• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Retired utility executive says wind power won’t make money

Retired utility executive says wind power won’t make money

May 21, 2005 By admin

A retired utility company executive tried but failed this past week to convince his colleagues wind power isn’t a money-maker. Representative Ralph Watts, a Republican from Adel, has a degree in electrical engineering. “Ladies and gentlemen of the House, I think the technology is very well understood with respect to wind energy and the fact is it can’t survive without a (tax) subsidy, ever,” Watts said. Watts talked for over half an hour during debate on a bill that would offer state tax breaks to Iowans who buy small wind turbines or other machines that convert “alternative” fuels like switchgrass to energy. Watts said coal-fired plants produce cheaper energy that what’s produced by a wind turbine. “The air in the United States has become cleaner over the last 30 years, so what are we really financing here? Are we financing clean air that we have already?” Watts asked. Watts also offered this rebuttal to the arguments of those who say Iowa needs to start producing its own energy, and wind turbines are an excellent source of electricity. Watts said coal is “remanufactured” in coal-fired plants and makes “fairly cheap” electricity. Watts tried other, more complicated arguments, but lost in the end. The House passed the bill and Governor Vilsack is expected to sign it.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Legislature, Utilities

Featured Stories

Abortion opponents call for ‘life at conception’ law to ban all abortions

Bill would limit placement of solar arrays on farm ground

Marquette casino moving to land, leaving only 2 casino boats in Iowa

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI looks to end skid at Evansville

No. 11 Iowa State visits West Virginia

Fast start boosts Drake at Murray State

No coaching changes coming for Iowa football

Iowa State names new receivers coach

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC