ALL they wanted was a peaceful life in the beautiful Hepburn region. Then Simon Holmes à Court came to town with his virtue-signalling, symbolic ‘energy’, industrial wind turbine monstrosities.
NOW, their once innocent and idyllic lives are forever ruined.
Britain’s gone nine days with almost no wind generation, and forecasts show the calm conditions persisting for another two weeks.
The wind drought has pushed up day-ahead power prices to the highest level for the time of year for at least a decade. Apart from a surge expected around June 14, wind levels are forecast to stay low for the next fortnight, according to The Weather Company.
“People would’ve started worrying about brownouts,” Elchin Mammadov, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence said. “This shows that relying on wind, solar and batteries to supply the majority of our power is reckless for energy security.”
On Wednesday, wind generated about 4.3 percent of the U.K.’s electricity. Coal output has dropped near zero. Gas and nuclear have picked up the slack with 54 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to data from National Grid Plc.
The weather can be fickle and the government has to make sure that there is enough back up generation for times when the wind isn’t blowing. Greg Clark, secretary of state for business energy and industrial strategy announced Monday that the U.K. will take the next step toward agreeing to help Hitachi Ltd. finance a new nuclear reactor.
ANY national grid system reliant on unreliables – wind and solar – and the whims of the weather, is doomed for failure – energy poverty, blackouts and brownouts!
As STT readers know all too well – the wind weasel is low. But the lowest of the low are those kings of smarm that promote and run so called “Community” wind farms.
Australia has its own “community” wind farm at Leonard’s Hill in Victoria.
Known as “Hepburn Wind”, it was set up by a bunch of smart Alecs who pulled up in Mercs and Beemers one day and decided to impose their brand of “groovy” corporate tyranny on a tight-knit little community who had no idea what was coming.
The people behind it couldn’t care less about the impact on ordinary people – they’re “saving the planet” – and the suffering of those trying to live next to their little monuments is a sacrifice that the backers are more than willing to make – of course they are – they all live in plush digs in the quiet, leafy suburbs of Melbourne, 120km away.
If you think the stories of Hepburn Wind’s victims are any less tragic than the stories at Fairhaven, think again. Here are just two of the many tragic victims at Leonard’s Hill.
These long suffering souls have Simon Holmes a Court to thank for their endless, daily misery.
Simon has been running around like the proverbial headless chook over the last couple of months. Apparently, Simon is very worried about what a Coalition government will do for his plans for another “Community” wind farm.
He’s had a go at trying to ingratiate himself with SA’s favourite Greek, Nick Xenophon and – when his smarmy overtures failed – he resorted to veiled threats about what opposing wind power would mean to Nick’s political future. Nick politely showed him the door.
We guess the “threat” took the form of lining up with Vestas and Co to pour $millions into the Green’s efforts to unseat Nick to help save ex-Martian, Sarah Hanson-Young. Nice try – it wasn’t money well spent – Sarah’s got a date with the political dustbin on Saturday.
Not content with that little effort, Slimin’ Simon has tried to worm his way into the long suffering Macarthur community. He was all “sweetness and light” in his correspondence with Annie Gardner – Simon wanted to “visit” so he could “experience” what it was like to live next a “real” wind farm.
The ploy lasted just as long as it took Annie to rumble him and put terms to him about his “visit” that included making sure he came with Liberal MPs, Craig Kelly, Chris Back and Angus Taylor in tow – and that there would be full media coverage, including Graham Lloyd from The Australian – for the duration of his “farm stay”.
Needless to say, Simon has gone quiet on that score.
STT has a tip for our Macarthur readers – if he turns up – lock the doors and windows. He’ll eventually go away.
And STT has a couple of tips for Simon – worry less about your plans to put together another community atrocity – and worry more about what happens when the Coalition starts investigating the REC fraud.
The Clean Energy Regulator might be sitting on their hands at the minute, but give it a week or two. The new head boy has already signalled he’s not going to turn a blind eye to REC fraud. And STT hears the REC fraud story is about to run in a number of major papers. But remember folks – you heard it here first.
Hepburn Wind is in the same league as Acciona’s Waubra wind farm. STT’s seen work from independent acoustic experts that shows Hepburn’s operation does not and can not comply with the noise conditions of its planning consent. Collecting RECs when in breach of State law – for eg, the noise conditions of a planning consent – is unlawful.
So, Simon – you might want to worry more about chickens coming home to roost at Hepburn – rather than running about like one with its head removed – using your considerable “charm” to pressure Senators and MPs, and trying to inveigle yourself at Macarthur.
Simon – the “game” is over – after Saturday, the grown ups will be back in charge. The end is nigh.
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