Industrial wind turbines make no sense financially or environmentally. In an article written in the Des Moines Register by Donnelle Eller May 30, 2018, she interviews the CEO of MidAmerican Energy. He admits that 100% of the cost of building wind turbines comes from the federal government. He admits that MidAmerican will receive $10 billion for building wind turbines.
When the production tax credit begins it pays out for 10 years. Within the past few years wind companies across Iowa have “re-powered” turbines that are 4 to 10 years old and that both puts the blades in landfills and starts the 10 years of PTC over again according to the Internal Revenue Code, Section 45 of 1986.
For the environmental aspects, I urge you to read Time’s Hero of the Environment Michael Shellenberger’s new book “Apocalypse Never” or see Michael Moore’s documentary “Planet of the Humans.” Even the liberals are understanding how devastating industrial wind and solar are for our environment.
It is our utility companies and their banking institutions that are supporting this massive build out. The “Averch-Johnson Effect” is a term that describes how building new infrastructure is good for a utility company’s bottom line. For everything they build they receive a 10% guaranteed rate of return. Our utility companies need to be brought under control. They have spent a lot of money pushing this narrative in Iowa and have largely gotten their way. See former Iowa Utilities Board member Sheila Tipton’s open letter to Governor Branstad.
Please look outside of Iowa where, since just 2015, 270 communities have now blocked or banned industrial wind and many are fighting industrial solar. This number does not include the communities that have fought and lost.
Wind companies require that neighbors live with “noise, visual blight, shadow flicker, vibration, air turbulence and wake”. I have asked and asked again, yet I have never received an explanation on why they use these specific words in the contracts they offer to any neighbor within 2,640 feet of any 500 foot turbine.
It is hard to know the truth in today’s society but know that if the neighbors who are required to live within the footprint of an industrial wind installation had a voice or veto power there would be no wind installations in Iowa. Ask your supervisors to have a referendum vote this one time. They are given this power by Iowa Code 331.301.