Wind Turbines

[AP Panther Fan]

Looks like we will be seeing more of these being unloaded and transported locally.:thumbsup:

Mustang04...we are doing our part to keep you employed. ;) (well except for the part about raising the tariff on wind energy equipment).

Here's the article....

Port to get more wind turbines
Shipment from a second firm will arrive Thursday

BY FANNY S. CHIRINOS
Caller-Times
Originally published 01:00 a.m., June 13, 2007
Updated 02:42 a.m., June 13, 2007

The Port of Corpus Christi is becoming the premier port for wind energy equipment, port Chairman Ruben Bonilla said.

The port awaits Thursday's arrival of the first ship carrying wind turbine equipment for Vestas Group, a Dutch company known as the world's largest supplier of wind power systems. Vestas is the second company in less than a year to send equipment to the port before sending it via trucks and rail throughout the state.

The port has unloaded more than 20 vessels of equipment for Siemens Power Generation Inc. since November. Siemens ships equipment to Central and West Texas via the ports of Duluth, Minn.; Longview, Wash.; Houston; and Beaumont. The Corpus Christi port was chosen to replace the two other Texas ports because of its convenience.

Vestas is expected to ship 21 turbines in June and July, said John Valls, the port's marketing manager. The first shipment of tower sections will arrive onboard the Nassau Borg with more vessels to arrive each 10 to 12 days for the next 12 months, said Michael Perez, the port's director of business development.

"We hear a lot of rhetoric about alternative energy but (the port) is doing something about it," Bonilla said.

"We're also becoming the energy capital in America. We have 5 percent of the petrochemical refineries and we also have the coal degasification plant from Tondu Corporation. We have a diverse energy portfolio and this will help drive energy costs in the long run."

LaRue expects the same kind of activity that Siemens has produced for the port and he doesn't anticipate any congestion from dealing with two companies. The Siemens deal brought in about $225,000 in revenue.

Commissioners approved a tariff hike on Tuesday on wind energy equipment from $1.90 a ton to $2.70 a ton. Officials from Vestas' U.S. office did not immediately return calls on Tuesday.

The Vestas deal is expected to generate $1 million if the port receives the amount of cargo it anticipates, Perez said. Three other wind energy equipment companies are interested in doing business with the port and officials plan to make improvements to lots on the north side of the harbor to accommodate more business, he added.

According to Vestas' Web site, the company has more than 30,000 wind turbines generating electricity around the globe. Vestas was established in 1898 as Smith Hansen and has 13,018 employees worldwide.

[charlesrixey]

nuclear power is hundreds of times more cost effective, requiring less land and providing cheaper power

[Pudlugger]

The port is all excited about this, so what do they do? They approve a tariff hike of 40%! That should encourage more imports of turbines, yeah right. Tax your way to prosperity, works every time. /s

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by Pudlugger
The port is all excited about this, so what do they do? They approve a tariff hike of 40%! That should encourage more imports of turbines, yeah right. Tax your way to prosperity, works every time. /s


I agree. I was disappointed when I got to that part of the article. It seems that they are slapping the hand that has the potential to feed them rather well based on the rest of the article.

Greediness... :mad:

[Pudlugger]

Originally posted by charlesrixey
nuclear power is hundreds of times more cost effective, requiring less land and providing cheaper power

Yes and much safer nowadays. Thanks to the hysteria in the 70's ( remember Jack Lemon in The China Syndrome?) we have very few nucs while Europe with all their envroweenies have hundreds of them, functioning perfectly too.

We also need a mix of wind, solar and clean coal burning plants to maintain a healthy diversity of energy sources in the coming decades.

[Pudlugger]

Here in Texas we need a new law giving property tax exemptions and other incentives to ranchers with 30 or more acres who install small wind turbines on their land (limit one per 30 acres) and require electricity providers to credit the energy they put into the grid and prevent the electric companies from raising rates to offset the lost revenue. That way ranchers could power their well pumps and much of their energy needs without taxing the grid and save precious money and resources in the process. Talk to your state rep about this plan, it has potential IMO.

[CalallenWildcat]

I'm glad the Port is making money bringing in parts for alternative energy sources...but have you ever been behind one of these things as it's getting on Interstate 37 in the morning? I was almost late to school one morning because I had to sit and wait five minutes for a wind turbine to get onto the freeway and cut over to the SPID ramp so it could make its way out to Hwy 44.

Word of advice: Don't travel along the stretch of 37 Northbound between Navigation and SPID between 8-830 AM without budgeting time in case they are getting turbines onto the road. And now, with the new deal, this may be getting ready to occur even more often.

[CalallenWildcat]

Originally posted by Pudlugger
Here in Texas we need a new law giving property tax exemptions and other incentives to ranchers with 30 or more acres who install small wind turbines on their land (limit one per 30 acres) and require electricity providers to credit the energy they put into the grid and prevent the electric companies from raising rates to offset the lost revenue. That way ranchers could power their well pumps and much of their energy needs without taxing the grid and save precious money and resources in the process. Talk to your state rep about this plan, it has potential IMO.

I'm not going to get into politics on this board...but for various reasons I think your plan is a good idea.

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by Pudlugger
Here in Texas we need a new law giving property tax exemptions and other incentives to ranchers with 30 or more acres who install small wind turbines on their land (limit one per 30 acres) and require electricity providers to credit the energy they put into the grid and prevent the electric companies from raising rates to offset the lost revenue. That way ranchers could power their well pumps and much of their energy needs without taxing the grid and save precious money and resources in the process. Talk to your state rep about this plan, it has potential IMO.


Awesome idea, but do you think it might be cost prohibitive for the farmers and ranchers? I'm not sure what these things cost, even smaller ones. The long term effect would be great though.

[Pudlugger]

Well with volume you get economy and if I am right thousands of ranchers would sign on to a coop to purchase these turbines. A
small one that would produce enough power to drive a well pump and maybe a barn or out building's power needs would probably cost as much as a medium priced SUV or a good tractor, very doable for most folks. It would pay for itself with a 10% property tax offset and reduced energy bills.

[AP Panther Fan]

The Small Business Administration and/or the USDA/FSA could create special loan programs with incentives as well.

Seems that a State entity that should be willing to do this also...the key word being should.