Falmouth Board of Health on Monday last week voted to support a bill currently under discussion in the House of Representatives. The bill, filed by State Representative Sarah K. Peake, and sponsored by nine other legislators, including known environmentalists in the State House, would create a 19-member commission to investigate and study the health impacts on individuals living within proximity of wind turbines in Massachusetts.
“I’ve been to hearings and met people who live on the Cape and I believe them that they are suffering as a result of being in proximity,” said Rep. Peake. “I am a believer in wind energy, I just think there are appropriate places for them and this commission will determine if there are places where turbines shouldn’t be placed.”
The bill was brought to the attention of the board by Linda H. Ohkagawa of West Falmouth Highway, who said the bill felt like a breath of fresh air compared to past studies. Ms. Ohkagawa went to the bill hearing on July 9 at the State House, where she was joined by other Falmouth turbine abutters.
Rep. Peake said she realizes there already have been a number of studies done, but the importance of this study, she said, was its dissociation from the Department of Public Health.
The DPH is part of the executive branch, she said, which has been trying to increase the use of renewable energy, and that’s a good thing, but not when testing the adverse effects of these renewable energies.
“With an administration trying to increase wind power while at the same time studying the effects of wind power,” she said, “that’s a little like having a fox in the hen house.”
Members on the commission would include residents who say that they have been affected by the wind turbines , a key voice that Rep. Peake said has been missing from past studies.
“They will have a seat at the table as well,” she said. It is important to give them a voice in the debate, she said. Three who have claimed to have health effects and live 5,000 feet from turbines would be assigned to the commission, appointed by the regional planning agencies of counties in Barnstable, Berkshire and southern Massachusetts.
On the other hand, she is not overly optimistic, stating that these types of bills can be held over for long periods. At the bill’s July 9 hearing, it was passed to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health. The health committee can wait to act on the bill until March of 2014, although Rep. Peake hopes they will move on it long before that.
She said that it is extremely helpful when a board of health sends a letter, proving that there is a broad base of support for the bill. The board of health in Falmouth is especially important, she said, because it has firsthand experience with the turbine issue.
Others in the commission, appointed by the governor, would include one member of Wind Wise-Massachusetts and one from Wind Wise-Cape Cod, two wind energy advocacy organizations; two members from local boards of health in areas with complaints; two physicians considered experts on adverse impacts from turbines; one PhD researcher from the National Institutes of Health specializing in the field of otolaryngology; and one physician who has written an article in an internationally recognized journal on the health effects of turbines.
2013年8月6日 星期二
2013年6月23日 星期日
Sustainable Energy boss's windfarm 'conflict of interest'
Labour Senator John Whelan has warned that Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte will have to address the "apparent conflict of interest" where the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland chairman Brendan Halligan, a long-term Labour apparatchik, is also a director of Mainstream Renewable Power; one of the major wind-farm developers in Ireland.
Mr Whelan issued the warning in the wake of a major demonstration outside Dublin Castle against proposals to erect 2,500 "185 metre high wind generator, higher than the spike in Dublin, near family homes in 14 counties across Ireland".
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he warned the status of Halligan was leading to "much public disquiet and fuelling public cynicism with regard to wind energy policy and an increasingly controversial planning process."
The Labour senator asked, "How can Mr Halligan serve both the public interest and the commercial interests of a private company? This is not best practice and will have to be addressed; there is no way around it."
He added that "it is unacceptable and should not be allowed to continue and I will now be raising the issue with both Minister Rabbitte and the Oireachtas Committee on Energy and Natural Resources".
This is likely to lead to tensions between the senator and Mr Rabbitte, who has made renewable energy one of his core departmental objectives.
But Whelan warned that on this issue Labour "can't come across all pious and highly principled on other issues and then turn a blind eye when [it] suits us. In public life you cannot serve two masters".
Decisions, he said, "to be made around wind farm policy and planning are going to have a profound effect on thousands of rural families for generations to come".
Whelan's position was echoed by the Labour Senator John Kelly who noted "all that the people want is for the Government to sit up and listen to them, that they don't want to live beside wind turbines for reasons of health, noise, and the safety of their children.
He said Friday's protest was peaceful and passionate, held by decent families trying to protect their human right to live in peace and tranquillity, not surrounded by wind farms "that are bigger than the spike".
Kelly added: "It is indeed ironic that Enda Kenny is saying the Seanad is ineffective, whilst at the same time, when I brought a Wind Turbine 2012 Bill through the Seanad, achieving cross-party support, it was Enda who blocked the same bill going the Dail. He considers this to be democracy, when in fact he himself is blocking democracy".
Speaking to the Sunday Independent Mr Whelan also claimed "much of the public disquiet would be resolved and allayed if the Government accepted Deputy Willie Penrose's and Senator John Kelly's legislative proposals affording 1.5km setback from family homes".
Mr Whelan issued the warning in the wake of a major demonstration outside Dublin Castle against proposals to erect 2,500 "185 metre high wind generator, higher than the spike in Dublin, near family homes in 14 counties across Ireland".
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he warned the status of Halligan was leading to "much public disquiet and fuelling public cynicism with regard to wind energy policy and an increasingly controversial planning process."
The Labour senator asked, "How can Mr Halligan serve both the public interest and the commercial interests of a private company? This is not best practice and will have to be addressed; there is no way around it."
He added that "it is unacceptable and should not be allowed to continue and I will now be raising the issue with both Minister Rabbitte and the Oireachtas Committee on Energy and Natural Resources".
This is likely to lead to tensions between the senator and Mr Rabbitte, who has made renewable energy one of his core departmental objectives.
But Whelan warned that on this issue Labour "can't come across all pious and highly principled on other issues and then turn a blind eye when [it] suits us. In public life you cannot serve two masters".
