I got an email from a feller that seems upset about what Face the State had to say about the Wray Turbine’s non-functionality. I thought you all would enjoy it;
Hello,
Please see the following letter to the editor/op-ed submission:
A few days ago, Face The State broke the news that a wind turbine that was supposed to be producing clean energy to offset the emissions from the Democratic National Convention in Denver in fact produces no electricity at all. Apparently, “massive equipment malfunctions” have kept the wind turbine offline ever since its ribbon cutting last February.
The criticism from the right has been quick and fierce: one Colorado Republican lawmaker called the DNC’s plan to green its convention a fraud. Another called it a sham. Blogs on the right have labeled the plan a boondoggle and a scandal.
None of those characterizations are remotely true. The wind turbine project in Wray, Colorado was third-party verified and additional – meaning the project wouldn’t have been built without the funding from the sale of carbon offsets. (Ironically, had the wind turbine in Wray been producing electricity all along, critics might have attacked it for not being additional.)
Even if the turbine isn’t producing electricity now, it will eventually. And viewing the money the project received from carbon offsets as anything other than a long-term investment in the future of the local community and the health of the planet would be short-sighted and narrow. NativeEnergy, the offset marketer that sources the project for the DNC (and a direct competitor of ours) deserves credit for helping get the turbine built, not criticism.
The real problem in the case of the Wray turbine is not that money spent to support it was misappropriated, but rather that one, carelessly chosen project could come to taint public perception of the entire voluntary carbon market. In fact, the voluntary carbon market is booming and having a real impact on global warming, in spite of some high profile marketing blunders.
On one level, the situation highlights what people are most afraid the carbon offset industry doing – taking money and providing nothing in return. But carbon offsets exist precisely to provide that influx of capital. Without it, we’re going to have a difficult time transitioning to a clean energy economy.
NativeEnergy’s statement on the episode, posted on its website, is essentially correct: “The situation clearly demonstrates why renewable energy projects like this project need upfront capital to overcome challenges on their path to operation.”
The Wray wind turbine may need an extra part. It may need more attention from the school district that is managing it. But this is no scandal or boondoggle.
- Russell Simon
Carbonfund.org
Best,
Russell Simon
Communications Manager
Carbonfund.org Foundation
rsimon@carbonfund.org
(240) 334-3681
That ought to teach us all a lesson! 
You don’t suppose anyone might tell us just how much money the school district is getting in these carbon footprint deals? 
Wray School District Wind Turbine Project – Update
Sometimes ordinary people who attempt to do extraordinary things encounter unforeseen challenges. The school district in the small, rural town of Wray, CO has faced a few challenges they could not predict in developing their renewable energy project. Their wind turbine, the first large-scale wind turbine in our nation to be owned and operated commercially by a school district, was scheduled to be online by now. But a malfunctioning power converter created unavoidable delays. Replacing this component was further complicated when the U.S. distributor of the Danish-made wind turbine recently changed ownership. The malfunctioning component is now being replaced, so the turbine should be fully operational in early August. The wind turbine will generate electricity, environmental benefits, and educational opportunities, as well as reduced energy costs for the Wray School District.
NativeEnergy’s unique forward stream model brings upfront financing to help new renewable energy projects like the Wray School District wind turbine get built. Once the project achieves commercial operation we purchase the offsets on behalf of our clients. The time period over which the offsets are generated commences after commercial operation is achieved, which, in the case of the Wray School District project will be after the component is replaced on its wind turbine.
This situation clearly demonstrates why new renewable energy projects like this project need upfront capital – including the financing provided by NativeEnergy’s community – to overcome challenges on their path to operation. It also demonstrates that well-designed and financed community-based projects can be successfully developed, and importantly, that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
For more information about our methodology, detailed answers on commonly asked questions relating to carbon offsets, e.g., “How do you estimate how much CO2 pollution is reduced?”, “Are some carbon offsets better than others?”, and “What if my project breaks down?”, please visit our web site at: http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/faq_s/15.php. For our terms and conditions, please visit: http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/terms_and_conditions/93.php
Why haven’t the offsets the DNCC purchased been generated yet?
That is exactly how NativeEnergy’s forward stream approach works!
Your purchase of offsets from the Wray School project helps the project secure the funding it needs to get built, so it can then do its job – generate electricity, environmental and social and educational benefits for the Wray School District and its community. With our “Help Build” model your offsets are generated and permanently retired over the life of the project.
learn more at http://www.NativeEnergy.com
Comment by Billy Connelly — July 30, 2008 @ 1:44 am