“ When neighbors complain of disturbed sleep, [wind noise models] might cite a predicted level of 40 dBA, when the actual noise that triggered awakening was a 50+ dBA spike, making turbine noise the problem.”
“Hessler & Associates agreed ‘that a wind turbine is indeed a unique source with ultra low frequency energy’ and that a ‘new Threshold of Perception’ was needed to assess turbine noise impacts.”
“Former Vestas’ CEO, Ditlev Engel has admitted that larger setback distances are the only way to address low frequency and infrasonic impacts, particularly on larger (3MW) turbines. Bigger setbacks means fewer locations for siting turbines near where people live.”
In late January, the Iowa Policy Project, Iowa Environmental Council, and the University of Iowa’s Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (IPP et al.) jumped on the ‘wind energy is safe’ bandwagon with a joint release claiming wind turbine noise does not pose a risk to human health.…
Continue Reading“Veering from this original intent of regulation — driven by overreaching politics — risks regulators’ ability to achieve their core objective of protecting consumers…. Unfulfilling these core obligations constitutes what I and others consider regulatory failure that raises doubts on the social desirability of public utility regulation.”
“… subsidies — often the result of increased politicization — can be unfair to funding parties (namely, ratepayers), economically inefficient, and unfair to competing energy sources. One common bizarre practice is for electric utilities to subsidize their customers to use less of their service via energy efficiency initiatives….”
Public utility regulation falls within the lexicon economic regulation with its main objective to protect consumers from the monopoly power of a utility. The presumption is that public utilities provide essential services that require strong service obligations and price controls.…
Continue Reading“This warming [of 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit this century] is as certain as death and taxes.” (Professor Andrew Dessler, below)
Andrew Dessler is one of the leading climate scientists/alarmists of his generation. And he is a master at presenting his case, not unlike a highly skilled lawyer. He knows the answers–and counter-arguments are just noise.
His textbook, Introduction to Modern Climate Change (2nd edition: 2016), does not seriously engage a range of opinions in its 250 pages. A review of the text/index confirms that many key controversies and open questions are either downplayed or absent, thereby creating–in his world–settled alarmist science.
I will later write an in-depth review of this textbook, which not only covers physical science but also related issues in political economy, energy economics, and history.…
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