Decisions, he said, "to be made around wind farm policy and planning are going to have a profound effect on thousands of rural families for generations to come".
Whelan's position was echoed by the Labour Senator John Kelly who noted "all that the people want is for the Government to sit up and listen to them, that they don't want to live beside wind turbines for reasons of health, noise, and the safety of their children.
He said Friday's protest was peaceful and passionate, held by decent families trying to protect their human right to live in peace and tranquillity, not surrounded by wind farms "that are bigger than the spike".
Kelly added: "It is indeed ironic that Enda Kenny is saying the Seanad is ineffective, whilst at the same time, when I brought a Wind Turbine 2012 Bill through the Seanad, achieving cross-party support, it was Enda who blocked the same bill going the Dail. He considers this to be democracy, when in fact he himself is blocking democracy".
Speaking to the Sunday Independent Mr Whelan also claimed "much of the public disquiet would be resolved and allayed if the Government accepted Deputy Willie Penrose's and Senator John Kelly's legislative proposals affording 1.5km setback from family homes".
2013年6月19日 星期三
Germany Opens Another Hybrid Wind Power Plant
From this tweet by the always excellent Energiewende Germany I learned about an article titled “Hydrogen plant starts storing wind energy in Germany“.
As is clear from the title, this is another project to use wind energy in times where demand can’t keep up with supply to make some hydrogen from water. That is the future for storage of surplus renewable energy, since the existing infrastructure can store massive amounts of hydrogen gas.
The German existing gas infrastructure could handle storage of up to 200 TWh, which is much more than the about 30 TWh an electricity system of 100% renewable would need. But to get that capacity, people need to start building these kind of plants that store electricity from wind or solar as hydrogen. We still have a decade or two to go until renewable gets to 100%, but it is still a good idea to start early.
Enertrag has opened the first plant like this in 2011. At the time with a capacity of only 500 kW. The new plant reported on in that article has 2 MW. And it is operated by E.ON, one of the “big four” German utilities that used to show no interest in renewable energy and leave the investment in the sector to citizen projects.
As the article notes, only about 50% of the energy from the surplus electricity can be stored in hydrogen.
But that is of course not a problem. In the many time slots where demand can’t keep up even now, the electricity would be wasted anyway. And in the few time slots without wind and solar available (the occasional cold November night) that stored energy will have a very high value on the market.
Over this weekend, many countries in Europe saw negative electricity prices, with France and its inflexible nuclear plants reaching minus 4 cent per kWh. People were paid good money if they used electricity, helping to reduce the supply overload. In such a time slot it doesn’t matter that only 50% of the energy will be stored. There is too much available in the first place.
And while the technology for making hydrogen may still be somewhat expensive (that 2 MW plant cost around $2 million), there is only a need to store around 5% of yearly demand. Spread that cost over all electricity over a feed-in tariff or some such policy, and it won’t matter much. Let’s also note that gas plant capacity is by far the cheapest to build of all power plants at only about EUR400 a kW, which helps save money on the cost of the whole system as well.
The idea involves flying a turbine in circles 800-1,950 feet up in the air, where winds are steadier and stronger than on the ground. Because most of the power in a traditional turbine is generated at the tips, these new generators would consist of a pair of such tips mounted to a wing. The wing flies in vertical circles, attached to the ground by a tether, which both carries the traction force of the wing, and transmits the electricity generated to the ground. A computer uses the flaps on the wing to control the flight.
It will also be possible to use similar wings in offshore areas, where the wing would be stowed atop a buoy until wind conditions are favorable. Then, the wing would take off like a helicopter, fly up to 1,300 feet high, generate electricity and then land once more on the buoy.Click on their website www.scfwindturbine.com for more information.
As is clear from the title, this is another project to use wind energy in times where demand can’t keep up with supply to make some hydrogen from water. That is the future for storage of surplus renewable energy, since the existing infrastructure can store massive amounts of hydrogen gas.
The German existing gas infrastructure could handle storage of up to 200 TWh, which is much more than the about 30 TWh an electricity system of 100% renewable would need. But to get that capacity, people need to start building these kind of plants that store electricity from wind or solar as hydrogen. We still have a decade or two to go until renewable gets to 100%, but it is still a good idea to start early.
Enertrag has opened the first plant like this in 2011. At the time with a capacity of only 500 kW. The new plant reported on in that article has 2 MW. And it is operated by E.ON, one of the “big four” German utilities that used to show no interest in renewable energy and leave the investment in the sector to citizen projects.
As the article notes, only about 50% of the energy from the surplus electricity can be stored in hydrogen.
But that is of course not a problem. In the many time slots where demand can’t keep up even now, the electricity would be wasted anyway. And in the few time slots without wind and solar available (the occasional cold November night) that stored energy will have a very high value on the market.
Over this weekend, many countries in Europe saw negative electricity prices, with France and its inflexible nuclear plants reaching minus 4 cent per kWh. People were paid good money if they used electricity, helping to reduce the supply overload. In such a time slot it doesn’t matter that only 50% of the energy will be stored. There is too much available in the first place.
And while the technology for making hydrogen may still be somewhat expensive (that 2 MW plant cost around $2 million), there is only a need to store around 5% of yearly demand. Spread that cost over all electricity over a feed-in tariff or some such policy, and it won’t matter much. Let’s also note that gas plant capacity is by far the cheapest to build of all power plants at only about EUR400 a kW, which helps save money on the cost of the whole system as well.
