{"id":294270,"date":"2024-01-09T08:55:35","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T07:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=294270"},"modified":"2024-01-09T08:55:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T07:55:40","slug":"a-cautionary-tale-from-prince-edward-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=294270","title":{"rendered":"A Cautionary Tale from Prince Edward Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent article from Hot Air, titled\u00a0\u201cNote to Self: \u2018Flying Canadian Blades\u2019 Is Not a Hockey Team, But Do Wear a Helmet,\u201d\u00a0<\/a>we are given a front-row seat to the spectacular failure of green energy initiatives, specifically a wind farm project on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. This debacle serves as a stark reminder of the pitfalls of blindly embracing renewable energy without considering practical realities and economic viability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/hotair.com\/tree-hugging-sister\/2024\/01\/05\/note-to-self-flying-canadian-blades-is-not-a-hockey-team-but-do-wear-a-helmet-n603007<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Ill-Fated Wind Farm Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, the PEI government, in a burst of environmental enthusiasm, signed a $60 million contract with ACCIONA Windpower, a Spanish company, for a 10-turbine wind farm. The project, completed by 2014, was expected to have a lifespan of at least 20 years and provide a constant source of power generation for the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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$60M wind farm will lower power price: energy minister<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince Edward Island\u2019s Energy Minister Wes Sheridan promises the Hermanville wind farm, which is rapidly coming to completion, will bring down the price for power customers on the Island<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheridan said the $60-million investment is good for P.E.I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe price we get this electricity at is significantly below what we pay for our provider<\/strong><\/em>, in this case it\u2019s New Brunswick for the rest of our power, so this brings our price down per kilowatts for all customers on P.E.I.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The turbines should be fully operational within a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ten wind turbines are the largest in North America. While they are owned by the province through the PEI Energy Corporation, they will be operated for the next 15 years through an agreement with Acciona Windpower, the company that manufactured them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/prince-edward-island\/60m-wind-farm-will-lower-power-price-energy-minister-1.2498382<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The PEI government even gave tours touting the project\u2019s projected success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cracks in the Green Dream<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

However, the reality was far from this rosy projection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merely two years into operation, cracks started to appear, both literally and figuratively. The wind farm, which faced opposition from the local community from its inception, began to show signs of wear. Small cracks were found in five\u00a0blade bearings<\/s>\u00a0[bolts], a production hit that was just the beginning of the farm\u2019s troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/prince-edward-island\/repair-reduce-wind-farm-production-1.3705844<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Downward Spiral<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A consultant hired in 2022 to assess production problems at a wind farm owned by the P.E.I. government found severe damage, with turbine units possibly constituting a safety hazard and turbine blades at \u201chigh risk of imminent failure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, high winds ripped two 56-metre blades off one of the turbines at the facility in Hermanville, near the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island. For comparison, the province\u2019s tallest building is only 39 metres tall; it\u2019s the 10-storey Holman Grand Hotel in Charlottetown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A provincial spokesperson said the turbine was not operational at the time, and was scheduled for repairs in April 2024. The province also said it expected insurance would pay for the broken blades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was just the latest setback at a wind farm that has seen a steep decline in energy production and is now losing the P.E.I. government money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/prince-edward-island\/pei-hermanville-damage-blades-1.7074298<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The situation continued to deteriorate through 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just four of 10 turbines at the Hermanville Wind Farm are currently running and one has failed completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A statement from PEI Energy, Environment and Climate Change did not clarify how long the issues have been affecting energy output or how much productivity has been lost at the north side facility. However, \u201cSome turbines are paused and some are at reduced capacity,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cThe newest fleet of Acciona 116\/300 turbines are proving to require the largest amount of maintenance. A significant issue is the main bearings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several sources have verified that for most of the past eight months only three or four turbines have been active at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information in the statement indicated a loss of 4500 MWh in the 20 days after Hurricane Fiona. That is aside from the issues with the turbine bearings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than half of the turbines at the Hermanville Wind Farm were sitting idle, and one had failed completely. The operation, barely eight years old, was producing only 35% of its initial output, a far cry from the promised efficiency and cost-effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.peicanada.com\/eastern_graphic\/more-than-half-of-hermanville-wind-turbines-sitting-idle\/article_3c2bb72c-f994-11ed-bb04-7f44c83846f8.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And at the end of the 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/prince-edward-island\/pei-hermanville-damage-blades-1.7074298<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Reality of Wind Energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This story is a microcosm of the larger issues plaguing the wind energy sector. The turbines, the largest in North America, were supposed to lower power prices and provide sustainable energy. Instead, they became a financial sinkhole and a symbol of unfulfilled promises. The PEI Energy Corporation admitted that the turbines had been offline for between 114 and 476 days, a staggering admission of failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irony of the situation is palpable. In their rush to embrace green energy solutions, officials overlooked the practical and economic aspects of such projects. The result was a costly venture that failed to deliver on its promises, leaving taxpayers on the hook for a $70 million loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The debacle of the Hermanville wind farm on Prince Edward Island is a clear example of the pitfalls of poorly planned and executed green energy initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story should serve as a reminder that misguided good intentions in environmental policy must be grounded in practical reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the original article at Hot Air for even more schadenfreude and humorous details.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

H\/T John G<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vicious winds tear 2 blades off wind turbine in Hermanville, P.E.I.: One of the wind turbines in Hermanville, P.E.I., had two of its blades completely torn off as powerful winds raged across the province this week.\u00a0The tower of the turbine known as Tower\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/TC2RqI9o8p<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zvUgumAz9r<\/a><\/p>— Alabama Wind (@alabamawind) January 4, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>