Another side of the windfarm story...one you probably haven't heard

[Patriot]

We hear all the great promises that wind farms offer, but we don't often hear of the unintended consequences.  Remember that those being compensated directly can probably afford to move away from these problems, but what about others who are affected?  The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.


Personal Stories
From www.windaction.org/

I've been changed
August 24, 2010 by Allen Haas
Location:
Allen Haas, a farmer the Town of Malone, Fond du Lac County filed these comments with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, docket # 1-AC-231. His father was the landowner who signed on with the developers. Allen Haas then bought the property from his dad. He says his dad can't get over what the turbines have done to his life and to the entire community.
I have three wind turbines on my property and get $4,000 for each one.

It`s been 2 years now with the turbines and everyone in the community is irritable and short, they snap back. The best of friends for 35 years, but everyone just snaps.

People are not really mad directly at the wind turbines or even know what they are mad about, they`re just mad, aggressive.

The closest one to my house is 3,000 feet away - way too close....

Read the rest of the story:  http://www.windaction.org/stories/28942

Or this...

Turbine torture
September 27, 2010 by Barry Funfar
Location:
The garden that was a sanctuary to me for 30 years is now more like a torture chamber. Some of the abutters have started using the term "turbine torture." When the turbine first went into operation in March 2010, and then through April, I tried to acclimate myself to live with this thing. After dropping into a three-month depression, I finally avoided my own home.

I am an abutter to what the Town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, calls their WIND 1 - their first wind turbine, a 1.65MW Vestas 400 foot tall goliath. Since it went into operation in early 2010, quite a number of us abutters have suffered serious medical detriments and a gigantic loss of quality of our lives from the noise impact of this machine.

My own home is 1662 feet from the turbine, and the effects of the sound on me have caused...

Read the rest of the story:  http://www.windaction.org/stories/29332

Or maybe this...

My personal experience living in a wind farm
July  4, 2010 by Joseph P. Yunk
Location:
This personal story was submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission as public testimony regarding siting of industrial scale wind energy facilities.

Commentor Information:
Name: Joseph P. Yunk
Address: N2630 Townhall Rd
City: Kewaunee State:WI Zip:54216

Subject: My personal experience living in a wind farm

My name is Joe Yunk; I currently reside at the address of N2630 Townhall Rd in Kewaunee County. My prior address was North 7905 County Trunk P, Algoma, Wisconsin which was in the Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) wind farm by Rio Creek, Wisconsin. I moved from the Algoma address to my current address on or about October 2009 to get away from the effects of the WPS wind farm.

I have been following the current proposed Element Power LLC (EEP) wind farm development that I now find myself living in. I want you to know what I went through while living in the WPS wind farm. I am hopeful that this information will help you make the right decisions with regard to any PSCW approvals for any other wind farms in Wisconsin. I would hate to see other peoples lives to be as negatively affected as mine has been as a result of living in a wind farm. There is no doubt in my mind that I will relive the awful experience once again if the EEP wind farm for Kewaunee County is approved.

In 1998 the WPS wind farm construction began about 300 yards from my home. I had built this home in 1980 on 6.5 acres of land which was our home farm that I lived on all my life. I was born on November 28, 1954. I had two turbines within one-half mile, one of those turbines was about 1,300 ft from my house and 600 ft from my property line.

In the summer of 2000, the turbines of the WPS wind farm began operation. In as much as I had lived on this farm all my life, I knew the neighbors well, and it wasn`t long after the turbines began operating our lives began to change. In conversations with my neighbors, I learned, they too were experiencing constant disturbing noise, shadow flicker and just the constant presence of the turbines. By presence I felt uneasy and irritated by the size and closeness of these 220 ft. turbines.

All the people living in this wind farm were guinea pigs / lab rats, no one knew what we were in for. It was in the fall of 2000 when neighbors and families began to divide over the effects of the wind farm. And that continued thoughout the time I lived there.

