Wind farm proposed along N.C. coast

“We don't have any zoning ordinances about wind turbines”

There may be gold blowing in the wind if a Raleigh couple succeeds in building a wind farm in Carteret County to help meet North Carolina's need for renewable energy. via The Charlotte Observer

[HILDA E DAVIS IN NC]

I own the land and home next to the property the Paul's want to erect three (3) wind turbines that will stand 475 ft tall with a span of 271 ft on a parcel of land surrounded by 13 building lots or homes connecting to his property, not to mention the home across the highway.

To allow the Paul's permission in Carteret County to erect these monstrosities in a residential neighborhood under the Counties current codes would be a tragedy. Under the present codes they would only be required to use a 15 ft setback from the lot line. My home is seperated from their land by a 25ft driveway to property to my rear. That would put them 40ft from my home. Can you imagine having something like that erected next to your home?

I've asked the County Commissioners to update their antiquated codes and restrictions to protect the property owners of Carteret County, not just the Bettie area. They may be at my back door this time, but the next applicant could be in Cape Carteret, Harkers Island, Gloucester, Morehead City, Beaufort, Newport, anywhere in our county. In Pennsylvania they require a setback line of 1800 feet from the nearest structure.

The only existing one of the magnitude of the ones to be erected here is located in Currituck County, NC. The U.S.Park Service erected one (1) to supply power to a public restroom and their codes require a foot setback for each foot of height. This may be ok on the beach, but certainly doesn't sound feasible for a residential neighborhood. In Pa. they had a piece of a turbine blow off during strong winds and it was stated it blew 500 feet from the stand.

I have no problem with new sources of power. These things are all over California, Texas, Arizona, etc., but they aren't anywhere near homes or residential neighborhoods, some are even built in the water. They are called "Wind Mill Farms" where there is nothing else but the wind mills.

I've ask our Commissioners to determine who will be liable should any damage occur from the erection of these turbines. In dealing with the unknown, we have a right to know who will be responsible.

We know the Paul's are getting a Federal Grant, so they're not investing their own money, our government is giving it to them, along with tax breaks for many years on the income earned from monies received from Progress Energy that will pay them for the power produced.

The Paul's have stated they like the appearance of the windmills. That's great, and they are certainly entitled to their own opinions. If they like them so much, why don't they put them in their own back yards in Raleigh, not here in our back yards. They don't intend to move to Carteret County for 10 to 12 years they've stated. Well you can bet I won't hold my breath until they make the move.

Personally, I have enough trouble getting to sleep when it's peaceful and quiet, god forbid every getting any sleep listening to three of those turbines running constantly 24-7. There have been studies done in regard to illnesses related to these things, hopefully, I can pass the information on to everyone involved so they can have a clear understanding of what these things can do to people, not to mention what they would do to our property values if they're allowed to be erected near our homes.

[Edgy Neighbor]

Is the public aware that siting industrial wind turbines near dwellings has been found to be the
cause of vibroacoustic disease? See findings of the Second International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise, September 20-21, 2007; pages 2 & 3 at:

http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp-conten...

This is a public health issue.

[Gaelic-Ioudaious]

Edgy Neighbor wrote:

Is the public aware that siting industrial wind turbines near dwellings has been found to be the
cause of vibroacoustic disease? See findings of the Second International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise, September 20-21, 2007; pages 2 & 3 at:
http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp-conten...
This is a public health issue.

Exactly where will the start geographically? Keep me informed, I have loved ones down there. What will this do to property values, etc.?

[Concerned for our future]

I support the wind turbines. For once, Carteret County has a chance to be a leader in the implementation of sustainable technology instead of lagging behind as usual.

I am sure that with 33 acres to work with, the Pauls can figure out a way to put them more than 15ft from your property line. Sure, let's create some larger setbacks. But it would be terrible to prevent this altogether.

...and if Raleigh had enough wind for the turbines then you would probably see them there already.

