Local wind projects come to standstill

The Dallas Post // News

October 28

Proposed wind-driven turbine operations aren’t progressing.

By Rory Sweeney rsweeney@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

Despite a recent report indicating Pennsylvania’s significant growth in wind energy, local projects that once seemed imminent are all either dead or at a standstill.

The state ranked second in growth with 29 percent, according to the American Wind Energy Association’s report on the market for the third quarter of 2009.

Pennsylvania has nearly 600 megawatts of wind capacity installed, capable of generating roughly enough to power 178,500 homes. Though it lags considerably behind more windblown states such as Texas, Iowa and California in total installed capacity, its percentage growth trailed Arizona only because the state installed its first large-scale project.

The United States’ total wind capacity is now more than 31,000 megawatts, enough to power nearly 9 million homes and reducing expected carbon emissions from the electricity industry by 2.5 percent, according to the report.

Local wind hasn’t added to that growth, though. Two Luzerne County projects have withered on the vine, one dying after a very public legal fight and the other quietly. A massive project expected to straddle several Wyoming County municipalities on South Mountain seems to have stopped with no explanation.

Energy Unlimited’s bid to build as many as 34 turbines on Penobscot Mountain near Crystal Lake hit roadblocks from Bear Creek Township in 2006 when supervisors denied a land-use plan the company had submitted. The battle went to court, but decisions were eventually handed down that require the company to reduce its plans to accommodate much stricter ordinances. Those plans haven’t been filed.

In 2006, Gamesa Energy USA and Community Energy, which runs the current wind park on Bald Mountain in Bear Creek Township, indicated plans for turbines on Nescopeck Mountain.

Neither of those has progressed much beyond initial interest.

BP’s South Mountain project gained a lot of attention in Noxen, Forkston and surrounding townships about a year ago. Since then, the company has paid permitting fees, began boring test holes and continued testing the wind.

However, “that’s as far as it got,” said Carl Shook, a Noxen Township supervisor. He said he hasn’t heard from BP’s representative in quite some time.

State legislators are considering adding incentives for installing wind and other alternative energies.

Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, announced he is co-sponsoring H.B. 984 to allow construction of wind power generation systems on land enrolled in Clean and Green programs without the imposition of rollback taxes on the entire tract of land, and H.B. 786 to establish a state energy office within the state Department of Environmental Protection to promote energy development and conservation.

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Joe Valley said...

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

October 28, 2009 at 3:54 AM

Engineer said...

If they throw any more tax dollars at this Pie in the Sky energy solution I'll vote against every incumbent I can. They are blowing smoke with wind power. It takes approx. 6,000 wind mills of the size in Bear Creek to produce what the Berwick Plant produces in a year. Why are we wasting tax payers dollars and pristine land on such follies??? If these private enterprises want to play with tinker toys, let them do it with their own dollars.

October 28, 2009 at 5:42 AM

David_wayne said...

Does anyone think that wind just isn't a wise way to generate power here? Duh!

October 28, 2009 at 7:18 AM

Paul Dee said...

Wind is a pipe dream, it can not pay for itself . We still have TONS of coal , natural gas and yes even oil . But we can't use it because some enviromental wacko has 1/2 the country brain washed. We can't build more nuclear reactors either . Have you seen the solor power cars on tv , they can't make it up even a small hill and they seat one lying down .There is no substiitute for internal combustion engines and NO proof that they are bad .Gas will be $ 5 a gallon again and we 'll still be waiting on those pipe dreams .

October 28, 2009 at 7:18 AM

Clark Hiestand said...

Come on people, protect the planet for future generations.

October 28, 2009 at 10:33 AM

Tim Owens said...

We have no choice but to look to alternative energy sources and wind is one of the most viable. Let's get our heads out of our butts and move to the future.

October 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM

Judi Piccolella said...

Wind energy in Pa. is a scam and full of documented corruption.It all starts at the top with Rendell all the way down to Township Supervisors.In many counties the county Solicitors are also the attorneys for the developers.Scam!!

October 28, 2009 at 11:02 AM

RWilliams said...

Thank god! they come in here, tear up our landscape, and we do not even benefit from it! Hope they never come back.

October 28, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Philip G. Pizano said...

What's the difference. We have a Nuclear Power Plant that has done nothing to produce lower Electricity costs. Who is going to profit from Windmills? Not the Taxpayers .

October 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM

Franker said...

Paul Dee: You're kidding, right? Man, I guess it is true what they say about the Wyoming Valley: when going there, set the time machine for 'waaaay back'.

October 28, 2009 at 7:27 PM

thomas m gusher said...

Nuclear power and some day nuclear fussion are the only long term power generation options. When the present power plants wear out in the next 10 to 40 years power blackouts will occur. The power grid needs a reliable, continuous energy sources,not tinker toys. If new units are not built soon,there will be a bleak future for this over Taxed Country.

October 28, 2009 at 10:06 PM