Residents react to new wind-energy plans
Residents react to new wind-energy plans
Debra Williamson stood outside Circle K convenience store on Tehachapi Boulevard. In one hand she held a clipboard with dozens of sign-up sheets. In the other, she held a photo of her sister's property in Old West Ranch, an unincorporated community east of Tehachapi.
“This is what my sister's property looks like now,” Williamson said.
She then folded a transparent sheet with wind generators drawn in black marker over the photo, giving the appearance large turbines rising into the skyline.
“This is what it what it's going to look like if new wind generators are built,” she said.
Williamson said almost 700 people have signed a petition against putting new wind generators in the Tehachapi area.
“It's a wonderful type of power, but it's so close to residential homes,” Williamson said.
The proposed Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project, which would allow for the construction of up to 300 new wind generators, has drawn reactions from Tehachapi residents - much of it negative, according to Old West Ranch Property Owners Association President Merle Carnes.
“We don't want it,” Carnes said of the project.
Carnes said she didn't know about the project until about a month ago.
“They're being sneaky about this,” Carnes said.
According to representatives from Oak Creek Power and Terra-Gen Power - with the latter currently heading up the project - it has been anything but a secret.
“If people didn't know about this project, then they just weren't paying attention,” said Vaughn Johnson, vice president of Oak Creek Energy.
Johnson said the project had been initially planned as far back as eight years ago. And every step of the way has been public record, he said.
Williamson said people signed her petition “90 percent of the time.” Many who chose not to sign either worked for a company that produces wind energy or was close to someone who did, Williamson said.
If she can't keep the wind generators out, Williamson said, she at least wants ones near Old West Ranch moved five miles to the east of their current proposed location.
“We want to keep Tehachapi the way it is,” Williamson said. “Move to Mojave.”
But Johnson said the Tehachapi-area section of the project could not be moved five miles to the east because many wind generators are already there.
On the issue of alerting the skyline, Terra-Gen power said in a statement, “Visual impacts are not new to the area, since wind generation has been prevalent in the general vicinity for nearly 30 years.”
Some residents have already spoken to the companies about leasing their land for the project, which would be built entirely on private land, according to officials from both Oak Creek and Terra-Gen.
“You can't say 100 percent of the people are against it in Old West Ranch,” Carnes said.
Those who are looking to lease are “keeping to themselves,” Carnes said.
Linda Parker, executive director of Kern Wind Energy, said the project would be built in its proposed location because “it is a designated wind-resource area.”
“They have to go where the wind is,” Parker said.
As far being not knowing about the approaching project, Parker said, “You can't really say that people haven't been aware of the project.”
Parker, who has worked in the wind-power industry since 1995, said the project was far from final, and that public comment would be considered.
“Maybe there is a way we can work together and communicate and hear their concerns, and maybe vice versa,” Parker said. “I know if there's comments put in, they will be addressed.”
A public meeting will be held to discuss the project on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Kern County Administrative Center on Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield.
“We're not against wind energy,” Carnes said. “We are willing to sit down and talk with the Alta-Wind folks.”
Parker said wind energy currently brings Kern County $6 million in revenue, with the potential for that number to grow. She said more wind generators would mean more jobs for the Tehachapi-Mojave area.
“Just the jobs alone, it will be phenomenal,” Parker said.
Arthur Unger, member of the Sierra Club's executive committee in Kern County, said the organization tended to favor wind energy, though wind generators had reputations for being “unsightly,” as well as killing bats and birds.
Unger said that no one at the Kern chapter of the Sierra Club had researched the new wind generator project. He said he was “not sure” if anyone at Sierra Club would.
District 2 county Supervisor Don Maben declined comment on the project until after the Nov. 12 meeting.
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Comments
In response to Curious:You say people shouldn't feel they are entitled to a view unless they own the property they want to view. Ok, so what if you DO own the property and the county wants to REZONE the property you own which will take away your view (which is on property you own)??? This is the case in Old West Ranch. You say people want clean engery but don't want to pay the price for it. ALL Old West Ranch residents already produce their own electricity. There are NO public utilites. Old West Ranch residents are very familiar with "green-clean energy and what it takes to produce it. Clean energy for Los Angeles is needed. But why should the people of Tehachapi suffer for the sake of the people of Los Angeles????? I feel like the city of Tehachapi and the community of Old West Ranch are being taken advantage of.
"SILENCE IS CONSENT"
My Sand Canyon home is across the road from the group of windmills located on the north side of the 58 fwy. The winds kicked in for a few weeks recently. The level of noise pollution generated by all of the windmills was aweful. In fact I could hear the windmills, south of the freeway. It sounded like a freeway outdoors, and for 2+ weeks. The sounds of metal rubbing and mechanical parts was overwhelming at times.
There is another serious issue. In the 5 years we have lived in our natural rural environment we have never seen deer, bears, flocks of birds, wild turkeys or much of anything else. Ravens, sparrows, a few ground squirls, gophers, trantulas, frogs, lizards, coyotes and 1 owl are all that are left.