When the turbines began to operate, a hotline was established directly to WPS to report any problems. I had beef cattle for about two years prior to the turbines operating and never lost any animals. However, shortly after the turbines began to operate, I had beef cattle become ill and die. I reported this on the WPS hotline and nothing was done. I lost ten animals valued at $5,000 over a two year period and couldn`t afford to continue.

Read the rest of the story: http://www.windaction.org/stories/28210

[mtcookson]

[Sarge]

That shadow flicker could drive a person batty.

[mtcookson]

Drove me batty just watching the video.

[unruhj]

The link provided is from Acciona North America. It is a slide show talking about what was posted above. When I was in college about wind energy we discussed these topics. The noise is compared to somebody standing next to you talking. These developing companies use a software to determine the distances the turbines need to be away from a residence to minimize the sound and the shadow flicker as well.

Anyways here is the link for the slide show

http://www.awea.org/_cs_upload/events/presentations/5418_1.pdf

Shadow flicker occurrence is easily calculated
Shadow flicker occurs when the blades of a turbine pass in front of the sun to create a recurring shadow on an
object. Computer models in wind development software can determine the days and times during the year that
specific buildings in close proximity to turbines may experience shadow flicker. Mitigation measures can be taken
based on this knowledge and may include setbacks or vegetative buffers. Issues with shadow flicker are less
common in the United States than in Europe due to the lower latitudes and the higher sun angles in the United
States.
Shadow flicker is not harmful to persons with epilepsy
The allegation is sometimes made that shadow flicker from wind turbines can cause epileptic seizures. This is not
true—shadow flicker from wind turbines occurs much more slowly than the light "strobing" associated with
seizures. The strobe rates generally necessary to cause seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy are 5 to
30 flashes per second10 and large wind turbine blades cannot rotate this quickly. http://www.awea.org/_cs_upload/learnabout/publications/4140_1.pdf

If you want to research more on topics like these just go to awea.org  .. it is the American Wind Energy Association website and is full of information.

I would also like to say yes shadow flicker is quite annoying but a good developing company wouldn't allow this to happen on someone's residence.

[flintauqua]

Thank you for the excellent information unruhj.

[mtcookson]

"When companies come to Congress or to the federal trough for their renewable project, it usually means that they have failed in the private sector," said Marc Morano, of Climate Depot, a website devoted to debunking the theory of man-made climate change.

He says an increasing number of studies point to deep inefficiencies of many so-called clean energies.

"In Europe, it's actually costing more to heat the windmills than the windmills are producing in the winter in the United Kingdom. I mean they're just not energy efficient," Morano said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/14/high-prices-debt-crisis-doom-obamas-green-energy-plans/#ixzz1JVbfIBcw

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Did you know that the windfarm builders are looking to hire some local people!!! Also know I have seen signs that the concrete plant is looking to hire temperary help, too. To me this could help local economy!!! Am I wrong??

[Patriot]

Did you know that the windfarm builders are looking to hire some local people!!! Also know I have seen signs that the concrete plant is looking to hire temperary help, too. To me this could help local economy!!! Am I wrong??

Not wrong entirely.  But remember, temporary means just that, temporary.  As I understand it only 2 local folks have applied for and been hired by the wind farm company.  When complete and operational the project will likely employ 15 to 20 folk... not all local residents.   Not exactly the stuff that long term economic booms are made of.  Mind you I'm not necessarily against the wind farm, I just see a lot of people talking and acting like the project will somehow solve all our woes.  It won't.  Seems to me like people heard the words "jobs" and "1 million dollars" and they think were gonna be on easy street.  Not so.  The biggest benefactors will be those who receive ongoing lease payments and property tax abatements.  The county and its' towns will still face many of the same challenges that have been present for years.  Maintain a realistic perspective, and don't look for the wind farm to create an oasis in the desert.  

[srkruzich]

I've got a question for those who are in the know.  Jobs have been scarce primarily due to the fact that there wasn't a good infrastructure in place i.e. water for one.  Now that Elk has water, what is being done to attract companies.  Surely the powers that be could court industry and bring them into the county.