New York’s Cuomo vs. the Grassroots on Wind & Solar

By Sherri Lange -- March 11, 2020 12 Comments

Declaring war against natural gas is not enough. New York State has now extended the conflict to grassroots opposition to government-enabled wind and solar projects that cause demonstrable tort.

“We start with the most aggressive climate change program in the country because my friends, the clock is ticking, and it’s ticking faster and faster…. New York has to be the State that stands up and says once and for all, we have to do more and we have to do it faster….” (New York Gov. Cuomo, February 21, 2020)

Frustrated with the slow development of wind and solar projects in the state (grassroots opposition prevailed at Sommerset/Yates, for example), New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed draconian measures to green-light controversial renewable-energy projects.

New York’s plan for net carbon free, 30% by 2030 and 100% by 2050, is impractical on infrastructure and economic grounds.…

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Wind’s PTC Receives 12th Extension (competitive not)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 6, 2020 5 Comments

A common question is: how many times has the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind power production been extended since the original law was enacted in 1992.

The answer is a dirty dozen, which makes the federal lifeline to wind power 28 years old. That’s old age for a government subsidy, particularly one where the industry itself has long proclaimed its impending competitiveness.

“The U.S. wind industry has … demonstrated reliability and performance levels that make them very competitive,” stated a representative of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) back in 1986. [1] And Joe Romm a quarter-century later: “It is clear that solar and wind are competitive in many situations right now.” [2]

And so Milton Friedman’s warning that infant industries receiving government protection never seem to grow up has a stellar example.…

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‘Sensing but not Hearing’: Latest from Steven Cooper on Wind Turbine Nuisance (Part 2)

By Sherri Lange -- November 6, 2019 7 Comments

“The description of wind turbine noise needs a terminological shift. The language should be pulsations at an infrasound rate with modulation of the entire signal at an infrasound rate (as in sensation detected by the ear).” [Cooper, below]

Q:  You referred earlier [yesterday] to your second paper at the ICA  that is linked to the synthesis paper. Maybe my question on ILFN ties in with the paper on Amplitude Modulation that raises questions as to terminology?

Cooper: Yes. The second paper on amplitude modulation is very important. Because what people are calling AM (by reference to the dBA signal) is incorrect. An electrical engineer will tell you that AM is the modulation (variation in the amplitude) of a carrier frequency (being a high frequency) that is modulated at a lower rate.…

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‘Sensing but not Hearing’: Latest from Steven Cooper on Wind Turbine Nuisance (Part 1)

By Sherri Lange -- November 5, 2019 11 Comments

“But wind turbine noise issues are not just an acoustic issue. I have been trying to solve the acoustic problem to allow the medical side to then undertake the required research.” (Cooper, below)

Last year, I interviewed acoustician Steven Cooper, AU on wind turbine health issues related to pulsation and low-frequency noise. “In general, wind farm applications claim that turbines do not generate any low-frequency, tonal, or impulsive characteristics,” he noted, “which is a matter disputed by residential receivers.”

What has developed in the last 20 months? In this two-part series (today and tomorrow), Mr. Cooper shares his most recent research and findings, which complement our current knowledge regarding the nature of “noise” impacts to real-time victims of wind power.

Mr. Cooper recently presented his new findings in Germany at the International Congress on Acoustics Conference.…

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Sierra Club Chickens on Wind Infrasound (deep-six commissioned study)

By Donald Deever -- October 17, 2019 6 Comments Continue Reading

Wind Turbine Infrasound Findings: Part II

By Donald Deever -- October 10, 2019 3 Comments Continue Reading

Wind Turbine Infrasound Findings: Part I

By Donald Deever -- October 9, 2019 1 Comment Continue Reading

Wind Turbines in Court: What Are the Issues?

By Sherri Lange -- October 3, 2019 32 Comments Continue Reading

Dear Enviros: Will You Support an Offshore Moratorium in the Great Lakes for Wind Turbines?

By Sherri Lange -- September 11, 2019 24 Comments Continue Reading

Sustainability: Ideology versus Reality (Part II: Wind Turbines)

By -- August 27, 2019 2 Comments Continue Reading