Wind turbines not paying off McGUFFEY — When the wind turbines were installed at the Upper Scioto Valley Schools, it was expected the power generated by the system would save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars on its electric bills. To complete the project, build the green lab and make other improvements to the school facility, the district borrowed $860,000 through House Bill 264, which allows districts to borrow against future energy savings. The wind turbines were expected to produce 33,333 kilowatt hours of energy and the district would save between $900 and $1,500 per month. After more than a year of operation, both figures are far short of the predictions, said Steve Canfield, the district’s maintenance director and David Schoonmaker, electrical engineer with H.T. Burnsdorf. Canfield estimated the cost of a kilowatt is 8.7 cents from AEP and the cost from the wind-generated power is less than a penny less than that rate. The cost of solar energy is costing USV 7.9 cent
"They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. The stalks of grain wither and produce nothing to eat. And even if there is grain, foreigners will eat it." - Hosea 8:7