in Massachusetts.
Evergreen Solar, Beacon Power, Konarka Technologies, A123 Systems et al already have citizens on the hook for multi-millions, with executives taking bonuses before filing bankruptcy. But this is series of events, the Green.com bust, like the Dotcom bust, the beginning of the end. The PTC was not extended, the wind lobby, (that is the oil and gas lobby), is pushing for the trillion dollar Cap and Trade tax. This is all about public subsidies.
The Wind Energy Technology Testing Center $13.2 million in grants and loan guarantees and $25 million in stimulus on the promise of green jobs.
How many jobs do we have to show over the past 1.5 years for our $40 million dollar investment of public dollars in the Wind Energy Technology Testing Center? Answer: 0.00 jobs by the federal government's recovery tracker: http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/textview.aspx?data=recipientInfoJobs&DUNS=830778390
Now the state want the public to fund $100 million for the New Bedford Marine Commerce Center that is vigorously opposed by commercial and recreational fishing organizations that actually contribute millions to our economy as our source of food.
The Wind Turbine Technology Center’s first customer is “Clipper Wind” UPC First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor is a long standing “Clipper Wind” customer. Deval Patrick's appointed Advisor on renewable energy policy as a Boston-based wind developer is UPC First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor now suing Clipper Wind for approximately $60 million. Clipper was literally formed by Enron's James Dehlsen, Clipper Wind founder. Dehlsen was on Enron's Board for 3 yrs
. http://www.clipperwind.com/james_gp_dehlsen_bm.html
'Clipper chops South Coast jobs, operations'
November 16, 2012 by Stephen Nellis in Pacific Coast Business Times (clip)
It is unclear how many jobs Clipper might shed. At its high point, the firm employed about 770 people. ...By February, Clipper will consist of “somewhere under 100 employees.” Clipper’s development operations have ceased, and it is likely that the only part of the company to live on will be servicing the proprietary gearboxes in its 739-turbine fleet, this person said.
http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2012/11/16/clipper-chops-south-coast-jobs-operations/
First Wind and Clipper Wind battle it out in courts.http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8191/Lawsuit-Kahuku-Windfarm-May-Never-Get-its-Turbines-Repaired.aspx
TPI Composites is the second customer of the Wind Turbine Testing Center. TPI Composites Director is Director of First Wind, Patrick Wood III
TPI Composites’ Statement On Award of More than $9 Million In Recovery Act Manufacturing Tax Credits from the Obama Administration. http://www.tpicomposites.com/press-room/press-releases/tpi-composites%E2%80%99-statement-on-award.aspx
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has awarded TPI a $250,000 grant http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/20936“After all, TPI Composites has also received accolades from Barney Frank, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and President Obama. Iowa companies have received more than $160 million in Department of Energy stimulus grants. How unfortunate that some Republican contenders chose to endorse more of the same instead of taking the opportunity to explain the senselessness of such a system. One would think that the Iowa Straw Poll would have been the optimal event to explain the free market perspective rather than acquiesce to the demands for more corporate welfare…”
http://biggovernment.com/jgriffith/2011/08/25/wasserman-schultz-and-romney-agree-we-should-pander-to-iowa-caucus-voters-with-corporate-welfare/#comments