The idea involves flying a turbine in circles 800-1,950 feet up in the air, where winds are steadier and stronger than on the ground. Because most of the power in a traditional turbine is generated at the tips, these new generators would consist of a pair of such tips mounted to a wing. The wing flies in vertical circles, attached to the ground by a tether, which both carries the traction force of the wing, and transmits the electricity generated to the ground. A computer uses the flaps on the wing to control the flight.
It will also be possible to use similar wings in offshore areas, where the wing would be stowed atop a buoy until wind conditions are favorable. Then, the wing would take off like a helicopter, fly up to 1,300 feet high, generate electricity and then land once more on the buoy.Click on their website www.scfwindturbine.com for more information.
2013年4月24日 星期三
NextFab Studio hosts prototyping how-to during Philly Tech Week
NextFab Studio in South Philadelphia hosted “Product Prototyping in 60 Minutes” for 30 engineers, entrepreneurs and artists interested in creating products using the advanced technology available at the studio.
NextFab staffers presented participants with the prototyping steps using a digital house number design, then demonstrated how the product was constructed using the studio’s equipment, including various software programs, a wood-carving ShopBot, a stone cutting Waterjet machine and the Arduino microcontroller.
The event was NextFab’s first prototyping demo and part of Philly Tech Week.
NextFab’s president and founder Evan Malone worries about the loss of manufacturing in the US and wants to show that advanced computer-controlled machines can spur innovation. He said he hopes that the event will show people interested in these technologies the thought process behind turning an idea into a product, and also a few of the pitfalls they are likely to encounter along the way.
“People get excited about an idea and rush in without considering whether the direction they’re headed in is a good one for their ends goal,” said Malone, who explained paying attention to excitement-killers like financing, legal issues and marketability early on can mean success for product creators.
The studio operates like a fitness gym. Members can use NextFab’s equipment, take classes or receive assistance from trained staff members. Biomedical engineering student Melissa Stagnl joined NextFab to learn more about electronic and mechanical programming. “I’m interested in creating a sleep mask that will help with lucid dreaming,” said Stagnl.
Software programmer George Alexander is considering membership and was impressed with the studio’s 3D printing machines and laser cutters. The prototyping presentation gave Alexander a concrete idea of how the South Philadelphia studio could assist him in creating the jewelry he hopes to make. “The amount of activity that there is in the rapid prototyping and 3D printing area, lots going on in the world, and Philadelphia, this is really where it’s at.”
Today, the pressures faced by PPM center largely on customers seeking offshore solutions, typically from China, Malaysia, and other low-cost areas of the world. As a result, the company has created a niche for machining high-end medical components that, “no one else wants to cut, because it is just not profitable for them,” John says.
He goes on and describes PPM’s manufacturing style as probably a little different, positively attacking CAD models in Pro-Engineer, and then generating our machine code in the same CAD package, returning seamlessly what the client ordered from solid geometry to the reality of actual products manufactured exactly to specification.
“Using Haas technology, we get greedy,” John notes. “We utilize a fourth-axis rotary head to machine four sides of the workpiece with one fixture, and then we flip it, and we are done in two operations, before it goes into our finishing department for deburring.”
Typical materials processed on the Haas machines include 17/4 stainless steel, 400- and 300-series stainless steel, titanium, cobalt chrome, and PEEK (polyether ether ketone). In terms of the latter, PPM has just secured its first order for PEEK, and production of these parts will be on Haas technology.
“We are a no-debt operation – we buy our equipment, pay it off, and move on,” John explains. “The Haas machines are particularly good for us, as is the price structure. The machines we acquired were not $500,000, as some makes; they were a lot less, so we had the means to bring them in as needed, and we could own them outright. In addition, for the size of product that we manufacture, the machining envelopes and tables are just the right size, and the machines have no problem holding the close tolerances our parts require.”
John and his family understand fully the importance of the parts they are making, the difference they can make to a recipient’s life, and the need to pay close attention to specifications and quality.
NextFab staffers presented participants with the prototyping steps using a digital house number design, then demonstrated how the product was constructed using the studio’s equipment, including various software programs, a wood-carving ShopBot, a stone cutting Waterjet machine and the Arduino microcontroller.
The event was NextFab’s first prototyping demo and part of Philly Tech Week.
NextFab’s president and founder Evan Malone worries about the loss of manufacturing in the US and wants to show that advanced computer-controlled machines can spur innovation. He said he hopes that the event will show people interested in these technologies the thought process behind turning an idea into a product, and also a few of the pitfalls they are likely to encounter along the way.
“People get excited about an idea and rush in without considering whether the direction they’re headed in is a good one for their ends goal,” said Malone, who explained paying attention to excitement-killers like financing, legal issues and marketability early on can mean success for product creators.
The studio operates like a fitness gym. Members can use NextFab’s equipment, take classes or receive assistance from trained staff members. Biomedical engineering student Melissa Stagnl joined NextFab to learn more about electronic and mechanical programming. “I’m interested in creating a sleep mask that will help with lucid dreaming,” said Stagnl.
Software programmer George Alexander is considering membership and was impressed with the studio’s 3D printing machines and laser cutters. The prototyping presentation gave Alexander a concrete idea of how the South Philadelphia studio could assist him in creating the jewelry he hopes to make. “The amount of activity that there is in the rapid prototyping and 3D printing area, lots going on in the world, and Philadelphia, this is really where it’s at.”
Today, the pressures faced by PPM center largely on customers seeking offshore solutions, typically from China, Malaysia, and other low-cost areas of the world. As a result, the company has created a niche for machining high-end medical components that, “no one else wants to cut, because it is just not profitable for them,” John says.
He goes on and describes PPM’s manufacturing style as probably a little different, positively attacking CAD models in Pro-Engineer, and then generating our machine code in the same CAD package, returning seamlessly what the client ordered from solid geometry to the reality of actual products manufactured exactly to specification.
