Are windmills the answer?

[dogg57]

A Cape May County company got a step closer Wednesday to building the nation's first offshore wind farm, 2.5 miles off Atlantic City. What do you think?

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_9e26509e-60c3-11e0-99f7-001cc4c002e0.html

 

[Boyd]

The company still needs approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, perhaps more daunting, the launch of a renewable-energy program in which polluters can buy offshore-wind credits

.

Sounds like "cap and trade" by another name...

I think alternative energy projects are a good idea, and don't really have a problem with this one. But I'm suspicious of government support for some of these projects that would otherwise not be practical from a business standpoint.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy represented 8% of US energy use but wind is only 9% of renewable energy. In other words, wind power only provides 3/4 of one percent of our energy.

http://www.eia.gov/renewable/annual/trends/

I like the idea of wind power... a number of years ago I was even interested in having my own windmill. So it's probably a good idea to build this and other projects, but I don't think wind power is ever going to have a meaningful impact in our lifetimes or even our children's lifetimes. That's why I am a bit skeptical about tax breaks and other government subsidies of these programs.

"Are windmills the answer"?... What is the question? They are not a meaningful answer if the question is "how can we reduce our reliance on fossil fue".

 

[46er]

I wonder what NJ Audubon will have to say, kind of surprised they had no comments. That area is a prime migration path.

 

[PINEY MIKE]

There were two out by us on Lacey Rd. Apparently, the propeller of one fell off and dropped some odd hundred feet. Sounds like an installment error. The township no longer allows the two different locations to operate them. Wonder how much energy those families were saving before this happened.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Offshore windmill farms make baby Jesus cry. In fact any windmill farm makes him bawl until he's red in the face.

 

[bobpbx]

Offshore windmill farms make baby Jesus cry. In fact any windmill farm makes him bawl until he's red in the face.

Mark, are you drinking again?

 

[GermanG]

Offshore windmill farms make baby Jesus cry. In fact any windmill farm makes him bawl until he's red in the face.

I went back and read that three times and laughed harder each time. :rofl:

 

[MarkBNJ]

Mark, are you drinking again?

No, but when I hear about plans to build huge farms of windmills out on the ocean it makes this sailor want to grab a fifth of Glen-something and find a corner.