About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Washington State blows away wind fantasies

(The following, from the "Waat's Up With That" website, is another example of the futility of attempts to end the state's fossil fuel power sources)

Ronald Stein October 12th 2020

The Northwest has spoken loudly as the Benton Public Utility District (BPUD) has documented their actual battleground experiences  with intermittent electricity from wind farms that should be a wake-up call to our policy makers.  Their message is "no more wind"

The Washington state utility 16-page report titled "Wind Power and Clean Energy Policy Perspective" of July 14, 2020 provides a devastating counter attack to the wind lobbyists that they question the efficacy of wind farms for power generation and resulted in the utility's commissioners saying they "do not support further wind power development in the Northwest".

Kudos to this Washington state public utility for speaking up after seeing the costs and dangers of California's experience with an over reliance on intermittent electricity from wind and solar.  In a statement and report, the utility said overly aggressive clean energy policies bring about an unacceptably high risk of power grid blackouts.

They go on to say the development of wind farms may be "politically fashionable" and appeal to many in the general public, but science and economics show that attempting to power modern civilization with intermittent electricity from wind and solar will come at a high financial and environmental cost.

The report is consistent with what has happened in Germany and Australia, as power prices in Germany are among the highest in Europe.  Today, German households pay almost 50% more for electricity than they did in 2006.  Shockingly, America, from California to New York, continues to take giant steps toward following Germany's failed climate goals which should be a wake-up call for governments everywhere.







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