Saying that Kansas’ Big First congressional district holds “the single greatest potential for wind energy in the country,” Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson helped break ground Friday for Horizon Wind Energy’s 67-turbine Meridian Way Wind Farm south of Concordia. Parkinson noted it had been “a week of smiles in Kansas,” what with the University of Kansas Jayhawks’ NCAA championship and the Kansas City Royals’ two wins over the New York Yankees. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen smiles like I’ve seen today on the faces of the landowners that are going to have turbines on their property,” he said.
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37 Comments
A very good development. Let’s hope there are many more.
I just hope the land owners have been “schooled” on proper land erosion prevention before they plant those giant “fans.” :)
And how would the turbines effect that?
“But I don’t think I’ve ever seen smiles like I’ve seen today on the faces of the landowners that are going to have turbines on their property,”
Yeah, just wait to see the frowns on the faces of consumers when they open those utility bills with higher costs.
(Royals are technically in Missouri)
AmWay – even with the royalty paymants the cost is less than coal.
Like any large structured added, if you don’t plan the footprint of the structure to prevent erosion, one can end up with a mess.
When wind turbines are removed from land, there are no solid wastes or fuel residues left behind. However, large wind farms pose aesthetic concerns and wind turbines that are improperly installed or landscaped may create soil erosion problems. Wind farms can also have noise impacts, depending on the number of wind turbines on the farm. New blade designs are being used to reduce the amount of noise. Bird and bat mortality has been an issue at some wind farms. Improvements to wind turbine technologies and turbine siting have helped mitigate bird mortality. Research on impacts to birds and bats is available at the American Wind Energy Association web site.1
http://www.epa.gov/solar/energy-and-you/affect/land-resource.html
1. American Wind Energy Association
Bird and bat mortality is also an issue with smokestacks.
As noted – TECHNOLOGY. And there is no reason these are not built in Wichita.
Well, I was addressing the soil erosion problem.
One just doesn’t stick a large structure in dirt and not expect to affect the surrounding soil.
And how would the turbines effect that?
Dang, I was hoping he was being facetious! It’s a good thing farmers don’t have, like, BARNS, SILOS, FARMHOUSES, CORRALS, OR EVEN POWER LINES!
On a recent trip to the flatlands of western Kansas I went through or by two of the, I believe four, wind farms in the state. It was a surreal sight. Hundreds of windmills. They can be seen for miles and miles. There are crops planted in the same fields as the windmills. They actually add interest to an otherwise featureless landscape. I wouldn’t want any more of them in the Flint Hills, but out in western KS? They got room.
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ghotiphaze
Posted April 14, 2008 at 1:58 pm | Permalink
And how would the turbines effect that?
Dang, I was hoping he was being facetious! It’s a good thing farmers don’t have, like, BARNS, SILOS, FARMHOUSES, CORRALS, OR EVEN POWER LINES!
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Dang, do I have to do all the hard thinking for the Libs?
A wind turbine is a very large structure. By itself, it has a large footprint that can cause erosion problems if not engineered properly.
Put a row of wind turbines together and one has literally changed the natural flow of the land scape. Where water once freely drained, and soil migration once naturally settled, no longer exists, because these large rectangular footprints interrupt the normal flow of water, soil migration and yes, even wind distribution (which affects both)
I’m sure there will be Civil Engineers who are aware of the problem, but I for one, would hate to drive by a row of Wind Turbines surrounded by gullies of washed out areas because they didn’t plan for the landscape change.
Gee, regular, I’m sure they actively search out the sandy gullies you erect them just to make you happy, just like they do the grain elevators.
Go back to pleading being facetious, it’ll improve your credibility. Unless you need someone to tell you to breath as the obvious has to be pointed out to you. C’mon, you were just looking for an argument with that line. These are tree huggers putting these up. You don’t think they’ll have geologists, hydrologists, engineers all over the site?
The EPA is concerned about it, why should I be concerned about it Fish?
Why are you so against me on this matter when I’m concerned about the Environment.
If one of your Lib friends had written that, you would have been giving him/her an Amen and Hallelujah.