“Using Haas technology, we get greedy,” John notes. “We utilize a fourth-axis rotary head to machine four sides of the workpiece with one fixture, and then we flip it, and we are done in two operations, before it goes into our finishing department for deburring.”
Typical materials processed on the Haas machines include 17/4 stainless steel, 400- and 300-series stainless steel, titanium, cobalt chrome, and PEEK (polyether ether ketone). In terms of the latter, PPM has just secured its first order for PEEK, and production of these parts will be on Haas technology.
“We are a no-debt operation – we buy our equipment, pay it off, and move on,” John explains. “The Haas machines are particularly good for us, as is the price structure. The machines we acquired were not $500,000, as some makes; they were a lot less, so we had the means to bring them in as needed, and we could own them outright. In addition, for the size of product that we manufacture, the machining envelopes and tables are just the right size, and the machines have no problem holding the close tolerances our parts require.”
John and his family understand fully the importance of the parts they are making, the difference they can make to a recipient’s life, and the need to pay close attention to specifications and quality.
2013年3月20日 星期三
CNC Tube Bending Machines from Schwarze
Speed, volume and size of container ships are constantly increasing to facilitate international transport of growing quantities of goods. At the same time, shipyards are facing increasingly intense global competition. In Europe, the USA, Asia and even Australia, there is competition for customers from civilian and military shipping. In view of these developments, the focus is on the production processes in the shipyards: the motto is “greater speed, greater flexibility, greater efficiency”.
The example of tube bending machines, with which different tubes and pipes have to be processed not only in vast quantities, is an interesting one. Nowadays, the demand for space for the pipes on and below deck is also increasingly becoming a competitive factor. The solution lies in the use of smaller bending radii – a particular technical challenge, which special-purpose machine builder Schwarze-Robitec has solved. Innovations such as the CNC 320 HD machine, the bending specialists help to massively improve productivity in shipbuilding and in the construction of offshore facilities.
Behind the superlatives in shipbuilding lies a production challenge that is almost as great. This becomes particularly apparent in tube machining, as the supply lines on a cruise ship, aircraft carrier, submarine or yacht always form a highly complex network. Very different tube materials are used here for the broadest range of applications and media – from copper through steel and stainless steel to CuNiFe and titanium. Not only do these have to be bent in large quantities to fit precisely; the bending radii of the tubes is also particularly important, as there is generally little space available in the interior of the ship and a great deal of space can be saved with extremely tightly bent pipelines.
“We are intimately acquainted with the different challenges in shipbuilding,” Schwarze-Robitec Managing Director Bert Zorn confirms. “In recent years, we have developed systems for many shipyards all over the world, ensuring direct competitive advantages.” The focus here is generally on CNC cold bending machines, which are designed and constructed in various sizes (from CNC 60 HD to CNC 420 HD) – depending on the requirements of the customer. Schwarze-Robitec constructs these systems in single and multiple-groove design. Multiple-groove machines have multiple bending tools with which pipes of different nominal diameters can be bent on one machine with no conversion work. “There is therefore naturally a huge increase in productivity, as setup times are minimized,” Zorn explains.
Moreover, users benefit from the continuous development of the bending technology by Schwarze-Robitec. In the case of the CNC 320 HD, for example, this allows extremely small bending radii (1.5 x tube diameter) – even for large tubes with very thin walls and diameters up to 323.9 millimeters. Similarly tight radii for such large pipes can otherwise be achieved only with much slower and more laborious warm bending processes or welding bends. The advantage for the user: the small bending radii massively optimise the tube paths in confined spatial conditions.
Nonetheless, this machinery construction technology is of interest not only for shipbuilding. The bending specialists can also see market opportunities in the worldwide growth of mineral oil and natural gas production from the sea. “The construction of offshore plants holds similar challenges. Large quantities of tube and pipe are installed in the smallest spaces. Our CNC cold bending machines are designed both for this and for all other applications in tube/pipe construction,” Zorn concludes.
The example of tube bending machines, with which different tubes and pipes have to be processed not only in vast quantities, is an interesting one. Nowadays, the demand for space for the pipes on and below deck is also increasingly becoming a competitive factor. The solution lies in the use of smaller bending radii – a particular technical challenge, which special-purpose machine builder Schwarze-Robitec has solved. Innovations such as the CNC 320 HD machine, the bending specialists help to massively improve productivity in shipbuilding and in the construction of offshore facilities.
Behind the superlatives in shipbuilding lies a production challenge that is almost as great. This becomes particularly apparent in tube machining, as the supply lines on a cruise ship, aircraft carrier, submarine or yacht always form a highly complex network. Very different tube materials are used here for the broadest range of applications and media – from copper through steel and stainless steel to CuNiFe and titanium. Not only do these have to be bent in large quantities to fit precisely; the bending radii of the tubes is also particularly important, as there is generally little space available in the interior of the ship and a great deal of space can be saved with extremely tightly bent pipelines.
“We are intimately acquainted with the different challenges in shipbuilding,” Schwarze-Robitec Managing Director Bert Zorn confirms. “In recent years, we have developed systems for many shipyards all over the world, ensuring direct competitive advantages.” The focus here is generally on CNC cold bending machines, which are designed and constructed in various sizes (from CNC 60 HD to CNC 420 HD) – depending on the requirements of the customer. Schwarze-Robitec constructs these systems in single and multiple-groove design. Multiple-groove machines have multiple bending tools with which pipes of different nominal diameters can be bent on one machine with no conversion work. “There is therefore naturally a huge increase in productivity, as setup times are minimized,” Zorn explains.
