Everyone I know in Rhode Island has the same goals: a cleaner planet overall and more employment here in our state. Unfortunately, all these renewed efforts by the General Assembly to further subsidize renewable energy, primarily in the form of wind turbines, will be detrimental to both. Here’s why.

Rhode Island needs to pursue economic development that is achievable and that builds on our strengths, which are mainly the marine trades, not wind farms.

Wind-turbine projects threaten the already fragile Rhode Island economy with extreme utility-rate increases that will hurt consumers and keep manufacturing businesses from expanding or locating here. Land-based wind turbines depend on subsidies at a rate of more than 12 times those given to the oil and gas sectors, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In response to my complaint about how the wind turbine in Portsmouth is being subsidized by other ratepayers across the state, the attorney general’s office has stated that the “net metering” arrangement it depends on is unlawful. That’s because, for wholesale producers like Portsmouth, the reimbursement rate is set by federal law at the utilities’ “avoided cost.” A final ruling on this will follow at the state Division of Public Utilities, and the proper rate will be set later by the Public Utility Commission.

I filed this complaint because a system that results in one community’s profiting financially by taxing other communities is just plain wrong. Rhode Island’s citizens end up worse off overall, and yet somehow our General Assembly wants to expand these programs even further.

The problems with wind power are coming out of the closet, and have been a surprise to many of us. For example, it turns out wind power isn’t “green.” In fact, it creates significant, deadly ground pollution where the turbine magnet components are made (in China), while wind generators creating numerous environmental problems and risks when installed in non-industrial areas.

And, ironically, because conventional plants must ramp up and down to accommodate wind’s fickle nature, wind actually results in more fuel small wind turbines usage and carbon emissions that it saves. This is similar to what happens when you drive your car in stop-and-go traffic instead of on the highway.

Another surprise: Wind doesn’t replace foreign oil. Oil isn’t used to make electricity. And because wind can’t be counted on to produce power when it is needed, it won’t replace a single conventional power plant.

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