[concerned]

"I support the wind turbines. For once, Carteret County has a chance to be a leader in the implementation of sustainable technology instead of lagging behind as usual.

I am sure that with 33 acres to work with, the Pauls can figure out a way to put them more than 15ft from your property line. Sure, let's create some larger setbacks. But it would be terrible to prevent this altogether.

...and if Raleigh had enough wind for the turbines then you would probably see them there already."

Wrong. Theres a reason they aren't building them in their backyard and it has nothing to do with the wind.

The only reason they are 'sustainable' is because of huge taxpayer subsidies and taxbreaks, the largest in the energy industry. Without the taxbreaks they would not exist. Period. Despite a huge building effort based on wind lobbyist misinformation they only account for four tenths of ONE PERCENT of US energy. They will never replace even one fossil fuel power plant, indeed they will cause more to be built as they are unreliable and have very poor capacity. They actually cause problems for the power companies the more that come online. That is why the Scandanavian companies, Spain, the UK and other European countries are getting out of building them there and those companies are coming here to build them. If it were a free market purely wind energy would be gone. You need to read a bit more. Sure it sounds green and trendy. I thought so too until I took a minute to check it out a bit. In a nutshell, it would be a disaster for those near these things. Totally destroy their quality of life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch...
(check out part 2 and 3 also)

http://www.aweo.org/ProblemWithWind.html

[Obama is a horrable man]

Wind turbines YAY!!!!!!!!!!

[NativeGoneWilde]

I hope a Hurricane rips them dow, and everything on the beach too, carteret county has been destroyed ever since they promoted tourism.

[Steve Z]

The Paul's are into Green Money...not Green Energy. That...is the *Wind Game* and they are currently a contestant.

They are trying to cut your throats with devious moves and cunning rhetoric. All is fair when it comes to war. Are you going to let them dictate your future? Stand up and FIGHT for your Rights!

The setbacks are preposterous, ignorant and unsafe. Nelson Paul does not give a darn about you...REMEMBER THAT! All he cares about is his notoriety and money.

The writing is on the wall my friends. Read it and do something about it... before it's too late.

[Gaelic-Ioudaious]

Isn't this better than nuclear energy?
I am thinking of installing some in the Vineyard.

[ENC]

33 acres of land, while possibly zoned residential, isn't really a suburban neighborhood. The turbines are only required to be 15 feet away, but I'm guessing with 33 acres, they'll be much farther.
The reason turbines account for so small of a percentage of energy is because they have not been constructed en masse. And, yes, they cause trouble to power companies because the companies are set to run off "traditional" forms of energy and not wind power. Wind power is actually extremely efficient, and the comment about them being unsustainable b/c of the subsidies makes no sense. Yes, they get subsidies, but I would argue the subsidy is necessary to get the ball rolling on sustainable energy. Once it becomes profitable, it will take off, the gov. removes the subsidy, and the turbines operate in the free market.
We are facing an energy and environmental crisis in the United States, and it's wrong to stand in the way of that for purely aesthetic reasons.
I'm not sure about the disease caused by being near the turbines, but I doubt they would be allowed to be installed if officials thought there were any risk in them.

[who cares]

No wind turbines.We dont need any man made monsters blocking the scenery.A better option would be sea tide turbines.Besides we have alot more calm days.Than people think.Oh no reason Raleigh cant put them on some of those big bulidings.Or solar panels as far as that goes.Nope we dont want wind turbines on the coast.So just let it go,people.

[By Jeff Hampton]

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/piece-piece-n... by piece, N.C. shoreline is preserved
Posted to: News North Carolina

By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 10, 2008

STATE WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST Tommy Hughes drove a four-wheel-drive over a muddy trail Wednesday through the latest tract set aside along the Alligator River.

