Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wind Turbine Propaganda: When Reality Hits The Fan

Sorry; P and F III will have to wait.

The relentless and highly deceitful  propaganda campaign being waged by Wind Turbine developers and/or electricity producers, retailers, the SA Labor government, etc, has reared its ugly head again.

There is a definable campaign to flood the media with misinformation and outright lies for 24hrs and then dive for cover so as to avoid accountability; this has happened not once, not twice, but over and over.

Yesterday morning 05 Feb 2013 on ABC Radio Early, Mt Gambier, there was an interview about electricity pricing with (name unknown-I'll find out) that went round and round the reality of what is happening with electricity production and distribution (particularly with Wind Turbines), but did explain the 'Energy Import/Export Structure' (my words) that has SA exporting Wind Turbine electricity or importing brown coal generated electricity from Victoria.

Mr (?  )  explained that SA is completely vulnerable to the pricing practices of only a few companies, but I believe he misrepesented the facts around 'cheap generation'; Wind Turbines are completely un-economic without massive tax-payer funded 'renewable subsidies', and we are paying for their network infrastructure via our massive electricity bills.

This generation issue was discussed on ABC Late Afternoons 16/01/2013 with 'Mr Warren of the Energy Supply Assoc' (?-can't read my own notes) where it was established that when the wind stops blowing in SA, we will import carbon emission intense brown coal electricity at literally top dollar because everyone in Victoria will want that electricity too, particularly given that there is no Turbine energy.

That morning Rainer Korte of Electranet was on ABC Radio Early Morning, Mt Gambier, talking about "cheap wind energy" and how it will "apply downward pressure on prices"; this is simply not true.

Relying on Wind Turbines for any % of base load is fundamentally not possible and does not bear appropriate scrutiny; any weather reliant energy generation requires 100% back-up ability, eg coal and/or gas, nuclear, etc; when the wind stops so does production, and then where does the energy come from?.....it's not rocket surgery, people.

Climate based generation, eg, solar thermal, or other, eg, geothermal, are far more reliable and can be included in a permanent base load structure; their output can be accurately predicted.

High summer is peak demand but when the wind is least likely to blow; during a week long windless 40+ degree Adelaide heatwave where is Adelaide going to get its electricity.

The following is a fairly simplistic but I believe genuine way to explain the economics.

We are paying these 'subsidies', via our taxes, directly to these companies just to have turbines erected.

South Australia has the third most expensive electricity on the planet; we pay for the 'poles and wires' associated with Wind Turbines, whilst that issue is hidden behind 'gold plating' arguments.

This infrastructure is then used to export Wind Turbine electricity to Eastern states for their 'Renewable Energy Targets', recently re-set at an un-achievable 20%.

As soon as the wind stops, SA is importing electricity.

I believe that the timing of these waves of propaganda show clear collusion.

On literally the same day;
          1) the Environmenal Protection Agency quietly releases a partial, sub-standard report
              about Infrasound (only down to 10 hertz);
          2) the above interview runs on ABC Radio;
          3) Electranet have a long letter in The Border Watch (05 Feb 2013 page 4) completely
              misrepresenting and/or ignoring the facts about their new conductor/connector on
              the SA/VIC border;
          4) Russell Marsh of the Clean Energy Council (a 'renewable industry' lobby group) is
              interviewed on ABC Radio completely misrepresenting the EPA partial report.

The EPA is now acknowledging that a) Infrasound is real, b) that it can/does have effects on 'some people'; only months ago it was being dismissed outright as an invention of turbine opponents.

Now they have suddenly done a few days of some very minor, extremely limited testing, and everything is just fine; balderdash and poppycock.

SA Labor government legislation ignores the issue of Infrasound.

Just listening to Mr Marsh on the Country Hour ABC Radio (12.30 SA - 06 Feb 2013) yet again completely misrepresenting the EPA Report, stating outright that the reports says 'no problem'.

Followed by Peter Dolan of the EPA completely misrepresenting the facts about Infrasound upto and beyond lying, whilst openly admitting things the EPA has previously denied even exist; he just acknowledged that it does exist and that it does effect people.

He actually said that there 'is nothing more independent than a state government inquiry, and that the EPA is completely independent'; rubbish.

In the Stan Thompson interview, 05 Feb 2013 (available on line at ABC Radio Morning Rewind)
Mr Marsh of the CEC said his piece, but the EPA declined to go on air, instead sending a message that Stan read out.

It clearly stated that the EPA did not agree with the CEC's assessment of the Infrasound report; don't just believe me, check for yourself on the ABC Radio website for these above programs.

When Annette Marner's ABC Radio program ran the story 05 Feb 2013 neither the EPA or the CEC were 'available', both aware of the scrutiny that Ms Marner would apply to their lies. 

In 3 blogs time; Extreme Turbine Propaganda on ABC Radio August 2012 (deserves a blog all its' own-you'll see what I mean).

Tomorrow: Self Esteem: The Issue I'd Love To Have. (P and F III after that) 

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