Opinions on the wind farm???

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

Swimmer, if the Government didn't give public lands to utilitys, we'd have no telephone, no electricity, no gas. We'd be living at early 1800s levels.

But we are paying for this to be constructed. Not only providing the land/water, but the financing as well.

You will see once the permits are issued, completely different entities owning the wind farm.

We should own it.

[CSK]

Ah John, that's NUCULAR Power plant

[Slipknot]

Put them on top of Mt. Washington instead, I won't have to see them then.

Or why not just build some hydro electric generators by using tidal power, the tides on the north shore and north are above 10' and that has alot of potential, I don't see why they don't do that??? maybe it would impact the fishies and stuff??

anyway, I would vote no.

[Nebe]

the sad thing is this- one day our little planet isnt going to have enough naural resources to support our energy needs.

[cheferson]

What kills me is the waste of our current resources. Like the milf driving the lexus suv by herself burning a gallon a mile going to church group.

[beachwalker]

You ain't shiitin' cheferson but then I suck down 40 gals a week during my fishing season and I wonder how commited I am to contributing to reduction in reliance of fossil fuel usage.

I understand that the S.O.S. gang brought forth an important issue of a guarantee on removal of the towers and it ends up that the current estimated usable life of the turbine is 30 years and they need to be replaced.

They are required to post a bond for removal. How is that guaranteed ?

[Hooper]

I take issue with some comments that those who are opposed to the wind farm are, among other things, rich and powerful waterfront property owners concerned about their real estate values. I am a hard working Cape Codder who routinely puts in 50, 60 and 70 hour weeks to continue to live on Cape Cod where I was born over thirty years ago. I am neither monitarily wealthy, nor powerful.

First, I wish that those opposed would plainly state their reasons for opposition, whatever they may be. Loss of real estate value is a legitimate concern if you are the owner of the property. Would you allow a wind farm across the street from your home.... honestly? I doubt it, because your single largest assest would suffer financially and there is nothing wrong with that IMHO! Others, just don't want to see these things when they go to the beach, fine. I don't have a problem with opposition simply for that reason. But say it like it is. Don't use things like a faliure to lower local electricty costs to make an opposition arguement when your real issue is with your view. Call it like it is.

Second, you will most certainly be able to see these turbines from shore. The Horseshoe Shoals area begins about 5 miles south of the Centerville/Osterville/Hyannisport coastline. To say that you won't be able to see these structures is simply not true.

Bass River Beach in South Yarmouth is exactly 5 nm from Bishop and Clerk Light which is to the southwest of the beach. This is about the same distance from shore as where the northernmost turbines would begin to be located on the Horseshoe. For comparison, Bishop Light is 45ft high according to the US Coast Guard Light List. It is highly visible to the naked eye when standing on the beach at sea level. Extremely visible! At only 45ft high it is about 372 ft SHORTER than these proposed turbines will be in hieght. PLUS, they have proposed 130 of these over a 24 square mile area! 130 wind turbines, 417 feet high, five miles offshore won't be visible? C'Mon, be real.... Cape Wind has a test tower which is about twelve miles from Bass River. I couldn't find data on the height of this structure, but it has to be 200' at a minimum. And yes, that is visible too. Admittedly, it is not easy to see, but my point is, even at twelve miles in distance it can be seen with the naked eye.

Please, don't tell those who live on Cape Cod, who were born and raised here, what is good for us when many of those commenting on this thread live out of state, not just off cape. Why do so many of you wait hours in traffic to vacation here? To see our wind farm???? I don' think so!

Third, I will certainly admit that structure is great for fish habitats. Years ago cement filled tires were dumped outside of the Bass River to form a fish reef. It is a great spot to do some bottom fishing, or trolling for bass & blues. But, I believe that there is a larger loss when these turbines are built. Horseshoe Shoals, and Nantucket Sound will be forever changed from the amazing beauty that it now holds. And folks, the fishing is already great there, it is its' own natural structure.

Having said all of this, I am still not certain that I am opposed to the farm! I haven't learned everything yet, or at least enough to make a truly informed decision. But, some of these comments on this thread needed to be addressed. I despise our country's dependence on foreign oil and I would love to see the US develop natural, clean energy resources! But, c'mon. Nantucket Sound is an incredibly unique and special spot. I fish there at least once a week in season. But, larger than my own personal concerns is that once changed, it cannot be restored to its' natural state. I know the Sound can be a windy place, but there are lots of windy places in this country, and I am sure many would embrace a project that could provide jobs and tax revenues.

