DaDiCarr Loc: Margate, FL

Well as you all know, people like to criticize when ever progress is on the way. They are saying that these mills are killing our birds and they should stop using this method for electricity. Yet they don't stop those who hunt them down just for fun. I think people should stop and think before complaining about something so useful , specially in our economy staggering the way it is. As much as I like to protect nature, I also understand our needs for cheaper electric bills, and maybe we should protest hunting here in Puerto Rico as the island is only 43 x 100 miles, that can endanger any species in just a few month.

Wind Mill in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, early in the morning.


More Wind Mills for electricity.


More Wind Mills from the trafic light.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

I don't want to put down your position because I agree with it.
The only thing that bothers me along the way are a couple of things.

One: A long time friend who is an electrical engineer with a power company will tell you that most wind farms are just show pieces and make no significant contribution to the over all needs of the country's electric grid. They don't actually make enough electricity to lower the cost of making the vast amounts of electricity this country demands every day.

Second: If you're familiar with the name T. Boone Pickens perhaps you've heard about his problems with wind farms.

Pickens is a self made billionaire in oil who invested about
100-million in wind and then stopped. He said he found it didn't work so he quit investing. "Believe me," he said,
"100-million" will get your attention."

Here's a couple of shots from a wind farm that's not too far from us, not far from the Arizona / California border. It keeps growing. Every time we go by there are more windmills.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

.... and less birds and bats.

DaDiCarr Loc: Margate, FL

I see your point,but being Puerto Rico such a small Island, we may not have the same problem, though they did mention that they have the same problem here. Ok if they aren't that good, the excuse they are using to stop using these Wind Mills is kind of a joke, if they don't make enough electricity, by all means don't use them, but don't use birds as an excuse. I'm not saying you but people here in Puerto Rico.

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

According to A U.S. dept. of energy report from feb. 26, 24.5% of iowas energy was produced by windpower. I would say that's a significant contribution to the overall needs of the state's electrical needs, and when you consider that we are not even No. 1 in wind generation, I'm sure it must be true of the nation as well.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Sure could be... my friend may be mistaken in his position.
Oh well, I'm certainly no one's idea of an expert on the subject so for me, this is a subject I don't even get in to because I know nothing about it.

Thanks

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

I just did a quick search and found that I am mistaken about the country as a whole. Apparently it is only just over 4% of the nation's total. I take back my wrong assumption.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Well my friend, as I remember it, was stating wind's contribution as compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear. He said that given the amounts of electricity demanded by this country every day, there's no way we can hope for wind to be a viable part of that mix... it's not reliable enough nor can there possibly be enough mills to generate that kind of demand.

His opinion is that we'll have to come up with some alternative fuel to take the place of the first two. Nuclear is so badly looked upon, and with some reason, as not being the real alternative... but there is something and one day we'll find it.

DaDiCarr Loc: Margate, FL

Thank to all of you who have reply to my post, I really don't know much about the subject either but what really got to me is that some people were using that birds were been killed by the Winds Mills , and I think a lot more people kill birds than the wind mills it self would kill and I don't hear no one protesting against that. If there is a reason why I am all for the American way is because , the government have establish laws and parameters to avoid the excess of killing birds unnecessary. As much as I love freedom, regulations are there to protect our environment as well. Thank you all for such valuable information and remember if we don't protect our environment and wildlife, soon we will have nothing to sustain our ecosystem.