Great! Now where's the beef... er money?

[Patriot]

OK Elk County... your windfarm is producin' juice for 70,000 homes in the southeastern US.  Now, about that PILOT money we've been promised for ages ($900,000 in year one).  When questioned in recent county commission meetings about the December 31, 2011 payment to the county, Commissioners Liebau and Hendricks had nothing but deer in the headlights responses.  If the following article from ENEL's website is correct, and the windfarm went online December 27th.... where's the moolah?  Check's in the mail?  And are the developers really gonna fix up all those roads before they leave as the contract Ms Hendricks negotiated supposedly required?  Or will you taxpayers be funding that?  Always seems to be more questions than answers.

ENEL GREEN POWER: CANEY RIVER WIND FARM IN OPERATION IN THE USA
12/27/2011

With 200 MW of installed capacity, the wind farm can meet the needs of about 70,000 American households, avoiding the annual emission of over 580,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere;
The plant brings EGP total installed capacity in North America to 986 MW.

Rome, December 27th, 2011 – The American subsidiary of Enel Green Power – Enel Green Power North America Inc. (EGP-NA) - has put its wind farm in Caney River (Elk County, Kansas) into operation, bringing the company's total installed capacity in North America to 986 MW.

The new facility - consisting of 111 V-90 wind turbines of 1.8 MW each for a total installed capacity of around 200 MW. It required a total investment of 350 million dollars and will generate 765 million kWh per year, enough to meet the annual consumption of approximately 70,000 American households and to avoid the atmospheric emission of more than 580,000 metric tons of CO2 per year....


Full Press Release:
http://www.enelgreenpower.com/en-GB/ena/events_news/press_releases/release.aspx?iddoc=1649585

[Warph]

Wind Power Facts

As long as the Sun shines on the Earth, wind power will exist.  Since the Sun is expected to shine for anther 4.5 billion years, wind power is considered a renewable power source.

The first recorded use of wind energy can be dated back to 5000 BC, when sail boats were propelled across the river Nile.  In 200 BC, the Chinese and Middle Eastern people implemented wind energy to grind grain and pump water from the well.

The first windmills were used to grind grain in Iran, then known as Persia.

In ancient Persia (now known as Iran), wind mills were used to grind grains.  Holland has historically been the leader in windmill technology.  American colonists used wind mills to move water, grind grain and cut wood.

Windmills were a significant source of power in rural America in the 1920's.

California is the leading wind power producer in the United States.

Germany is the largest wind power producer in the world.  Spain is second.

There are two types of windmills - Horizontal windmills look like what you've seen on television or in books, i.e., the traditional structure with a wheel of blades perpendicular to the ground and spinning.  Vertical windmills look like upside down eggbeaters.

Wind power plants are typically owned by private companies, which sell the power to traditional utility companies.

The United States gets roughly 17 billion kilowatts of electricity each year from wind power.

This yearly wind power production is enough to provide all the power needs of the City of Chicago.

On a commercial level, wind power electricity is produce in 30 states.

Modern wind turbines found in Hawaii, stand as tall as 20 floors and have a giant rotor with a size of a football field.

To defer utility costs, individuals in every state set up min-wind power systems for their homes.  The exact percentage of people that do this versus total homes is unknown.

The U.S. ranks third in the world as a wind power producer.


Sources:

Dr. David Suzuki. http://www.canwea.ca/images/uploads/File/Resources/SuzukiArticle.pdf

[Patriot]

Wind Power Facts

Sources:

Dr. David Suzuki. http://www.canwea.ca/images/uploads/File/Resources/SuzukiArticle.pdf

Ahhh, Mr. Suziki, well recognized by his fellow Canadians as being about 12' further down the environ-whacko rabbit hole than Al Gore.

Of course, all that still doesn't answer the question:  Where;s our PILOT money?"

[srkruzich]

Ben Lieberman, a senior policy analyst focusing on energy and environmental issues for the Heritage Foundation, is not surprised.  He asks:

    "If wind power made sense, why would it need a government subsidy in the first place?  It's a bubble which bursts as soon as the government subsidies end."



Heres one abandoned wind farm,  abandoned once subsidies ran out.


And another that was abandoned after subsidies stopped.

And i heard a report of another windfarm that nothing was getting done, no movement whatsoever. ALll 535 of them were spinning their agenda!

[W. Gray]

They are expanding the wind farm between Russell and Salina. It will now be on both sides of I-70.

[Patriot]

All of which, gentlemen, still leaves the question unanswered.... What is the status of the Elk County PILOT money, and why does the commissioner who spearheaded the project years back have no answers on the matter for the voters and taxpayers of Elk County when asked at commission meetings? 

[Patriot]

Now we know!  The county will be receiving a check for something in the neighborhood of $850,000 for 2011 nameplate production.  Our check will be arriving sometime in March.

Mr Ritz has offered a suggestion regarding application of that money.  A significant percentage to rock purchase for road maintenance & county debt reduction and smaller percentages for county employee wage equalization, property tax relief and other priorities.

Perhaps it's a good time to let your commissioners know what your ideas are.  Two of our commissioners reacted negatively when the idea of public hearings were suggested.   

Better yet, there is a public forum session at each commission meeting. Voters & taxpayers might be wise to attend and provide their input.

It is, after all, your money.

[Humpy]

  More rock would be nice as long as it is hauled by county trucks. Otherwise the cost would be half and half rock to contract haulers to get it laid down. No sub haulers.
  Also it would be nice to not pay $845.00 for a tag on my 2009 Dodge pu.

[Wilma]

Gotcha ya, there, Humpy.  I would appreciate lower vehicle taxes, too.  Also, lower vehicle insurance altho I know the county has nothing to do with that.  Just thought I would throw it in as an additional gripe.

[srkruzich]

  More rock would be nice as long as it is hauled by county trucks. Otherwise the cost would be half and half rock to contract haulers to get it laid down. No sub haulers.
  Also it would be nice to not pay $845.00 for a tag on my 2009 Dodge pu.

HOLY CRAP!  sheesh. my uncle just paid 282.00 on a 2012 mustang, 21.00 on his 1980 pickup that he rebuilt and droped a l6 corvette motor in decked out to the 9's, 21 bucks on a 1961 corvair corsa convertible restored, and a 1929 ford sedan restored it cost him 21.00