Wind power a real moneymaker ... when turned off

[rangerrebew]

Wind power a real moneymaker ... when turned off
Energy farms paid more to shut down than to generate electricity
Published: 12 hours ago
 

This sounds like a green scheme cooked up by Al Gore.

First, raise the alarm over “global warming,” make a national commitment to provide subsidies to develop wind power to generate renewable “clean energy” with a minimum carbon footprint and then subsidize wind-farm owners and investors to not only periodically power down, but pay them more than they would earn if they continued operating.

Such was the arrangement last year for wind farms in the U.K., the London Telegraph reported.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2018/01/wind-power-a-real-moneymaker-when-turned-off/#AEb9evlX0HB6ay6z.99

[thackney]

A bit more info:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/08/wind-farms-paid-100m-switch-power/

Wind farms were paid more than £100 million last year to switch off their turbines and NOT produce electricity,...

...Incredibly, the wind farms receive on average 40 per cent more cash when they are switched off than when they are producing electricity, according to an analysis of official figures....

...The money is paid out by the National Grid but is ultimately charged to consumers and added on to electricity bills....

...According to the REF, constraint payments totalled a record £108 million in 2017, compared to less than £6 million in 2012. In the past five years, wind farm owners have been paid £367 million in constraint payments.

Almost all the  payments were made to wind farms in Scotland which has seen a rapid growth in the industry. While England has largely put a brake on onshore farms, the Scottish government has continued to encourage the wind industry....