Moreover, users benefit from the continuous development of the bending technology by Schwarze-Robitec. In the case of the CNC 320 HD, for example, this allows extremely small bending radii (1.5 x tube diameter) – even for large tubes with very thin walls and diameters up to 323.9 millimeters. Similarly tight radii for such large pipes can otherwise be achieved only with much slower and more laborious warm bending processes or welding bends. The advantage for the user: the small bending radii massively optimise the tube paths in confined spatial conditions.
Nonetheless, this machinery construction technology is of interest not only for shipbuilding. The bending specialists can also see market opportunities in the worldwide growth of mineral oil and natural gas production from the sea. “The construction of offshore plants holds similar challenges. Large quantities of tube and pipe are installed in the smallest spaces. Our CNC cold bending machines are designed both for this and for all other applications in tube/pipe construction,” Zorn concludes.
2013年3月12日 星期二
No decision yet on Whalerock wind suit
There’s no decision yet on the fate of the proposed Whalerock wind turbine plant in Charlestown after a complicated hearing on a trio of legal proceedings involving the project Monday morning in Washington County Superior Court. The project is stalled over the question of the Planning Commission’s role in the process.
Larry LeBlanc, local developer and owner of Whalerock Renewable Energy LLC, is seeking a special use permit that would allow him to build two 262-foot-high wind turbines on an 81-acre site north of Route 1 between King’s Factory Road and East Quail Run.
Rodgers asked lawyers in the case for transcripts of the Nov. 13, 2012, Zoning Board of Review hearing in which the board voted to affirm that Whalerock’s application to the town for the special use permit was complete. That vote was taken after Associate Justice Judith Savage remanded the case back to the zoning board, in response to lawsuits from the Town Council and a group of 30 abutters opposed to the project following its 2011 vote to affirm the application’s status. The November vote was delayed one month after the abutters argued to the zoning board that they were not officially notified of the October meeting.
In Whalerock v. Charlestown Planning Commission, LeBlanc is seeking a judgment that would allow him to proceed directly to a zoning board hearing on the special use permit without having to first go before the Planning Commission, which is allowed under town ordinance to give an advisory opinion on the case. Nicholas Gorham, Whalerock lawyer, claimed Monday that a memo issued by Town Planner Ashley Hahn at an October 2010 hearing on the application represents the planning panel’s advisory opinion.
The hearing also encompassed two other suits, by the council and the neighbors, challenging the zoning board’s November decision.
While agreeing that the Planning Commission can act only in an advisory capacity, Town Solicitor Peter Ruggiero challenged the zoning board’s decision, which he said was based not on any board discussion, but on a three-page finding of facts distributed in October by Robert Craven, the zoning board’s lawyer.
According to the minutes of the Nov. 13 meeting, when zoning board Chairman Michael Rzewuski asked members for comment, the only response came from William Meyer, who asked if he correctly understood the vote to mean it would be an affirmation of its original determination that the application was complete. The board took two votes: 4-1 (with Rzewuski dissenting) to affirm the completed application, then 5-0 to accept Craven’s document as the basis for its decision.
Another issue Rodgers may address in her written decision will be if the town ordinance in effect in 2010 governs the case.
Gorham, disputing the fairness of the current Planning Commission in its advisory role, argued that the ordinance prior to the November 2010 election, when wind turbines were allowed under ordinance and the council was acting as a partner in the project, should govern the case.
The Planning Commission has never formally voted to issue an advisory, as a board, on the case. Her administrative advisory was approved, with several conditions added by board members during discussion, and sent to the council. The council then held a hearing in October, which stretched over two nights, but continued it without a finding. After a new council was elected that November, with a majority opposed to the project, it voted to freeze the proposal, then impose a moratorium on development of wind turbine plants until a new ordinance could be drafted.
“We were in a crucible in politics. The (council) hearing went completely haywire, and it decided, incorrectly, to wait until after the election,” Gorham said.
Ruggiero argued that Whalerock’s case is based upon an ordinance that no longer exists, and that even under the old one, the Planning Commission had an advisory role because it read, “The council may solicit opinion from other legal bodies.”
“It’s a distinction without a difference,” Gorham replied. “We had two hearings in front of the (commission). We gave it a fair try. We got a written decision from one of them.”
Larry LeBlanc, local developer and owner of Whalerock Renewable Energy LLC, is seeking a special use permit that would allow him to build two 262-foot-high wind turbines on an 81-acre site north of Route 1 between King’s Factory Road and East Quail Run.
Rodgers asked lawyers in the case for transcripts of the Nov. 13, 2012, Zoning Board of Review hearing in which the board voted to affirm that Whalerock’s application to the town for the special use permit was complete. That vote was taken after Associate Justice Judith Savage remanded the case back to the zoning board, in response to lawsuits from the Town Council and a group of 30 abutters opposed to the project following its 2011 vote to affirm the application’s status. The November vote was delayed one month after the abutters argued to the zoning board that they were not officially notified of the October meeting.
In Whalerock v. Charlestown Planning Commission, LeBlanc is seeking a judgment that would allow him to proceed directly to a zoning board hearing on the special use permit without having to first go before the Planning Commission, which is allowed under town ordinance to give an advisory opinion on the case. Nicholas Gorham, Whalerock lawyer, claimed Monday that a memo issued by Town Planner Ashley Hahn at an October 2010 hearing on the application represents the planning panel’s advisory opinion.
The hearing also encompassed two other suits, by the council and the neighbors, challenging the zoning board’s November decision.
While agreeing that the Planning Commission can act only in an advisory capacity, Town Solicitor Peter Ruggiero challenged the zoning board’s decision, which he said was based not on any board discussion, but on a three-page finding of facts distributed in October by Robert Craven, the zoning board’s lawyer.
