TimesArgus.com - We Are Vermont

Caution on wind turbines



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Published: April 14, 2009

A lot of publicity about wind farms has been reported lately but there has been a notable lack of publicity about continuing failures at Searsburg, as well as other areas throughout the country.

On Sept. 15, 2008, turbine #10 at the wind facility experienced a catastrophic failure when one of the blades came in contact with the turbine's tower, causing it to buckle during high winds. The turbine's 28-ton nacelle and three-blade rotor assembly crashed to the ground, scattering debris several hundred feet from the structure. Approximately 20 gallons of heavy oil spilled from the unit when its fluid reservoirs were damaged.

Lisa Linowes, executive director of Industrial Wind Action, stated that these turbines have been plagued by performance issues and blade failures for some time, citing specific incidents. Weather conditions and climate are taking a toll on wind turbines all over the country and reports of failures are increasing, including blade throws, oil leaks, fires and collapse.

It should be noted that their touted life expectancy is speculative and not substantiated since so very few have been operating for even 10 years. Moreover, information on the number and types of failures is sparse and poorly reported, making estimates of longevity unreliable. Apparently, of the approximately 75 wind farm operators in this country, some 60 percent are significantly behind in their maintenance procedures! Business Week (Aug. 2007) reported, "The facilities may not be as reliable and durable as producers claim. Indeed, with thousands of mishaps, breakdowns and accidents having been reported in recent years (this in 2007, please note), the difficulties seem to be mounting."

While wind development continues to be an important part of our energy solution, would it not be wiser to seriously consider public safety and appropriate placement (not near schools, for instance, as has been done … or in harsh weather areas).

Are we going down another black hole?

Rosalie Vear

St. Johnsbury







READER COMMENTS


That's not the only problem with industrial sized wind turbines. It's the scale that is the biggest (pun intended) problem. A technology that is small scale, like individual household wind generators or community systems, a turbine for several households, would have less impact. The towers could be lower, turbines smaller, less wild life kill, lower EMFs, etc. Conservation is still the best solution no matter what kind of electricity generation. We all can do our share on that one. Maloney is full of baloney...all technologies have their impacts and the more we face that the better prepared e'll be to mitigate them. "This lady" is speaking truth to power and anyone with environmental concerns should not be taking so-called "geen" technologies at face value, find out about whatever destructive or dangerous aspects are before introducing the technology into society. Wait 'til the lawsuits, a la tobacco industry, begin when a class action is filed by those families who have lost loved ones to brain cancer from cell phone use. Hopefully we'll be banning cell phone use in work places and reducing secon-hand microwave exposure.
-- Posted by (Anonymous) on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 1:50 pm EST

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Still, which would you rather see fail, Yankee or a stupid wind turbine? I think this lady is either a stock holder in HydroQuebec or has oil futures..
-- Posted by CJ maloney on Wed, Apr 15, 2009, 6:50 am EST

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AS AN OLD VERMONTER MY FATHER SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT AUTOMOBILE. HE WAS RIGHT 40000 A YEAR KILL.
-- Posted by bill garrett on Tue, Apr 14, 2009, 9:06 am EST

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