Deep within the tall pines unseen were some of the biggest black bears in North Carolina, rare red wolves and endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Hughes and others from several agencies led a tour through part of 8,476 acres along the Alligator River in Tyrrell County that were purchased for $8.2 million. Now, nearly all 75 miles of shoreline along the river have been preserved for wildlife.

Freshwater wetlands, salt marshes and wooded swamps are home to large mammals such as bear and red wolves. The river and its tributaries serve as spawning grounds for fish such as striped bass. The red-cockaded woodpeckers live in the old pines there.

"It's such a diverse area from an ecological standpoint," Hughes said.

No other river in the state has a higher percentage of its shoreline preserved, said Fred Annand, associate director of The Nature Conservancy.

Annand has been negotiating for six years to buy the property from owners who were logging it, he said.

Using grants from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission bought 5,101 acres. Meanwhile, The Nature Conservancy bought 3,375 acres to hold for the state until more funding is available.

Preservation along the Alligator River began in 1984, when Prudential Life Insurance donated 118,000 acres to The Nature Conservancy. The land was turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the form the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service later bought other tracts, increasing the refuge to more than 150,000 acres.

Valued at $50 million, it was the largest conservation donation in history at the time. Creation of the refuge ultimately allowed the Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce four pairs of red wolves to the region. Now there are about 150 there.

In the years since the initial donation, The Nature Conservancy, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the state and others have set aside 270,000 acres of protected land along the river that features two national wildlife refuges, thousands of acres of state game lands and a coastal reserve.

[SCYTHIAN-HANOVER IANS]

NativeGoneWilde wrote:

I hope a Hurricane rips them dow, and everything on the beach too, carteret county has been destroyed ever since they promoted tourism.

A Native also. Let us NOT wish a hurricane, OK?
More damage than the windmills.
Do a little study on the windmills, they are actually interesting. I plan on one here in New Kent, VA for the Vineyard and the house, for outages. One windmill I have,serves a purpose now.
Tourism started when we were teens.
Yes,it is a disaster to the locals, but, such is life.

[SCYTHIAN-HANOVER IANS]

By Jeff Hampton wrote:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/0 4/piece-piece-nc-shoreline-pre servedPiece by piece, N.C. shoreline is preserved
Posted to: News North Carolina
By Jeff Hampton
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 10, 2008
STATE WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST Tommy Hughes drove a four-wheel-drive over a muddy trail Wednesday through the latest tract set aside along the Alligator River.
Deep within the tall pines unseen were some of the biggest black bears in North Carolina, rare red wolves and endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Hughes and others from several agencies led a tour through part of 8,476 acres along the Alligator River in Tyrrell County that were purchased for $8.2 million. Now, nearly all 75 miles of shoreline along the river have been preserved for wildlife.
Freshwater wetlands, salt marshes and wooded swamps are home to large mammals such as bear and red wolves. The river and its tributaries serve as spawning grounds for fish such as striped bass. The red-cockaded woodpeckers live in the old pines there.
"It's such a diverse area from an ecological standpoint," Hughes said.
No other river in the state has a higher percentage of its shoreline preserved, said Fred Annand, associate director of The Nature Conservancy.
Annand has been negotiating for six years to buy the property from owners who were logging it, he said.
Using grants from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission bought 5,101 acres. Meanwhile, The Nature Conservancy bought 3,375 acres to hold for the state until more funding is available.
Preservation along the Alligator River began in 1984, when Prudential Life Insurance donated 118,000 acres to The Nature Conservancy. The land was turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the form the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service later bought other tracts, increasing the refuge to more than 150,000 acres.
Valued at $50 million, it was the largest conservation donation in history at the time. Creation of the refuge ultimately allowed the Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce four pairs of red wolves to the region. Now there are about 150 there.
In the years since the initial donation, The Nature Conservancy, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the state and others have set aside 270,000 acres of protected land along the river that features two national wildlife refuges, thousands of acres of state game lands and a coastal reserve.

Thanks, good article.