Seneca, Ohio commissioner Holly Stacy favors BigWind

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Commissioner Holly Stacy shows her ignorance by stating, “The previous board put the AEZ in place…That indicated that we are fair and open to energy development of all kinds.” BigWind reps are so smooth at selling their snake oil, they can literally sell sand to someone living in a desert. How? Because people simply aren’t familiar with this industry and the lies that often come with it.  Another BIG reality, that she misses, is that BigWind development will PROHIBIT other energy development in her area. Not only energy, but ALLL development in her area. Need proof? How many industries and businesses have relocated to Van Wert, Ohio since BigWind took over tens of thousands of acres? NONE.  People don’t want to live amongst these machines and new companies don’t want to build amongst them, either.  A decision to approve an AEZ benefits BigWind, but not the citizens of the communities within it.  An AEZ allows these companies to pay 1/6 of their tax bill and it gives away a communtity right to say NO. It gives all control BigWind. Wake up Ohioans…..

Opponents of wind turbine projects in Seneca County presented a petition with more than 1,100 signatures to the board of commissioners Tuesday morning and gained a notable new supporter in the process.

 

“I stand here with much support behind me, asking for your help,” he said.

Commissioner Mike Kerschner, who along with the other two commissioners has been supportive of the AEZ and the turbine projects, changed his position and said he believes the AEZ should be rescinded.

“The whole back and forth on the wind projects has been a bit of a cluster,” he said. “What this has caused is brother against brother, friend against friend, neighbor against neighbor.”

Kerschner said he knows the more than 1,100 people who signed the petition are against the project and he believes there likely are many more.

“I feel that somebody needs to represent your voice,” he said to about 60 people in attendance, of which the vast majority were there to ask commissioners to rescind the AEZ. “That somebody is going to be me from this point forward.”…

 

“It will still take a lot of work (to stop the projects),” Kerschner said. “We have to conduct conversations, not confrontations. Continue your campaign with accurate and insightful information.”

Kerschner moved that the AEZ be rescinded, but the motion died on the floor because Commissioner Holly Stacy declined to give a second and Commissioner Shayne Thomas was not at the meeting. Thomas said Monday he had a previous engagement before he knew the AEZ petition would be presented.

Stacy said she did not support repealing the AEZ Tuesday.

“The previous board put the AEZ in place,” she said. “That indicated that we are fair and open to energy development of all kinds.”…

Aichholz said if the AEZ is rescinded, it wouldn’t necessarily kill alternative energy projects.

“Every project the wind turbine companies propose would have to have its own negotiated deal in place with the county,” he said. “This will put the county in a much more advantageous spot when weighing the benefits and consequences from these projects.”…

 

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BigWind challenges Life Flight in Ohio

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The Apex turbines that have been proposed in Van Wert, Seneca and Sandusky counties will be approximately 600 feet high. How many lives could be lost or impacted if BigWind forces Life Flight to alter their flight paths???? Local residents deserve the right to vote on these projects!!

A potential 200 Megawatt Wind Farm with dozens or perhaps hundreds of turbines has been proposed for Eastern Seneca County and Southern Sandusky County.

But a group of concerned citizens want more say in where the wind turbines could go…

The Seneca Anti-Wind Union is a group of property owners who feel the economic needs of the county are outweighing the needs of these property owners.

“Money, money talks and so, when we’re talking about property rights, quality of life, that sort of thing; from a politician’s standpoint, that just doesn’t stack up to money,” said Greg Smith, member of the Seneca Anti-wind Union.

The group also has health and safety concerns, as Nate Blaser, fire chief for Bloom Township said the 600 foot tall Turbines would act as a wall that air ambulances would have to fly around on a day where there’s a low cloud base.

That’s because the proposed turbines in this project range from over 450 feet to just under 600 feet, far larger than other wind turbines in northwest Ohio.

“The ceiling height, or the window that they can fly into on a cloudy day is effected by the wind turbines. The wind turbines are much larger than what we’ve seen in other parts of the state,” said Bloom Township fire chief Nate Blaser.

The group wants to allow impacted residents to have a voice in the matter, which is why they oppose current Ohio House Bill 114, which would reduce the current turbine setback, allowing them to be built closer to private property.

“Right now, the local county has their hands tied, and the residents don’t have any say…

 

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It’s been a great week for BigWind in Ohio

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It has been a crazy week at the Statehouse.  The picture is becoming just a little clearer to us and it seems that the bill which Sen. Beagle drafted as Sub. HB 114 was NOT what had been expected.  Many were surprised that there was any setback language in the bill at all.  Equally surprising was the restoration of mandates even though the mandated amounts were reduced.  The House had worked hard to change the mandates to goals.  The Senate undid their good work.  All is up in the air.  

