Drill here, Drill Now, Pay Less.

Posts: 1672

but that means that the technology is here so soon they will be mass producing and selling them for cheeper

Posts: 1261

I think everyone is right.... Laughing

I think we should us windmills were they are productive and make effective power.

I think we should use clean coal technology

I think we should use solar power in area's where it is cost effective

I think we should use bio fuels esp cellulose biodiesel

what we need to understand is that we can not depend on oil as heavily as we used to...there is only a limited supply and more and more countries are increasing their demand. It won't last forever. This does not mean we have to give it up cold turkey...just include other cleaner fuels where it is economically sound to do so.

jmo

Chris

Posts: 2537

Most people hear windmills and think of the historical farm-type. As you've found out, the sound from a windmill farm can be very overwhelming. It amazes people the first time I show them what they're like. More and more people are going to start complaining about them.

Windmills help, but they're not the complete solution.

Posts: 51

The sound is ridiculous and I hate the way they make the land look. We would have denied them the use of our land if we were the only ones approached. Unfortunatley everyone around us has them and if were going to have to look at them and listen to them we may as well get the benefit from them.

Posts: 1672

just curious what do they do to the land
because out here the have them in the middle of no where

Posts: 51

It takes an enormous infrastructure to build these things. You dont really realize just how big they are until youre standing right beside one.

Theyre about 250-300 feet tall and the blades are about 200 feet long. It takes an enormous amount of large truck traffic bringing these things in. The tower is brought in on 3 to 4 semi's and a truck can carry two blades on a special trailer thats insanely huge with rear wheel steering. (Really kinda cool) Lets not forget the huge crane needed to assemble them.

Then youve got the gear and box and the transformer that sits by each one. The pad they have to set on is enormous and is extremely thick. The roadways they have to build are extensive especially if you have a good many of them on your land. Add to that transmission lines, general maintenece roads and youve got a lot of damage to your once pristine ranch land. Quite a bit of grazing grass is lost to roads and pads etc etc.

Posts: 1672

but you have clean power when its said and done right ?

Posts: 51

I dont think the power output of these turbines justifies the what it takes to put them up. Theyve got to produce for 50 years to pay for themselves and they have maybe a 25 year life span. All these turbines are heavily subsidised once thats gone so are they. Im not against clean energy but its got to make sense. Youll never be able to produce enough power with these things to really make a difference. We need to look at nuclear power or something else. You really need to see the wind turbines up close to see the effect vs the cost. I look at them everyday.

Posts: 218

I think there is a big problem with "clean" energy production. There is no such thing. Every device used to make energy impacts the land in some way solar, wind, coal, etc.
But I would have to say that a giant windmill, while being an eye sore has much less impact than a coal mine. I live in Ky. where mining is a way of life, and I would trade a giant windmill on the mountain top, to no mountain top any day. There are so many access roads here for mining, gas, and timber there is literally another highway system in the hills.
And as far as subsidies go, big oil, coal, and have gotten subsidies where I live since the beginning and continue to get them now. While these may not be in money direct to the company they are in policy changes in land management or tax increases on local citizens which the company then benefits from that allow thems to bend private citizens land ownership rights or "repair the roads" with our own money.
I really hate that I sound preachy when in fact I realize that coal has supported 85% of my family for years, but it just blows my mind to hear people complain of ugly, loud wind mills or ineffective solar panels when my house shakes every day from the blasting behind my house, heavy equipment operates across the road from my house 24/7 with a rumble that you have "to get used to", or the gas company is laying yet more line that just happens to run thru the middle of your yard which basically destroys any possiblity of building anything on that land because you can't build within any 25ft of the line.
Oh well it came out preachy, but this is the way thousands of people live here in the coal fields which produce 50% of all of your electricity, some come on, tolerate a little wind noise and some access roads and some over the table subsidy and give me a break. Wink

Posts: 51

I dont think you truly understand the impact to the land or the noise produced. Same as I dont know about how coal mines affect your day to day life. The reason I dont know is there arent coal mines here what there are are windmills. We make our living off the land raising cattle and some farming. Where those mills are you cant do anything, the roads destroy the grass and if theyre in a field you cant grow anything.

I never said I was against them totally, I said people dont realize what a substantial impact they do have on the surrounding environment. And wether you realize it or not the THUMP THUMP from a windmills blades will not only shake your house it will rattle your fillings loose. You truly have no idea how loud they are.

And no you didnt come out preachy I understand where youre comming from, but youve got to take a look at it from the other side of the fence as well. Im all about conservation, when it takes you $430 bucks to fill your tractor with red diesel you become pretty darn coservation friendly in a hurry.