On this project, I think right now, I have to come down on the side of caution and say that more research should be conducted and more locations should be explored. Unfortunately, I have seen in the past when projects, whether they are shopping centers, strip malls, fast food joints, or outfall pipes in Boston Harbor are awful hard to stop once the money has been invested to get the train rolling. I don't see how this project can be stopped from becoming a reality.

Finally, I am not a member of Save Our Sound, nor of the Cape Wind project. I am not a member of Greenpeace or any other environmental group. I am just one man, with one opinion. I do not speak for anyone other than myself.

If any of you are interested in both sides of the story:

http://www.saveoursound.org/

http://www.capewind.org/index.php

Thanks, Hooper

[Rob C.]

With the limited supply of fossil fuels and the polution they produce when used makes wind power a good alternative. I think it wouldbe kinda cool to see a wind farm, its clean energy. Even of it doesnt produce massive amounts of energy its a step in the right direction, we cant go on forever using fossil fuels. As i understand it Horseshoe shoals is uniquely suited for the wind farm. ive never been out there with a depth finder but i would assume the water isnt all that deep. It would be nice to throw the farm way outta sight, but often that means reallly deep water and i dont know how deep you could put a farm. Just imagine how much hydro power they could get out of the canal, but it would screw up the fishing.
I really think that people need to think of the limited supply of fossil fuels when they think of wind farms in general. We are going to run out of the stuff eventually. Its not going to happen in our lifetime and probably not in our childrens lifetimes either. But it will indeed happen we need to do all we can to reduce our consumption and a wind farm is a great way to do it. O dont live oin the cape unfortunatly but if i did i would be more than willing to have a wind farm withon sight. It would make me feel that we are doing something good for the environment on a global basis. I would be proud of it. Being an avid fisherman and hunter i have a vested intrest in the environment as i know that most people that visit this site do.

[Saltheart]

Yes to wind mills in general. Where they go is an issue for the experts in that field. I think they look for places that will have continuous wind above a certain speed , places that will have below a certain height of Max surf during hurricanes , Places where they power can be transmitted to the grid without too much line lose , palces with workable depths , etc , etc. The only drawback I see is on being obstacles to navigation. I don't think any other argument holds water , not even the drop in real estate values. I'm not so sure that would even happen.

Anyway , we need energy and we need it now. "Not in my back yard" has added a gazzilion dollars to the cost of energy in the USA.

I've been close to the one Near Portsmouth Abby and to be honest , nless you are looking right at it , you forget its even there.

So for me its thumbs up for wind power.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

The only drawback I see is on being obstacles to navigation.

Unless you have wheels, Nantucket Sound IS a hazard to navigation.

Also Gosnold has it in the works to tell MV to screw itself and have a windfarm put up in their neighborhood.

How many remember the old windmill on Cuttyhunk? Hmm? Maybe Nebe?

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by likwid

Unless you have wheels, Nantucket Sound IS a hazard to navigation.

Also Gosnold has it in the works to tell MV to screw itself and have a windfarm put up in their neighborhood.

How many remember the old windmill on Cuttyhunk? Hmm? Maybe Nebe?

loud m-efer... if i remember right it was taken down because it was driving everyone nuts.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Nebe

loud m-efer... if i remember right it was taken down because it was driving everyone nuts.

Louder than the diesel generator?

[striperman36]

I go past the two in Portsmouth everyday. PHS I believe pays for it own electricity and kicks 200K back in surplus to the town.
The Abbey has a similar but smaller number.

I want a small one on my roof.

[PRBuzz]

Do wind farms create noise pollution? Ask S-B.com member Empirekitchen shown in this clip:

Makara residents fuming over noisy wind farm - Campbell Live - Video - 3 News

The constant thumping might actually work as an attractant for the fishes and as pointed out early the structure are sure to provide homes to bait and attract BIG fish.

[buckman]

I'm for it and would love to have one in my backyard.

[PaulS]

what is going on with this? Any decision on whether they can build it or not?

[Karl F]

Decision time for Salazar on Cape Wind | CapeCodOnline.com

[Joe]

This is why the northeast has a reputation of being hostile to business - because we're against everything.