In the meantime, HB 604 was referred to the Public Utilities Committee for Sponsor testimony this coming Tuesday afternoon.  HB 604 changes the property line setbacks and it makes the PILOT program for tax abatement permanent.  It is not known whether there will actually be hearings on the bill after Rep. Strahorn (D-Dayton) gives his remarks next week.  One gossip sheet report we saw this week said:

“John Kasich, Ryan Smith, and their allies have fervently embraced well financed left coast, left wing organizations that are pushing solar and wind for Ohio.  At the same time, they are fervently opposed to both coal and nuclear power. As far as they are concerned every coal and nuclear plant in Ohio can close and consumers, investors, and taxpayers can be damned. Householder and his allies believe in more of an all of the above approach versus an either-or approach on energy issues.  They know that energy demand in Ohio and across the nation is increasing swiftly and we need coal, gas, hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind to meet the demand inexpensively.  They believe that Ohio remaining a low-cost energy producer is absolutely crucial to growing our economic base.” 

Tuesday morning, Conservatives for Clean Energy is holding a press conference at the Statehouse presumably to stage a theatrical act to convince Republican lawmakers to move swiftly on Sub. HB 114 or even SB 238 before summer recess.  An  article from earlier this year from the Washington Examiner lambasting the Conservatives for Clean Energy: “There is nothing ‘conservative’ about the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum, which appears to be little more than a front group for purveyors of wind and solar power, who will stop at nothing to keep their industry from having to stand on its own two feet. And that includes presenting themselves as conservative when, in fact, they are garden-variety hustlers looking for a handout.”

Apex has weighed in on Sub HB 114 saying, “The bill includes local engagement requirements, such as public meetings and letters to all adjacent landowners, and preserves ‘local control’ through county government consideration of property tax treatment for wind facilities,” Mr. Goodwin said. “We encourage the legislature and Governor Kasich to approve this measure before the summer recess to allow billions of dollars of investment from utility-scale wind development in Ohio to proceed.”   Ridiculous!  Every community facing the threat of wind knows that unwitting leaseholders are signed up long before the projects become public.  A requirement that public notice be given 60 days before filing with OPSB is laughable.  Public information meetings are also currently required and anyone who has ever been to one knows they are worthless and project maps on display show no roads or boundaries.  Finally, the notion that the County Commissioner’s authority to abate taxes has NOTHING to do with local input on setbacks or the ability of a community to determine if a project is a net benefit or a net harm.

Finally, we thought we would refresh your memories on what Senator Dolan said about his bill last winter when interviewed: “The setbacks were moved to a distance that really made it nearly impossible for wind farms to develop economically,” Dolan said”  Dolan may be telling the truth here.  Projects could be built if wind developers were willing to pay neighboring landowners enough money to sign a Good Neighbor Agreement.   Would it cost them a little more? Probably.  But taking it on an uncompensated basis by the action of the legislature would be more “economical”.  We guess that it really is just another handout to prop up the business.

In other news, just when BigWind convinces you that Ohio setbacks restrict their business…

  • When Amazon, recently, announced a new facility in Madison County that will employ 1,500 people, Rep. Bill Seitz was quick to point out to his colleagues that “One of the most easily debunked arguments made by advocates of reduced wind turbine setbacks and for the retention of renewable mandates is that such is needed to attract companies like Amazon”.

 

  • Likewise, a solar company announced plans to open an office in Central Ohio despite no special mandates or handouts.  “A growing North Carolina business specializing in solar energy and roofing is planning a new office in Worthington.  Power Home Solar…as it looks to establish a market in Central Ohio. It says it ultimately looks to employ 65 to 70 in its local roofing operations. It’s looking to hire a mix of back-office staff, salespeople and installers. Founded in 2015 in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company has been listed on the Inc. 500’s list of fastest growing private companies.”

solar news

setback changes

look out!

 

 

Ohio Power Siting Board WILL say YES to BigWind

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How can we be sure? They ALWAYS do! We have blogged about this board before. Their name should be the ‘Say Yes to BigWind’ board. There has NEVER been even one instance when the board has sided with the people of Ohio. Have they been bribed or infiltrated by BigWind? It certainly appears so…..

Champaign County officials and a handful of townships are opposing a proposal to extend deadlines to begin construction on a controversial Buckeye Wind farm before a possible decision expected later this week.

Members of the Ohio Power Siting Board could decide as early as Thursday whether to extend certificates needed to build the project. The Champaign County commissioners, along with trustees from Goshen, Union and Wayne Twps., recently filed briefs asking the state to take no action to extend the deadlines until a hearing is scheduled and the state provides an opportunity for public comment.

MORE: Lawmaker: Current wind farm regulations ‘stifle’ investment in Ohio

If the certificates are not extended, it’s possible the developer would have to restart the lengthy application process for the project. Attorneys for Everpower Wind Holdings, the developer, argued the projects have been fought in the courts for about eight years, which has created the need for an extensio0n…..

But attorneys representing Champaign County and Goshen Twp. recently argued the developers have had opportunities to begin construction in recent years but have not done so. Instead, they argue, the developers have sought to make changes to the projects and are now seeking an extension just two months before they are set to expire.

RELATED: Champaign wind farm may move forward after nearly decade-long fight

Attorneys for the county also argued that extending construction deadlines would also mean tougher setbacks should be applied to the turbines in the project’s footprint. The Champaign County projects were among the earliest approved in the state, before lawmakers imposed tougher requirements for how far turbines in more recent projects should be from neighboring properties.

