Blowing Clean and Cheap

To the Editor: 
It’s no surprise that “conservative” is a term often self-applied by the right wing. It is often misleadingly applied, though, because too often, it doesn’t mean conserving but rather unwillingness to change or refusal to learn.
Nowhere is that clearer than in a letter to the Herald Oct. 3 about how “wind energy” would raise our electric bills to 30 cents a kWh.
In fact, there are a number of reasons to reject what he wrote, but mainly because he provides no sources; after all, anyone can write numbers. Also because he lumps both offshore wind generation with “interior” wind generation, writing as if there is only one kind.
Making things worse, he then gives outrageously high figures for the “present real cost of wind energy.” His 30 cents per kWh is far higher than even the 19 cents that the ultra-right wing American Tradition Institute gave five years ago.
Both the Department of Energy and Scientific American agree that even with all costs and the subsidies included (the so-called levelized costs), interior wind costs about 5 cents per kWh for new generation. It’s about the same as the best new combined cycle natural gas generation. Visit https://bit.ly/2x3DT3N, then visit the more detailed Department of Energy website at https://bit.ly/2NDZODx for a quick overview (see page seven for a chart).
Interestingly, the highest cost I’ve ever seen of the “true cost” of  “present” wind-generated electricity is 13 cents per kWh in a 2015 article by a Koch brothers’ oil lobby sponsored writer. Read it for yourself at https://bit.ly/2EhNMAl.
In all probability, offshore wind generation is more expensive, although the electricity from the new vineyard wind farm is supposed to cost 6.5 cents per kWh. Even the Koch brothers’ sponsored Institute for Energy Research put the figure for offshore wind at 22 cents per kWh in 2011.
It’s cheaper now, of course, because of improved technology, and cheaper still when New Jersey actually gets offshore wind generation. So, the North Wildwood writer is just flat-out wrong.
Interestingly, “conservatives” rarely mention “conserving” energy. Usage is where the big cost savings are, not in how much each kWh costs, but how many you use.
From April to November, our house comes in the top 10 percent using around 250-300 kWhs per month, according to the information page that Atlantic City Electric sends showing our household usage vs. average. We don’t do anything special other than follow federal guidelines for saving money on utility bills.
It’s really simple and we don’t sacrifice anything. Yet, we save around $60-90 a month while feeling absolutely no pain.
Incidentally, that Energy Information Agency site mentioned above will give you information on hot water usage, heating, etc. Pretty much anything you want to know if you just navigate a bit. It’s a great resource.
Let’s use our heads, and get informed, thus sparing our environment and saving money in the process. And above all, let’s stop choosing up sides.
Incidentally, if you want to see how hard the wind blows and when, go to https://bit.ly/2QJHR8v. It’s from the Brandywine lighthouse in the Delaware Bay, located five miles off North Cape May, which isn’t the ocean, but close enough to give guidance.
In summary, three cheers to Christie for backing solar, and three for Gov. Murphy putting in place the first steps for offshore wind generation.