At one time I was a big supporter of wind power. I thought it was absurd that Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and others were blocking the Cape Wind Project. Then the reality of these projects started coming out. Expensive, low return on investment, low return on power, they only work during certain times, and, hey, many just do not work
(Watchdog.org) A $2.3 million federal stimulus project at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud is giving green energy initiatives a bad name.
A 600-kilowatt wind turbine — some 245 foot tall — stands on the wintry VA grounds, frozen in time and temperature, essentially inoperable for the past 1 1/2 years. No one is working to fix it, though many attempts were made to repair the turbine, once billed as a model green energy project. (snip)
Unlike some wind farms in Minnesota, temperature extremes do not appear to be a factor in the turbine’s problems. Name just about anything else, however, and it’s gone wrong at some point since the completion of construction in April 2011, officials say.
The VA’s lengthy fix-it list includes the hydraulic system, electrical system, the main gear box and number other parts over the past three years. A Massachusetts-based contractor installed and has overseen maintenance on the turbine, which was made in India.
Constructed in 2011, it stopped working in 2012, and hasn’t worked since.
Studies done before construction suggested St. Cloud’s winds could produce up to 16 percent of the VA hospital’s electrical needs, potentially saving about $100,000 on the government’s annual utility bill. The facility consumes 1.3 million kilowatt hours of power, at a cost of $1.1 million per year.
Yet, it would take 23 years to recoup the cost, excluding all the maintenance costs. Which would leave 7 years for operation, since he average lifespan of a wind turbine is 30 years. Then it’s just a rusting hulk on a massive concrete (concrete is Bad for “climate change”, BTW) platform. Looks like they skipped all those years and it’s a rusting hulk now.
