Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Trump takes on Palm Springs wind power

The morning newspaper has this story: "Don’t count Donald Trump among fans of wind power. On Monday, the developer and “Apprentice” host went on the record — Twitter — with his thoughts about the wind turbines that line the roads leading to Palm Springs. “Ugly wind turbines have destroyed the entrance to Palm Springs, CA," he tweeted, “These monstrosities are ruining landscapes all over the globe—expensive; bad electric." And he meant it. In a follow-up interview with The Desert Sun, Trump confirmed his anti-wind power stance. “[It’s] like driving into a sad person’s version of Disneyland,” he said. “And of course [the turbines] kill all the birds in the area. A friend of mine said that an area that used to be so beautiful is now strewn with rusting hulks." The reaction to Trump’s tweet was swift — both on Twitter and in the Coachella Valley. “Tell him to look again at night. Also, tell him that only HE can afford the huge power bills we would have without them,” wrote David Ross on Facebook. “There are many uglier things that could be there.” Fred Bell of Noble & Company, a renewable energy firm based in Palm Desert, says he respects Trump’s business acumen, but disagrees with his comments. “We have two resources here in Palm Springs,” said Bell. “Wind and tremendous solar resources. Both are unequalled anywhere else in the United States. To not harvest those in a responsible manner and take advantage of the low cost of power would be irresponsible to the environment.” Miss Penny Lane says: Shes ready for the cool winds to blow in.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugly, Ugly, Ugly....I agree with Trump...they have ruined the natural beauty of the desert. Affordable energy? NOT! Without the Feds throwing our tax money at wind power there would be no turbines. This is the most expensive way to generate electricity.

Anonymous said...

Look at the source of the comment. Are we surprised?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I look to Donald Trump when I want to know what is and is not good taste....

Anonymous said...

Trump is a chump on a lot of stuff, but on this point, he is spot-on. Wind power has been a bit of boon-doggle, simply because the power generated cannot be directly transmitted to the grid and excess energy from it, cannot be efficiently stored. Also, the wind isn't very predictable. So, its reliability, leaves a lot to be desired. Aesthetically, the Donald is right, they are eye sores.