Face it, you’re just on to be the resident non-thinking asshole that only sees the opportunity to mock others.
“schooled” on proper land erosion prevention before they plant those giant “fans.”
you gotta admit, the quote marks and the smiley face would lead one to believe you were being facetious, like the fans blowing! I thought you were being a cut-up until the quote from the EPA. That was a given to me, for any building. And on an earlier post, months ago, I stated maintenance would be low because how much would you have to pay someone to pick up dead birds? You needed someone to tell you that?
…or, you could just admit you were wrong and I was right to be concerned about the construction of rows and rows of wind turbines.
Ok, Reg, I admit, you’re a tree hugging liberal commie pinko. Are you happy?
BTW, you must’ve missed the way I was giving my ‘liberal friends the amens and hallelujahs on the sunflower thread.
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ghotiphaze
Posted April 14, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Permalink
Ok, Reg, I admit, you’re a tree hugging liberal commie pinko. Are you happy?
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I doubt any sincerity you might have from your past and present posts.
You just don’t have the ability to talk “straight” and be forth coming.
Antagonism is not a desired trait all the time.
It’s funny. I ahve visited wind farms and have not seen erosion problems. However, i HAVE seen erosion problems near other kinds of developments. Seems there is a lot more water runoff from a power plant than from a turbine pad.
I doubt any sincerity you might have
But…I’m sincerly insincere!
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bth
Posted April 14, 2008 at 2:42 pm | Permalink
It’s funny. I ahve visited wind farms and have not seen erosion problems. However, i HAVE seen erosion problems near other kinds of developments. Seems there is a lot more water runoff from a power plant than from a turbine pad.
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Different type of soils and base Ben. Of course you know this.
The Flint hills are different geologically and topographically from South Central Kansas.
south of Concordia
*ducks*
Okay ghotiphaze,
You win.
You don’t want anyone to have any sort of conversation in which you can’t interrupt with your constant irrelevant comments.
It’s all your bro’ enjoy.
constant irrelevant comments…different geologically and topographically from South Central Kansas.
’nuff said?
Regs whole line is just another red herring, as usual. He seems to think the farmers committed to this project too stupid to allow the engineers responsible for the installation to use modern techniques meant to minimize any ground effects.
Regular – the wind farms I have visited are not in the Flint Hills.
JMW – I think regular fears that successful wind development will hinder his favored approach – dirty coal.
WTF Ben,
It started out as a conversation – then it de-generated.
You know I’m against the coal-fired plants.
What the hell, are you going senile?
regular – then why all the grasping at straws against wind?
I’m not grasping at straws. I merely stated the fact when you put massive amounts of construction in a previously undeveloped rural area, they should be concerned about erosion.
I’ve always been for Wind power.
Just not that annoying squeaking Windmill my grandfather used to own. :)
regular – almost all the areas being looked at for wind are already developed in some manner – usually grazing or farming. The wind farms I visited in CA would have been in much more sensitive geography than anything in KS – an they don’t seem to have erosion problems.
Just think about all those damned telephone and electric towers all across Kansas. Seems they would cover many times the surface area of windmills.
Damn.
It’s about time.
We’re the Saudi Arabia of wind energy here and because rich people can’t get richer from it, nothing happens . . .
Thank God, Regular doesn’t like the idea.
If he’s against it, you know it’s right.
Gee Regular, do you comb your hair at the mirror or does it crack when you screech from seeing yourself.
Ye have little faith; windmills are not just slap together on the spur of the moment.
They are thoroughly engineered and well thought of, those things are not small, and they are huge in sizes.
Not something thrown together, you need to go to the Netherlands sometime and see what marvels they have accomplish.
How nice that you all support wind… as long as the turbines are not located in YOUR backyard.
NIMBY
I wouldn’t care if Wichita was ringed with turbines. I think they look kind of neat.
kfg – I’d like to see turbines IN town, at least in certain locations. I don’t see NIMBY as an issue considering the fact that the landowners must approve the contracts.
Community wind is another idea you might find intriguing. A group of land-owners go in together and build their own network. They then generate their own power on their own land. K-State is working with that through extension service.