My immediate ecosystem is completely trashed. A neighbor recalled there used to be many more birds especially scrub jays. Another neighbor recalls the army of frogs that used to migrate through the canyon annually. I believe birds populations are severely impacted by windmills. Constant noise is stressful and disrupts adequate sleep cycles that animals require, just like people. Tehachapi is a foggy place for multiple months each year. Migrating birds fly at night. They cannot see windmills in the fog any more than we could do so. They get killed in large numbers.
This leads to the issue at hand in Old West Ranch. I took the drive and spoke with the sister. She gave us a tour of where windmills would go up. This is a vibrant forest with old pines and junipers. It supports habitat with little interference. I saw my first 2 flocks of turkey vultures-ever. Birds are in threat of extinction globally.
The 18 land owners have been solicited by wind farm representatives to sell their properties to them or enter into 95 year leases. They want to get easements in order to access areas for construction. The area is also a significant watershed. Google Earth shows this. If successful at chasing the way residents and purchase the properties, they will own water rights to the springs located there, which are numerous. This can deplete the local water supply.
"Meet the Energy Companies"
Oak Creek Power and Terra-Gen Power Oak Creek Energy Alta Oak Creek Mojave Project.
Oak Creek Energy Systems Inc, a Marubeni Company 4-2, Ohtemachi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8088, Japan Tel: [81] (3) 3282-2111
Terra-Gen Power
NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Terra-Gen Power, LLC, (Terra-Gen), a wholly-owned affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners (ArcLight)- Boston
ArcLight Capital Partners is a leading energy investment Firm. Formed in 2001 by co-founders Daniel R. Revers and Robb E. Turner, the Firm has demonstrated the ability to invest broadly and profitably across the entire energy industry, while protecting against downside risks. The Firm's superior investment performance is the result of the Firm’s conservative investment approach, deep asset-level knowledge, and market experience.ArcLight has a proven track record of delivering superior returns across the energy industry value chain.
ArcLight manages over $6.8 billion in four funds.http://www.arclightcapital.com/
Who is Kern Wind Energy?
There is a trade association for wind companies. Linda Johnson http://www.energy.ca.gov/windguidelines/documents/public_comments/Kern_Wind_Energy_Association_2007-08-22.PDF
It's my personal opinion that our yes-men, the Kern Board of Supervisors, have sold our county to investors. Look out. Our county is about to be raped. Anyone living in our community appreciates the serenity of seeing stars at night and have a connectedness to the environment.
Please stand up and don't allow these companies to put these antiquated windmills everywhere. None of us will benefit from this. To the contrary it will bring more people, crime, air pollution, light pollution, noise pollution like in Bakersfield and Los Angeles, the 2 most polluted cities in the whole US.
A final note: Are any of you aware that Ft. Irwin has relocated the endangered desert turtles 2 times to expand their base. They were removed and relocated the first time during hibrination. When they woke up they were eaten by coyotes and ravens. As it prepares to expand training operations at Ft. Irwin in the Mojave Desert, the U.S. Army is again proposing to move more than 1,100 threatened California desert tortoises -- an unprecedented number of an endangered species that has not fared well during previous relocations. Read on at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/08/desert-tortoise-endangered-species-army-training-.html
Job Opportunites
Temporary at best. There aren't many local experienced wind energy people. It won't benefit our community, unless they're hiring minimum wage entry level personnel for the dirty labor jobs.
Another thing. Companies have no right to shove people aside who have their life savings in their homes. The windmills will render them unsellable. Question: are any developers putting tract homes where windmills are located. If so, where???
I contend no company, poitician, government, investors or individual has the right to do anything they want to do when they own land. It is treason and a crime against humanity to perform acts that may kill me, make me ill or destroy any more ecosystems for profit that can bring starvation to my doorstep. This is personal now. Pollution from chemicals, fossil fuels and man are causing the collapse of our ecosystems. We're only a small slice of the earth and depend on it's health. Yet, the thrust to continue urbanizing. 50% of the world is poor and hungry in part from their ansestors' poor stewardship of their lands and food sources. So what is the US doing? The best, most fertile farmland- our lifeline that should be protected for it's ability to sustain our nation is being converted to useless ground , covered by cement. Personally, I have no intention of facing personal starvation.
Those people involved in allowing further collapse of biodiversity on this 1 planet we all share, that continue to spew poisonous chemical and carcinogens into the air, water, land and food sources are criminals. It's time to treat them for what they are. It starts with our own community. Don Maben has recommended his endorsement of a candidate when he retires. This town needs someone who will represent the best interest of the PEOPLE, not just just economic development. Our environment (and our health) is at risk and we need to seek out candidates for the replacement position who will not turn a deaf ear to globl warming the changes that must take place to rehabilitate us back to a healthy earth. Look guys and gals, we either adapt or we take the way of the dinasours. Take your pick.
"Curious, 500 feet for the tower, generator on top right? - " No Eagle, you are mis-informed. Considering you are the one asking me to do my homework before I comment, have you even read the EIR?
The pdf is available here http://www.co.kern.ca.us/planning/pdfs/eirs/AltaOakCreek/AltaOakCreek_TOC.pdf
Go to section 3.1, page 21 to be precise. You will see they are measured from the top of the foundation to the blade tip (with the blade in the vertical position).