Comments on: Industrial Wind Power: An Old, Tried Failure (the intermittency curse then and now)

By: Rob Bradley

Rob Bradley — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:40:48 +0000

Very interesting Jon. I learned something new (which means that something old has to drop out with my nearly full ‘memory card’)

By: Jon Boone

Jon Boone — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:13:23 +0000

The real problem with wind is its relentless random variability. If the technology was simply unpredictictably intermittent yet generated at a steady rate, it might do some good. As it is, however, it makes conventional generators work much harder to compensate for the continuous now you see it, now you don’t flux–with major thermal implications and greatly increased costs.

By: Henry chance

Henry chance — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:10:06 +0000

My grandad drilled water wells and installed windmills. The farmers always went electric when the cost of running wire was low. For wind, the generators whine and ask the government to pay for the gathering grid. It can cost more than the generators.
The transmission system loses 15% of the electricity for every 50-60 miles of transmission line.
Without tax payer funding, we would not have wind powered electric.

By: Robert Bradley Jr.

Robert Bradley Jr. — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:50:41 +0000

Ryelands: Glenn Schleede recommended this book at MasterResource here:
http://www.masterresource.org/2009/12/the-wind-farm-scam-by-john-etherington/

By: Ryelands

Ryelands — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:10:16 +0000

Excellent.

For an in-depth exposé and devastating critique of the futility of industrial wind “power”, see the recently-published book, “The Wind Power Scam” by British ecologist Dr John Etherington. (And perhaps buy a couple of kerosene lamps while you’re at it.)

By: TheSkyIsFalling

TheSkyIsFalling — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:38:08 +0000

Good information Richard.

It is always useful to have historical material such as you post above handy and I thank you.

By: Michael B Combs

Michael B Combs — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:02:10 +0000

Today I drove past Altamont Pass again, and once again observed that none of the thousands of wind turbines was turning. Which was odd, since I was driving through a rainstorm which should have been powering the wind turbines at near their maximum. However, I was able to observe the Altamont Pass wind farm almost daily for nine years from the five-acre ranch we lived on south of the pass. Most of the time it seemed more inactive than otherwise, causing me to wonder how anyone could consider wind power a viable and reliable (not to mention economical) source of electrical energy.
Only a fool, and a self-deluded one at that, could believe in it.