(Translated from German)

4.08.2002 - Cat mountain with Meissen/Saxonia

kind of accident: Fire

type: VESTAS V 80 - achievement 2.0 megawatts (according to another instruction a VESTAS V 66 with 1,75 MW)

age: Still brand-new and not yet started operation

operator: GHF wind park Heynitz Rekentin GmbH & CO. Kg in empty/East Frisia

source of information: Sp-on-line of 5.8.2002 and local information detail (original report sp):

(reprint from local newspaper "Sunderland Echo")

GLOWING IN THE WIND: The fibreglass blades burning.

A HUGE wind turbine went up in smoke in a massive blaze seen for miles across Wearside.

The 200ft structure at the Nissan factory, part of a £2.3million wind farm built in August, burst into flames just after 12.30pm yesterday.

The fire was so fierce all three 75-ft long fibreglass blades eventually dropped off and thick black smoke could be seen for miles around.

To begin with, I would like to make it clear that I am neither a lawyer nor an accountant, merely a concerned homeowner. But I have been looking into the financial operations of commercial wind farms and have learned several things that I would like to share with the community. Wind developers quickly see handsome profits, while many communities and property owners see little or nothing in the way of tax revenue, due to state and federal income tax shelters which are provided to the industry.

NYSERDA wants wind power in New York. In order to help get it, they're spending taxpayer money for a wind study of the entire state. However, that study has not yet been released.

I spoke with someone at AWS/Truewind some time ago. I was told that the study had been completed months ago, but NYSERDA wanted some 'tweaking' of the data. Mr. Briggs is perhaps a better person to ask about that than I -- I'm no meteorologist. Still, I am a computer scientist and 'tweaked' means to me that NYSERDA wants the data adjusted favorably for their preferred outcome. I'm sure that AWS will only tweak it within an acceptible range of variables, but still -- would you rather have 'tweaked' data or the original?

Here's half of a flyer I created, intended to educate folks about the size of these wind turbines. It is based on the GE model 3.0mW turbine, which is what UPC is proposing for Bethany and Stafford. Feel free to print and share it.

Filed under Aesthetics & Visual
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UPC has apparently filed an answer to the water question in the town of Bethany ... or did they? They prepared a hefty preliminary water report, which is available to view in the town hall. Since it's a large document, we can assume that the town isn't going to pay for duplication and distribution to all residents, however I'm sure you can pay to make your own copy. The town can perhaps cut some slack on the duplication costs, given that it's pretty big.

As a wind power proponent and safety advocate, I'm getting really aggravated by folks on BOTH sides of the debate. It's time we started looking at facts, not someone who's "never heard" (read: never bothered to research) problems on the other side of their opinion.

Wind power will NOT significantly reduce our need for foreign oil. Wind power supplies electricity and only about 2% of our national need for oil is used to produce electricity. The vast majority of it goes into our cars. Add China to the picture and this will not significantly help the war or the price of oil.

I normally give people the benefit of the doubt until they do something that makes me see otherwise. I gave Chris Swartley a good deal of rope because he's in a tough spot (I wouldn't want to be there!), but boy did he blow it last week. The letter to the editor that he submitted to the Daily had a series of really interesting and debatable statements -- but my favorite was his dismissal of the flicker effect.

Part II on my notes from the Bethany Planning Board meeting. Rather than present my notes in rough form, as I did in Part I, I'll present this a little less formally and a little more organized. If that makes sense.

Anyway, Bethany's Board is now concerned about how to disseminate information to all Bethany residents about the wind turbines - both pro and con. Two ideas were brought up that had been suggested.