From Del. Pat McDonough:
This story may be hard to believe, but the Governor wants to construct 40 wind turbines that are 80 stories high (think: Baltimore’s tallest building) and 20 miles out in the ocean. This has never been done before. The cost of this green pork scheme is currently calculated to be $2 billion. That estimate is very shallow compared to the eventual real costs. Of course, the usual ATM machines, meaning the people of Maryland, will be mandated to pay for these monstrosities through another new surcharge. The surcharge will be about $2 per month for consumers and unlimited for the business community. “I will purchase a free crab cake for every rate payer in the State if this project costs $2 billion or less, stated Delegate Pat McDonough.
The economics of wind power is scary at best. Currently, private financing is not available because the bankers, who actually know how to count, believe these projects are super-risky. The federal government has been offering subsidies to keep this rocky industry afloat. We all know that the federal government is broke and the subsidies are on shaky ground. When the subsidies and the whole financial system collapse, will Governor O’Malley, once again, be stalking the abused ATM machines known as the taxpayers?
Wind farm developers have been rapidly retreating from the business. The smart ones are getting out early. The Governor’s Wind Energy Act of 2013 passed by a vote of 83 to 50 in the House of Delegates. Del. McDonough offered an amendment that would mandate that all construction materials and assets be purchased in the USA. Even with a tough job market, the Maryland legislators voted against this amendment.
Many environmentalists who support solar, geothermal, nuclear and natural gas are troubled because so many resources are being directed at wind turbines which are not economically viable and produce limited energy.
Let us be optimistic and predict that the Governor’s massive ocean wind farm will be constructed. Two goals will be accomplished by this unlikely success story. Number one, the 40 giant towers will produce enough power to light up 61,000 homes. That is less than 0.1%. There are 2.1 million homes in the State of Maryland and a nuclear power plant will light up 400,000 to 500,000 homes.
The second real goal of this folly is that Governor O’Malley can travel across the country as a presidential candidate and proclaim that he is the nation’s environmental leader and the King of Wind.
Delegate Pat McDonough
I’m not paying shit. I’m done. F**k O’Malley and his taxes, I need to feed my family, not his fancies. If the flippin’ BANKS think it too risky, it is TOO Damned risky! STOP VOTING for TAX AND SPEND LIE-BERALS!!! WAKE THE HELL UP MARYLAND!!!
The only thing I know is that every year we work more hours, our yearly income is decreasing, and taxes, food, gas are going up. I support green energy but there are a lot of ways to be green that would help more marylanders. I’d love to see more community gardens or even sidewalks. I live less than 2 miles from local shopping by car but it’s not safe to walk or cross the highway. Solar energy has come a long way. He could get huge political points for using that money, if he has to spend it, by putting solar panels on public school roofs. It would decrease the operating costs of schools and extra electricity produced could feed back into the grid. I don’t know, I’m glad he wants to help with the energy crisis but most of my neighbors and I are dealing with the economic crisis.
Excellent idea about the schools because when we need the energy the most, summer, schools are using the least electricity. A win all the way around.
OweMalley should take that 2 billion and give it back to the people in the firm of bigger tax credits for green improvement. I’d love to add solar panels and solar hot water to my house but I can’t afford it.
If this is suppose to be a greener way, why are we paying more money? You thought Obama was bad, O’Mally is Obama’s evil brother. Can you imagine this country if that a$$ hole gets into president 2016 like he was talking.
This is Maryland, folks. What did you expect? Del. McDonough’s offer is what we used to call a sucker bet. He knows full well that he will never have to buy anyone a crabcake. Once the project starts it will be completed no matter the cost and the rate payer will foot the bill. The radical environmentalists will never allow a nuclear plant to be built. It violates their religious beliefs even though the science is settled to borrow a phrase from a formerly well known politician with his own private jet and huge home.
I believe this to be rubbish. There are 16 offshore windfarms in the North Sea.
The United Kingdom have 9 offshore windfarms. The latest to become operational is about 17 miles offshore, and cost less than $1.2 billion, with a nameplace capacity of 504 megaWatts.
This is by far the largest windfarm built to date.
But the wind cannot be commanded to blow at will, which means more natural gas-fired plants will need to be built to make up for the turbines when the wind is not blowing. We need more grid capacity, not just a green boondoggle to help O’Malley’s Presidential credentials. Another nuclear reactor is the smart choice in our situation.
I would suggest that this should not directly be a governmental project; it should be entirely funded and developed by the power industry; who should have immense prssure on them to cease the use of fossil fuels, in order to reduce our polution.
The government, directly, have no place in this project, and should stop wasting our hard earned money by even suggesting their participation. Let them get back to running the State, and make determinations that the power companies MUST and WILL reduce fossil fuel energy.
But, Mr. Cole, in their minds running the satate means running every aspect of our lives and confiscating every bloody quid we have to make their political future bright and secure. And to keep us in our place. We belong to the state therefore everything we have belongs to the state. Mr. Orwell got it right over and over again.
I agree with one thing here, O’Malley is “King of Wind,” he is one of the largest repositories of HOT AIR in the state. Also, an interesting tidbit, Micheal Enright, Marty Boys former chief of staff, is the managing director of the wind power firm that stands to get the contact to construct this latest greeniac pipedream.
If only we could put a turbine in front of Pat McDonough’s mouth. Our energy problems would be solved.
Funny, Brad, but is what he says true? Do you believe it is a good investment and also that it will not cost more than $2 billion? Or are you, yourself, just blowing hot air? Brad, see if you are able to stay on topic for just a teensy weensy moment.
Windmills miles out in the ocean. Billions to be spent. Highly corrosive area. Miles of underwater cables. Hurricane and northeaster susceptible. Rate increase already proposed years before anything even gets built. Private company’s think project is too risky to finance. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, Hydesmann, with friends of politicians benefiting from it and the politicians ready to bail them out and the radical environmentalists cheering them on, the only thing that can go wrong is that you and I will pay more because when everything goes wrong our wallet is asked to fix it. Well not really “asked”. I suppose “demanded” would be a better word.
Another empty promise from the king of empty promises.
Ah, at last we agree on something CDEV. I do predict that they will get built however.
Instead of building an off-shore wind farm, add a third reactor to Calvert Cliffs.
Maybe “Tubby” McDonough should save his money by staying away from food and invest in a treadmill.
LOL. I agree, 152. I don’t he can waddle his way around Maryland fast enough to give everyone that crab cake.
Owe Malley – strap that wind turbine to your ass and let it blow you out of the State.
I say we give you, Hoyer, Mikulski, Carden, Van Hollen, Ruppersburger, Cummings (PG, Montgomery, Howard, Charles Counties) to Washington DC.
I hope by the time these are built I will still be able to afford gas for my boat. Those turbines will be like artificial reefs and fishing should be good…..
And they’ll have have armed armed guards that’ll sink your vessell for getting anywhere close to them. Velkum to Amerika!
^^^Doubled armed, sorry^^^
If you like bottom fishing off of OC, may I suggest joining the Ocean City Reef Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, that sinks artificial structure off of Delmarva. Hopefully, the Dagger folk allow this link to stay up here – http://www.ocreeffoundation.com/join.php. For as little as $50, you can obtain their latest reef coordinates for literally hundreds of sunken ships, rockpiles, snags, etc, most between 3 and 22 miles from OC Inlet.
Oh, yes, Mr. O’Malley’s partner is his best buddy. I’d look to see how M.M. is financially tied to the profits of this venture. The people of Maryland need to wake up and contact their local representatives. The people of this state have been fleeced enough.