According to the minutes of the Nov. 13 meeting, when zoning board Chairman Michael Rzewuski asked members for comment, the only response came from William Meyer, who asked if he correctly understood the vote to mean it would be an affirmation of its original determination that the application was complete. The board took two votes: 4-1 (with Rzewuski dissenting) to affirm the completed application, then 5-0 to accept Craven’s document as the basis for its decision.
Another issue Rodgers may address in her written decision will be if the town ordinance in effect in 2010 governs the case.
Gorham, disputing the fairness of the current Planning Commission in its advisory role, argued that the ordinance prior to the November 2010 election, when wind turbines were allowed under ordinance and the council was acting as a partner in the project, should govern the case.
The Planning Commission has never formally voted to issue an advisory, as a board, on the case. Her administrative advisory was approved, with several conditions added by board members during discussion, and sent to the council. The council then held a hearing in October, which stretched over two nights, but continued it without a finding. After a new council was elected that November, with a majority opposed to the project, it voted to freeze the proposal, then impose a moratorium on development of wind turbine plants until a new ordinance could be drafted.
“We were in a crucible in politics. The (council) hearing went completely haywire, and it decided, incorrectly, to wait until after the election,” Gorham said.
Ruggiero argued that Whalerock’s case is based upon an ordinance that no longer exists, and that even under the old one, the Planning Commission had an advisory role because it read, “The council may solicit opinion from other legal bodies.”
“It’s a distinction without a difference,” Gorham replied. “We had two hearings in front of the (commission). We gave it a fair try. We got a written decision from one of them.”
2013年3月7日 星期四
Turning a blue lake green
Although humans have been harnessing the wind for centuries, the United States still doesn't have a single offshore wind farm. But if the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo.) has anything to do about it, that's about to change.
The company's Project Icebreaker would bring between five and nine wind turbines to Lake Erie, which would be situated about seven miles northwest of downtown. Each three-megawatt turbine would rise approximately 450 feet from the water to the zenith of the blades -- about twice the height of the Valley View bridge.
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded LEEDCo a $4 million grant last year to proceed with the development of Project Icebreaker. The company has a year to submit a plan and compete with six other projects for as much as $47 million to proceed with realization. If Project Icebreaker is chosen, Clevelanders could be admiring the massive pinwheels as early as 2016.
"It's a tough project all the way around, mostly because it's never been done in the U. S., but our prospects are excellent," says LEEDCo President Lorry Wagner. "We've got a tremendous team. Four of our partners have built offshore wind projects in Europe. We've got some great local talent. We've got the project management firm [PMC] that's building the Med Mart and the Flats East Bank. We're feeling very good about it."
Despite the mammoth size, the turbine cluster would merely be a prototype designed to introduce offshore wind energy to the region, says Wagner. A viable wind farm would include between 50 and 100 turbines positioned 10 to 15 miles offshore and tickle the clouds when the massive blades reach their highest point of nearly 500 feet.
But will Clevelanders be intimidated? Wagner doesn't think so.
"If you look what's happened around the world, wind turbines have become destinations," he says. "Each turbine will have its own little eco-system that grows at the base," says Wagner, adding that they attract fish, and in turn, fisherman. "Many countries have created places for boaters to tie up by the turbines. Then you start to think about the sailboats; now they have another pylon to sail around."
While the proposed wind turbines in Lake Erie are awfully big, some smaller projects are helping local businesses stay green and trim their utility bills.
Mitchell's Ice Cream soon will relocate from Rocky River to Ohio City, where they currently are renovating a century-old building into new headquarters, production area and retail space. Among the energy saving features is a 15,000-watt rooftop solar array that will power ultra high-efficiency LED and fluorescent lighting. In winter, exhaust from the industrial freezers will help heat the building. New skylights and windows will utilize the most renewable energy source of all—the sun.
"Our carbon footprint will be satisfyingly low," says owner Mike Mitchell.
Add insulation, a heat-deflecting white roof, high-tech windows and a storm water collection system that will supply gray water to the low-flow toilets and suddenly, the old Rialto Theater is starting to look decidedly modern.
"We're getting an education about what it means to build a sustainable building, about what it means to encourage sustainability in the community, and what it means to be a catalyst for the people," says Mitchell. "We've been working on this building for 17 months. It's been a great ride."
The company's Project Icebreaker would bring between five and nine wind turbines to Lake Erie, which would be situated about seven miles northwest of downtown. Each three-megawatt turbine would rise approximately 450 feet from the water to the zenith of the blades -- about twice the height of the Valley View bridge.
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded LEEDCo a $4 million grant last year to proceed with the development of Project Icebreaker. The company has a year to submit a plan and compete with six other projects for as much as $47 million to proceed with realization. If Project Icebreaker is chosen, Clevelanders could be admiring the massive pinwheels as early as 2016.
"It's a tough project all the way around, mostly because it's never been done in the U. S., but our prospects are excellent," says LEEDCo President Lorry Wagner. "We've got a tremendous team. Four of our partners have built offshore wind projects in Europe. We've got some great local talent. We've got the project management firm [PMC] that's building the Med Mart and the Flats East Bank. We're feeling very good about it."
Despite the mammoth size, the turbine cluster would merely be a prototype designed to introduce offshore wind energy to the region, says Wagner. A viable wind farm would include between 50 and 100 turbines positioned 10 to 15 miles offshore and tickle the clouds when the massive blades reach their highest point of nearly 500 feet.
But will Clevelanders be intimidated? Wagner doesn't think so.
"If you look what's happened around the world, wind turbines have become destinations," he says. "Each turbine will have its own little eco-system that grows at the base," says Wagner, adding that they attract fish, and in turn, fisherman. "Many countries have created places for boaters to tie up by the turbines. Then you start to think about the sailboats; now they have another pylon to sail around."