[Swimmer]

I agree with Hooper. Why should we as a people allow our government to give away land to a private company so that we can pay for them, through tax incentives/tax breaks(that means our tax dollar is footing a huge part of the cost, well over a billion $ estmated) to build a power plant that hey say at a minimum the energy at todays prices is going to cost 33% more than we currently pay. That means we are paying for thwe towers to be constructed. If it is so god damn important then we should build and own the entire facility. 130 turbines will probably be visible from 10 to 12 miles away. Christ I can see the practice/test tower when I am on the Vineyard easily. You all should read the Vineayrd Gazette editorial page and get a true sense of all of the facts, good and bad, about the wind towers. As a side story, many of the companies, most of whom originated in Europe have been infiltrated by crooks many of whom have been indicted, eight so far. While the technology is much more efficient, it should be put to a vote of the citizens who are going to be affected by the building of the towers, from an esthetic and monetray viewpoint. Just recently an attorney, whose name is Jeffrey Madison, whose family is a member of the Aquinnah tribe, went to work for Wynn and Wynn in Hyannis and has been negotiating with two factions of the tribe, offering bribes, to make their tribal oppositon go away. This whole thing pisses me off.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Saltheart has it pretty much right.
It is an intensive process involving a lot of consideration. The Rhode Island progress has benefited from the Cape Wind struggle. I hope they both go forward. Any recreational fisherman against offshore wind is not thinking. they will not be restricting access. Think Rig fishing in the gulf coast...

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Any recreational fisherman against offshore wind is not thinking. they will not be restricting access. Think Rig fishing in the gulf coast...

I had this conversation with my dad a couple of years ago while out fishing out off the south side of the Cape. It could be a huge benefit to fishermen. I'm all for it if it really is cost effective.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Coast Guard was pretty clear. I believe it is like the bridges and buoys, you can fish next to them, just can't tie up to them.

[PRBuzz]

Indian Wars:

Pocasset Wampanoag tribe supports Cape wind farm

A Wampanoag Indian tribe from Massachusetts is supporting a proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm opposed by two tribes closer to the project.

The Pocasset Wampanoag chairman George Spring Buffalo wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who is considering the 130-turbine Cape Wind project.

The Mashpee and Gay Head Wampanoag say Cape Wind would be built on long-submerged burial grounds and interfere with sacred rituals.

Buffalo wrote Wednesday that his tribal elders had never seen or heard about those rituals.

He said Cape Wind fits a vision for energy "produced in harmony with nature."

Minor Detail: Buffalo said his 200-member tribe isn’t federally recognized, like the other tribes.

[Saltheart]

Many Green technologies are right on the verge of becoming economical. Many are jsut break even now but would be economical if they were mass produced. Solar cells are about break even and should be money makers in 5 years or so. Wind needs to also get benefits from economies of scale and also newer superconduxting technologies which will make each mill able to generate 10 times more power. I think in the next ten years , many of these things will break through into black ink as costs of alterbnatives come down while costs of fossil based go up. I think their time has come.

[striperman36]

I say do it. It's better than LNG from Yemen

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Many Green technologies are right on the verge of becoming economical. Many are jsut break even now but would be economical if they were mass produced. Solar cells are about break even and should be money makers in 5 years or so. Wind needs to also get benefits from economies of scale and also newer superconduxting technologies which will make each mill able to generate 10 times more power. I think in the next ten years , many of these things will break through into black ink as costs of alterbnatives come down while costs of fossil based go up. I think their time has come.

Alot of the "cost" are the lobbyists fighting against it. Slowly but surely some of the heavy hitters are starting to become FOR wind power.
I know of at least one that dropped oil and went to wind.

[Swimmer]

130 wind turbines, gee the Fugowee race could slalom through the wind farm and award prizes in various events.

It is ironic that O'Bama heralded the start of the process for issuing permits to another nuclear energy plants a couple of weeks ago. Did you greeen guys no that?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

130 wind turbines, gee the Fugowee race could slalom through the wind farm and award prizes in various events.

It is ironic that O'Bama heralded the start of the process for issuing permits to another nuclear energy plants a couple of weeks ago. Did you greeen guys no that?

1. Oh no! A hazard to navigation!
There was a naval officer (retired) from Europe that came and spoke to the RI concerns about the spacing and size. he was qualified b/c to speak to navigation issues since he had driven a destroyer through a similar wind farm with zero issues and more than enough room to spare. Likwid, can the Maxi sized racers even go on Horseshoe now?

2. Absolutely. Most 'green guys' I know have ZERO issue's with Nuke power. trust me, if the potential is there to build, the industry will develop a method of storing and or reusing the spent material.

[ProfessorM]

IMO, build them already, what is taking so long?