In their letter dated Friday, August 30, 2013 AltaLink states that there has been a “temporary delay” of the Goose Lake to Etzikom Coulee Transmission Project (GLEC.) This delay gives our community an opportunity not only to consider more fully the ramifications of this proposed project, but also to explore alternatives. As this delay also coincides with the upcoming MD elections, we should ask the candidates how they propose to halt the construction of high voltage power lines through our community and surrounding areas.
The AltaLink project, if built, would result in a loss of habitat for nationally listed species at risk. It would destroy hundreds of acres of sensitive plant communities. Furthermore, edge effects such as the spread of invasive species and the visual impacts on adjacent wilderness areas would reach far beyond the areas of direct disturbance. The building of a power line opens this pristine area up to large scale windmill developments. The effect of the power line, augmented by wind farms, further increases the impact of this transmission project on the entire region.
How our community decides to balance economic development while protecting and preserving our unique and extraordinary natural environment is a concern that all candidates standing for election should address in meaningful ways.
Julia Palmer
CALUA Executive
These massive power lines are one of the fall-outs of wind power generation. To the best of my knowledge, wind power produces about 30% of the rated capacity. That means a 50MW windfarm produces about 15-20MW on an average annual basis. Unfortunately, you have to build the infrastructure (power lines, transformers etc.) for the maximum production. In short, you need to build about 3 times the power lines for wind compared to a comparable steady source of power.
ReplyDeleteYes the wind does not always blow but neither does the water always flow through the Old Man Dam generators or other irrigation dam electrical generators. Wind is only a supplemental source of electricity but wind as a fuel is free and it creates no carbon dioxide emissions. The only large scale commercially viable sources of electricity right now are coal, natural gas and nuclear energy and none of those facilities are being built in our corner of the province. There is a benefit to the local economy from harvesting the wind so lets work with the industry to minimize environmental impacts instead of the wholesale dismissal of it.
Delete