With the wind figuratively in his sails, outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the Offshore Wind Power USA conference in Boston on Tuesday that not only had wind become the nation’s top source of new electricity in 2012, but that there are enough “sweet spots” in Massachusetts ocean waters to power 1.7 million homes. “We control the ocean floor,” Salazar said. “We get to decide what it is that happens.”
But Salazar was also quite clear that control does not necessarily mean development for wind. His sweet spots remain imperiled by the Republicans’ sour opposition to renewable energy production tax credits. The credits were extended for one more year in the end-of-the-year fiscal cliff negotiations. But thousands of jobs were lost with the uncertainty of an extension.
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Derrick is intent on blaming Republicans exclusively for the lack of wind developmennt. Yet it has been Democrats delaying Cape Wind.
With sorrow that the 2-party monopoly gives "Politics" such a bad name, I will nevertheless continue to regard myself as human (the 'political' animal), and civilized. Dragging in the story of the failed Waxman-Markeyup "cap-and-trade' of 2009, does show that wherever Democrats in Congress have reason to fear the API lobby and individual moneybags, especially in a primary, they will vote to keep the seats they occupy even when it means voting like Republicans.
Yes, Mr. Jackson, there is another kind of politics, the politics of the common good. And from that point of view, instead of "making a market" in pollution points, the government might act to require an Environmental Full Cost Accounting from the polluting corporations. This could even be done in the Commonwealth, by simply removing the incentives to waste energy. Getting energy from the wind will never produce conservation. The incessant, competitive search for cheaper energy may turn out to be a source of many social ills.
One remedy that has yet to be attempted -- it might work -- is repricing that measures the ecological consequences of unnecessary consumption. And this repricing can be done easily by charging the unneeded Kilowatt hours to the corporations and households that externalize the costs originating in this waste. A progressive taxation of energy consumption -- starting the exponential increase in the per KWH 'surcharge' above average household use -- would very quickly reduce the consumption of energy in competitive markets. Even in Las Vegas.
Give me one good reason for not trying it.
Elie Yarden, Green-Rainbow Party, Cambridge
Why is Republican opposition to production tax credits "sour"? Why isn't it just a difference over a matter of principle? Why use tax credits to push renewables in the first place? That's not how it's done in Europe. Who says that offshore wind is such a bargain? It's hideously expensive. That's why nobody builds offshore wind without massive taxpayer subsidies. I thought we were supposed to be closing tax loopholes. That's what President Obama said on TV yesterday. Well, production tax credits are a loophole.
Yes, offshore windturbines are expensive, but so it the price of environmental degradation.
How about drilling for oil and not wind which has been shown to be more expensive and to wear out after a short period of time.
WHat is the difference between oil drilling and planting 50 huge wind turbines in the ocean. WHy not object to "we own the ocean floor"?
Under the current Massachusetts grid operators rules, the traditional power companies – gas, coal, oil – have to bid on power the day before they get paid, for example, 6 cents per kilowatt hour. Under the current rules, the commercial wind turbine companies automatically get paid the day they produce the power, for example, 18 cents per kWh because they can only produce power when the wind blows. The grid operator has to take the renewable energy wind product first that day. The traditional power company is glad to stand down when the commercial wind turbine company is producing power. What the public needs to understand is that in Massachusetts, when the commercial wind company is getting paid the 18 cents, the traditional company that bid the previous day stands down and gets paid anyway. Thus, the cost to Massachusetts’ electric ratepayers is the 18 cents plus the 6 cents the traditional company bid the previous day. The cost per kilowatt hour could cost up to four times normal bid costs. Massachusetts needs to review the electric bid process and how it affects residential and business customers. Massachusetts is one of the few states to use the current formula.
Buidling and maintaining physical plant in a marine environment is expendentially more expensive than land based infrastructure. Without MA government mandates forcing the purchase of CW power, it woulld not be a viable undertaking. Land based wind, while it has its issues as well, is cheaper. NStar and National Grid can buy wind power right now that is generated in NY. That power flows to the NE ISO grid already. Also, with the increase in domestic natural gas suppplies, more convential power will be availabe at cleaner burn rates as plants convert to NG from coal. This power will be even less expensive to produce. And again, becaause the nationwide grid is inter-connected through regional ISOs', this power can come from almost anywhere in NA. CW and other ocean based wind plants risk becoming financial and envronmental white elephants leaving tax and rate payers on the hook and an environmental eyesore as a legacy to misguided government policy.
Derrick Jackson apparently has no concern that wind projects have been a failure for 20 years. And he has no concern that the Left's anti-oil policies have greatly aided Iran's nuclear bomb program. Iran even has Plutonium. Plutonuim has a half life of 240 years. And Obama's statements that "All options are on the table' are not believable by anybody. Particularly when he has slashed the military budget, and selecgted Chuck hagek as Secretary of Defense..... I hate to tell Derrrick, but Plutonium causes a LOT of air pollution.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9895934/Iran-has-crossed-first-hurdle-towards-plutonium-production-at-nuclear-facility.html