County attorneys also argue that the two phases of the project have always been considered as separate, independent projects and to extend the deadlines for both “undermines the spirit of the application and hearing process and the requirement to protect the public interest.”…

 

Article

Windy Kansas county LOSING $ with turbines

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This is remarkable…not that the turbines are worthless, but that this information is PUBLIC. BigWind usually prevents such data, regarding their industrial sites, from becoming easily found. Thank you, Kansas commissioners, for sharing your story. What we also find remarkable, is that according to the NOAA wind map, Kansas has MORE wind than Ohio. Why, then, does BigWind want to spread across our Buckeye state? The reality is that BigWind has nothing to do with wind, but everything to do with the mighty $$$….

If you live in Riley County, the wind turbines, that are meant to bring you savings are actually costing you more tax dollars than county officials would like….

The grants that were paying for the turbines and their up keep have expired and now any work that needs to be done to the turbines, will strictly come out of Riley County residents wallets…

The turbines have been in Manhattan since 2011 and have a life span of about 20 years.

The biggest of the turbines is the only one that’s actually providing any savings, but in reality is really only breaking even when you take into account the repair and up keep costs….

“The big wind turbine that we have is very sensitive to lightning strikes, so every time we get a thunder storm, it tends to stop running,” Public Works Director Leon Hobson said…

Estimated cost of removal for just one of the turbines is about $20,000 just to take the head off the tower. It does all depend on the size of the turbine to determine a cost. Commissioners are trying to decide if the costly removal will be worth the tax payers savings in the long run. ..

 

Kansas failed turbines

BigWind gets beat Big in Ohio and Indiana

There is hope. As the truth about industrial wind turbines spreads, the people speak…through their votes. Do NOT get complacent, however, as BigWind has lobbyists who constantly approach our legislators.
We reported, yesterday that Van Wert County, Ohio, had a big win as their anti-wind Commissioner candidate beat a candidate who is a lease holder and was taking money for her campaign for the wind company. The numbers 72% to 28% win for their anti-wind candidate who was an incumbent. In our neighboring state, the good news was contagious….
ELECTION RESULTS: The “vocal minority” is the MAJORITY! Anti-wind groups win big in SIX Indiana counties fighting wind:
 
It was a very good night for almost all of our counties fighting wind. Huge victories in Fulton, Cass, Miami, Henry, Montgomery and Warren Counties last night as Pro-Property Rights Anti-Wind candidates swept the polls and sent a strong message to the powers-that-be that we are not backing down and will stand up for our rights! We are sad to report that our friends in Tipton County had a tough night but will continue the fight to keep new wind energy projects out of their county.
Key candidate wins for rural property rights include:
Henry County – biggest winner of the night! They won three seats on the County Council and a County Commissioner seat! They fought hard for the win and came out on top all across the board! Way to go, Henry County! It was truly a group effort. So proud to fight in Indiana with these fine people!

Fulton County – Fulton County needs to turn over the Area Plan Commission Board, and now has a good start. Two pro-wind officials on the Plan Commission – the surveyor and an appointed County Council member chose not to run again, (We believe because they thought they would lose based on pro-wind statements they have made to the anti-wind crowd that were not received well in the past).
The most contested race in Fulton County was Fulton County Surveyor, and we won! Also, on Fulton County Council – two were seats won by anti-wind candidates. One was a recently discovered anti-wind incumbant whose stance on wind energy we did not know until we sent out a pledge letter asking for candidates to promise to keep Fulton County wind-turbine free.
Miami County – Commissioner and detested RES Wind Land Lease Agent Josh Francis was running for County Council and was destroyed by his competition!
 
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Cass County – a huge upset as one of the pro-wind Commissioner “Kings of Cass County” was dethroned with an anti-wind candidate! Also we were able to win a seat on the Cass County Council, and have an uncontested candidate who will also be running for County Council in the fall! Here’s an article about their win: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/05/09/challenger-beats-incumbent-in-gop-council-primary-redweik-defeats-rains-by-372-votes/
Warren County – voted out (as in “You’re fired!”) a pro-wind commissioner who is said to have originally brought big wind into the county and they replaced him with a pro-property rights candidate! Way to go!
Montgomery County was able to hang on to two current anti-wind County Council members, and pro-wind was running against them, so hats off to them on their wins.
Pulaski County had a win as their believed-to-be on our side Commissioner handily won his primary and can perhaps be more free now to be more aggressive in getting wind kicked out of Pulaski County for good.

Apex Clean Energy handed big ‘blow’ in Van Wert, Ohio

 

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The Van Wert county overwhelmingly said NO to a county commissioner who strongly supported  Apex Clean Energy!  The same occurred, across the border, in Cass County, IN…

…The TRUTH is hard to hide and it is out. BigWind is a bully across America. It divides families and communities and damages our energy security b/c it is an intermittent energy source that must be backed up 100% of the time. People are becoming educated….

Do you think our legislators are paying attention???? Columbus should be, particularly before they sign a new law that shortens our setbacks!!!