This folly too will be no exception
To the Expositor:
The issue of wind power for the Island continues to be controversial because some issues surrounding these structures have been buried or, at best, not made clear to the public. I for one have the following concerns:
1. Is Northland Power a Canadian company or is it a subsidiary of some offshore consortium seeking to access tax dollars?
2. Is the provincial government subsidizing the erection of these turbines with tax dollars?
3. Why has the province guaranteed Northland Power 15 cents per generated kilowatt hour? My last electric bill indicated a charge of 11.8 cents peak rate charge and 6.3 cents off peak. Why the difference between our current rates and Northland Power’s guarantees?
4. We are currently selling excess power out of province for 2.5 cents/KWh.
5. When the turbines are up and running, will the government subsidize the difference in the rates with our tax money, or will our hydro bills reflect the guaranteed rate of 15 cents per KWh?
6. In the matter of connection to the Hydro One grid, who will pay for this very expensive connection and is there a need for an expensive upgrade connection to the transformer station? The turbine to transformer connections will certainly cost millions of dollars and this too will be added to your electricity costs.
7. Is it true that the maximum output of a turbine is only 30 percent of the turbine’s initial rating and that only 15 percent will reach the consumer?
8. Why did the hearings not address the very significant problems of noise pollution, environmental impact, or other pertinent issues?
9. Who is behind this push with the false promise of cheap green power with the obvious expense to everyone?
I must speculate as to who reaps the benefits of this wind power decision. Northland Power alone should not accept all the blame for this fiasco; they are in business to make a dollar. The fault clearly lies with the provincial government which chooses to ignore the will of the people and assumes the government knows what is best for everyone. Over the years, the bad decisions of governments have continued to cost us all, as witnessed by the gas plant generation mess, and this folly too will be no exception.
Wilfred Lawrence, Providence Bay