While the proposed wind turbines in Lake Erie are awfully big, some smaller projects are helping local businesses stay green and trim their utility bills.
Mitchell's Ice Cream soon will relocate from Rocky River to Ohio City, where they currently are renovating a century-old building into new headquarters, production area and retail space. Among the energy saving features is a 15,000-watt rooftop solar array that will power ultra high-efficiency LED and fluorescent lighting. In winter, exhaust from the industrial freezers will help heat the building. New skylights and windows will utilize the most renewable energy source of all—the sun.
"Our carbon footprint will be satisfyingly low," says owner Mike Mitchell.
Add insulation, a heat-deflecting white roof, high-tech windows and a storm water collection system that will supply gray water to the low-flow toilets and suddenly, the old Rialto Theater is starting to look decidedly modern.
"We're getting an education about what it means to build a sustainable building, about what it means to encourage sustainability in the community, and what it means to be a catalyst for the people," says Mitchell. "We've been working on this building for 17 months. It's been a great ride."
2013年3月3日 星期日
US economy hamstrung by Washington's brinksmanship
Three budget crises ago, in early 2011, Republicans and President Barack Obama faced off over raising the debt ceiling — and Alison Brown saw the writing on the wall.
Washington had entered the cycle of partisan brinksmanship over the budget that has sown confusion among federal agencies and delayed contracts to small companies like Brown's Navsys Corp., which designs satellite navigation systems in this military town. So Brown slashed her 40-strong workforce in half. And as she feared back then, her revenues have since plunged by half.
The latest crisis hit on Friday with across-the-board automatic spending cuts. They total about $85 billion, but the economic damage created by two years of showdowns is far greater. And there's no end in sight: Temporary resolutions funding the government expire on March 27. May brings another debt ceiling standoff.
"We're planning for the worst," Brown said in her office with a view of the Rampart Range, a portrait of President George W. Bush on the shelf behind her. "We're not going to be taking risks and making investments, and that's bad for the country as a whole."
Thousands of businesses are in similar straits, from defense contractors like Navsys to wind turbine manufacturers to wheat farmers. It is one reason the U.S. economic recovery has been so persistently anemic. But it is happening quietly, drowned out by dueling press conferences inside the Beltway and general disgust at the perpetual drama over federal spending.
In a paper this year, three economists estimated that 2.3 million private sector jobs have been lost since 2008 because of uncertainty over government policy. That uncertainty has spiked dramatically since the start of the budget showdowns in 2011.
While debates always have generated some uncertainty, "now every single decision is subject to this excruciating process," said Scott R. Baker, one of the paper's authors and an economics professor at Stanford University.
"We seem to be stuck in this series where we're staggering from politically-made crisis to politically-made crisis, and even if we solve it we do so in a way that lowers confidence in our ability to deal with the next one," Baker said.
With deficits setting records in recent years, Obama insists on a mix of tax increases and spending cuts. Republicans insist on cuts-only. Voters ensured two more years of uncertainty by re-electing Obama and a Republican-controlled House in November.
The impact is felt in Colorado, an economic microcosm for the country with 7.6 percent unemployment, only 0.2 percent below the national average. Its economy includes a robust aerospace industry and several military bases, and it contributes more in federal taxes than it takes in.
Denver's suburbs were partly insulated from the economic downturn by a strong renewable energy industry. But wind energy tapered off when a federal tax credit, due to expire at year's end, became a hostage of the presidential election. Republican Mitt Romney called it a wasteful subsidy. Obama and some Republicans called it crucial to a growing industry.
The credit was extended in January, a few days after it expired, for one year. But that was too late for Vestas, a Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer that employed 1,700 people in Colorado at the start of 2012. On Feb. 21, it announced it was cutting 10 percent of its remaining 1,100 manufacturing workers because of the late extension.
Washington had entered the cycle of partisan brinksmanship over the budget that has sown confusion among federal agencies and delayed contracts to small companies like Brown's Navsys Corp., which designs satellite navigation systems in this military town. So Brown slashed her 40-strong workforce in half. And as she feared back then, her revenues have since plunged by half.
The latest crisis hit on Friday with across-the-board automatic spending cuts. They total about $85 billion, but the economic damage created by two years of showdowns is far greater. And there's no end in sight: Temporary resolutions funding the government expire on March 27. May brings another debt ceiling standoff.
"We're planning for the worst," Brown said in her office with a view of the Rampart Range, a portrait of President George W. Bush on the shelf behind her. "We're not going to be taking risks and making investments, and that's bad for the country as a whole."
Thousands of businesses are in similar straits, from defense contractors like Navsys to wind turbine manufacturers to wheat farmers. It is one reason the U.S. economic recovery has been so persistently anemic. But it is happening quietly, drowned out by dueling press conferences inside the Beltway and general disgust at the perpetual drama over federal spending.
In a paper this year, three economists estimated that 2.3 million private sector jobs have been lost since 2008 because of uncertainty over government policy. That uncertainty has spiked dramatically since the start of the budget showdowns in 2011.
While debates always have generated some uncertainty, "now every single decision is subject to this excruciating process," said Scott R. Baker, one of the paper's authors and an economics professor at Stanford University.
"We seem to be stuck in this series where we're staggering from politically-made crisis to politically-made crisis, and even if we solve it we do so in a way that lowers confidence in our ability to deal with the next one," Baker said.
With deficits setting records in recent years, Obama insists on a mix of tax increases and spending cuts. Republicans insist on cuts-only. Voters ensured two more years of uncertainty by re-electing Obama and a Republican-controlled House in November.
