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Old 08-23-2013, 08:17 AM
 
535 posts, read 966,689 times
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A friend from The Dalles and I drove out I-84 to Boardman this week. She was talking up a storm about the 338 wind turbines at the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm near Arlington. Residents complain about the noise. Environmentalists complain because coal produced electricity is used to start the wind turbines when wind is slack. Most everyone says they look like crap and are destroying the scenic gorge. Washington state wants to build a wind farm opposite Hood River.

Shepherds Flat’s 835 megawatts will all be going to Southern California Edison to help the utility meet a new 33 percent renewable power by 2020 mandate. The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm is a 845 megawatt (MW) wind farm in the U.S. state of Oregon. The facility is located in Eastern Oregon in both Morrow and Gilliam counties, near Arlington. Approved in 2008 by state regulators, groundbreaking came in 2009. The wind farm was built by Caithness Energy using General Electric (GE) 2.5 MW wind turbines, and it supplies electricity to Southern California Edison. The wind farm is estimated to have an economic impact of $16 million annually for Oregon. It is one of the largest land-based wind farms in the world. It officially opened in September 2012.

Who Paid For It?
Are renewable energy tax credits and subsidies to blame for the renewable energy crunch? Shepherds Flat has been criticized for “double dipping” into federal and state subsidies and claiming tax money beyond the value of the carbon reductions the project offers. The Oregonian found a White House memo that cited $1.2 billion in federal, state and local subsidies for the project – or 65 percent of the $1.9 billion cost.


It creates jobs
The project's ongoing operation will bring 35 permanent jobs into a moribund employment market.

We need the power
Oregon is already on the verge of having more wind energy than the grid can handle.

Wind is a cheap renewable source
the cost per job is enormous: $34 million per permanent position when all federal and state subsidies are tallied. Moreover, it's not clear that those jobs have any link to the $30 million in proposed tax credits from the state of Oregon.

Simulated view from Hood River if Whistling River Wind Farm is approved:


Partial actual view of Shepherds Flat Wind Farm from Arlington



Caithness Development
The cost of green: Huge eastern Oregon wind farm raises big questions about state, federal subsidies | OregonLive.com
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oregon wind farms whip up noise, health concerns | OregonLive.com
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Old 08-23-2013, 10:46 AM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,328,019 times
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You would be correct, but I am not sure what your point is. Are you saying this is good business, bad business, ranting, or informing?
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Old 08-23-2013, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,671,176 times
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Just trolling.
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Old 08-23-2013, 12:36 PM
 
535 posts, read 966,689 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
You would be correct, but I am not sure what your point is. Are you saying this is good business, bad business, ranting, or informing?
Personally, I think the location is ridiculous. I can't see why we get stuck looking at them when we don't even benefit from them?
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Old 08-23-2013, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,328,019 times
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How often do you look at them? Really ......
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Old 08-23-2013, 02:32 PM
 
Location: the Beaver State
6,464 posts, read 13,434,579 times
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I believe Hood River is still within the Scenic area, if so those Wind Turbines won't get built there. That's one of the reasons you don't see them until you're past The Dalles.

Personally I don't mind them. It's somewhat awe inspiring to see them all going at once. The perfect example of human technology harnessing nature in a (relatively,) non-destructive way for the betterment* of mankind.








*being able to microwave Hot Pockets.
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Old 08-23-2013, 04:30 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,328,019 times
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There will be more and all the tree huggers in the world can not stop progress. They can delay it, but they will not stop it. Eventualy their credibility is worthless.
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Old 08-23-2013, 05:24 PM
 
535 posts, read 966,689 times
Reputation: 205
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
There will be more and all the tree huggers in the world can not stop progress. They can delay it, but they will not stop it. Eventualy their credibility is worthless.
I thought the tree huggers embraced wind power but they oppose it in the gorge.........no wait, they oppose it in Hood River-White Salmon, their darling.

Wind power has doubled under Obama, GE supplies most wind turbines, Jeffrey Immelt is GE's CEO and was on Obama's economic development team (connect the dots).
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Old 08-23-2013, 05:33 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,328,019 times
Reputation: 2867
Most current projects are experimental or information gathering. Others are scams and money grabs. But all are a part of the future.
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Old 08-23-2013, 08:22 PM
 
535 posts, read 966,689 times
Reputation: 205
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
Most current projects are experimental or information gathering. Others are scams and money grabs. But all are a part of the future.
The way this country is going I'm glad both my husband and I are retired, live comfortably, and can afford some niceties. Being on the this end of life's timeline is fine with me.
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