The impact is felt in Colorado, an economic microcosm for the country with 7.6 percent unemployment, only 0.2 percent below the national average. Its economy includes a robust aerospace industry and several military bases, and it contributes more in federal taxes than it takes in.
Denver's suburbs were partly insulated from the economic downturn by a strong renewable energy industry. But wind energy tapered off when a federal tax credit, due to expire at year's end, became a hostage of the presidential election. Republican Mitt Romney called it a wasteful subsidy. Obama and some Republicans called it crucial to a growing industry.
The credit was extended in January, a few days after it expired, for one year. But that was too late for Vestas, a Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer that employed 1,700 people in Colorado at the start of 2012. On Feb. 21, it announced it was cutting 10 percent of its remaining 1,100 manufacturing workers because of the late extension.
2013年1月9日 星期三
France sets 'emergency measures' for solar
France has instituted a series of "emergency measures" to revive its flagging solar energy industry, Energy Minister Delphine Batho said this week.
Appearing Monday at the MPO Energy solar panel plant in Mayenne, France, Batho said the government has doubled its target for annual photovoltaic energy growth from 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts and is seeking to build large-scale solar farms under the measures.
The minister said the decisions constitute an "emergency response" to help the solar energy industry in the country remain viable at a time when it is reeling following the loss of thousands of jobs during the government of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The new subsidies are meant to spark $2.6 billion in private investments and create or maintain about 10,000 jobs at an added average cost of $1.30-$2.60 per year on energy bills of French households.
French solar manufacturers are also taking a hit from Chinese PV panels that officials say are being unfairly dumped in the European market at below cost. As part of the decree signed Monday, a 10 percent feed-in tariff bonus will be awarded to French buyers of European-made PV panels.
"The challenge is to show that the French industry has a card to play on products with high added-value and that the battle is not lost, even in a fiercely competitive environment," Batho told Le Monde.
The European Commission in September launched an investigation of alleged "dumping" of Chinese-made solar cells, modules and photovoltaic wafers, as well looking into alleged subsidies handed out by China to its solar panel makers.
For its part, China has protested to the World Trade Organization. Batho, however, said the bonuses to be paid to European-made panel buyers are "consistent with the energy code," Le Parisien reported.
Under the decree, annual growth targets for small rooftop installations will double from 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts per year and pricing will be simplified to end the distinction between facilities depending on the use of the building.
Meanwhile, a new push will be made to establish new, large-scale solar farms. The government has submitted a new tender for large PV plants with a volume of 400 megawatts, which are to also to be used to develop and research solar technologies as well as help redevelop polluted "brownfield" sites.
A second call for tenders will be launched during 2013, specifically targeting other innovative technologies in the solar field.
The moves come after French President Francoise Hollande in November initiated a national "energy transition debate" over the future mix of France's energy sector, which is now largely dependent on nuclear power.
Hollande campaigned against continued reliance on nuclear power in the run-up to his May 6 defeat of center-right incumbent Sarkozy and has since repeated his pledge to cut nuclear power's share of the energy mix from 75 to 50 percent by 2025.
Batho said the moves to prop up the solar industry are necessary to keep it viable as the country awaits the outcome of the debate at the end of this year.
"The national debate on energy transition will define a predictable, stable and sustainable development of solar energy and other renewable energies in the context of the 2025 goal set by the President Hollande," she said.
Appearing Monday at the MPO Energy solar panel plant in Mayenne, France, Batho said the government has doubled its target for annual photovoltaic energy growth from 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts and is seeking to build large-scale solar farms under the measures.
The minister said the decisions constitute an "emergency response" to help the solar energy industry in the country remain viable at a time when it is reeling following the loss of thousands of jobs during the government of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The new subsidies are meant to spark $2.6 billion in private investments and create or maintain about 10,000 jobs at an added average cost of $1.30-$2.60 per year on energy bills of French households.
French solar manufacturers are also taking a hit from Chinese PV panels that officials say are being unfairly dumped in the European market at below cost. As part of the decree signed Monday, a 10 percent feed-in tariff bonus will be awarded to French buyers of European-made PV panels.
"The challenge is to show that the French industry has a card to play on products with high added-value and that the battle is not lost, even in a fiercely competitive environment," Batho told Le Monde.
The European Commission in September launched an investigation of alleged "dumping" of Chinese-made solar cells, modules and photovoltaic wafers, as well looking into alleged subsidies handed out by China to its solar panel makers.
For its part, China has protested to the World Trade Organization. Batho, however, said the bonuses to be paid to European-made panel buyers are "consistent with the energy code," Le Parisien reported.
Under the decree, annual growth targets for small rooftop installations will double from 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts per year and pricing will be simplified to end the distinction between facilities depending on the use of the building.
Meanwhile, a new push will be made to establish new, large-scale solar farms. The government has submitted a new tender for large PV plants with a volume of 400 megawatts, which are to also to be used to develop and research solar technologies as well as help redevelop polluted "brownfield" sites.
A second call for tenders will be launched during 2013, specifically targeting other innovative technologies in the solar field.
The moves come after French President Francoise Hollande in November initiated a national "energy transition debate" over the future mix of France's energy sector, which is now largely dependent on nuclear power.
Hollande campaigned against continued reliance on nuclear power in the run-up to his May 6 defeat of center-right incumbent Sarkozy and has since repeated his pledge to cut nuclear power's share of the energy mix from 75 to 50 percent by 2025.
Batho said the moves to prop up the solar industry are necessary to keep it viable as the country awaits the outcome of the debate at the end of this year.
"The national debate on energy transition will define a predictable, stable and sustainable development of solar energy and other renewable energies in the context of the 2025 goal set by the President Hollande," she said.
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