Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Confidential Memo: Wind Turbine Model Installed at Kahuku has Structural Problems
By Andrew Walden @ 1:53 AM :: 16861 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics

by Andrew Walden

A confidential June, 2009 report by representatives of wind developer First Wind and wind turbine manufacturer Clipper Liberty raised questions about Clipper Liberty wind turbines sited in dozens of wind farms across the United States. Twelve Clipper Liberty turbines were installed in 2010 and early 2011 at the Kahuku Wind Farm at the northern tip of Oahu.

Described in an email, posted online by New York State officials, the confidential presentation to New York State regulators provided, “an overview of the root cause analysis undertaken by Clipper regarding the blade skin crack, an update of the resolution relating to gearbox timing, structural blade remediation, as well as other data regarding Clipper's Liberty turbine.”

The email underlined Clipper Liberty’s insistence that the still-secret document, “is…relating to equipment design and testing of major components of the Clipper Liberty turbine, including the turbine blades, the drivetrain, and other information which is protected by Clipper, the manufacturer.” Attorney Ruth Leistensnider warned that release of the information, “could cause injury to Clipper's competitive position.”

Clipper Liberty was founded by a former Director of Enron Wind. Clipper Liberty Vice President of Engineering is also an Enron Wind veteran.

Five months after the New York presentation, Clipper Liberty stockholders leapt at the chance to unload their shares for £1.80 ($2.81) per share offered by United Technologies.

Eleven months after the New York presentation, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved a power purchase agreement between HECO and First Wind’s Kahuku Wind Power.

There is no record of any Hawaii public discussion of the Clipper Liberty blade skin crack and gearbox timing problems prior to or subsequent to the approval and construction of the Kahuku Wind Farm.

---30---

Full Text Nixon Peabody Letter (pdf)

Dear Records Access Officer 06/03/2009 11:53AM

On June 2, 2009, representatives of First Wind Energy, LLC (Michael Alvarez, President and Chief Operating Officer) and Clipper Windpower, Inc. ("Clipper")(Robert Gates, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations), met with Staff of the Department of Public Service. During that meeting, we provided to Department Staff a presentation labelled (sic) "Confidential", providing an overview of the root cause analysis undertaken by Clipper regarding the blade skin crack, an update of the resolution relating to gearbox timing, structural blade remediation, as well as other data regarding Clipper's Liberty turbine. A copy of this document was left with members of Department Staff present at the meeting, including Steve Blow, Edward Schrom, Richard Quimby, Andrew Davis and James Austin. An electronic version of the document is attached.

Please accept this e-mail as a confirmatory request that this document be protected from disclosure as a confidential document. The information contained in this document is highly confidential, commercially sensitive information relating to equipment design and testing of major components of the Clipper Liberty turbine, including the turbine blades, the drivetrain, and other information which is protected by Clipper, the manufacturer. This information is not publicly available, and would, if disclosed, cause Clipper substantial competitive injury. As a result, we would ask that this information be treated as a trade secret or information which, if disclosed, could cause injury to Clipper's competitive position pursuant to Public Officer's Law Sections 87.2(d) and 89(5) and 16 NYCRR Section 6-1.

Ruth E. Leistensnider, Esq.

Partner Nixon Peabody LLP
677 Broadway, 10th Floor
Albany, New York 12207
Tel: (518) 427-2655
Fax: (866) 947-1299
Cell: (518) 461-3368
e-mail:
RLeistensnider@nixonpeabody.com

---30---

Clipping lots of Birds: Hawaii Windfarms killing endangered Birds: After five years Mitigation Lags

Guess Who’s Paying: Mafia-Connected FirstWind Got $117M in Federal Loans for Kahuku Windfarm

Or not: Lawsuit targets "Illegal" $117M Federal Loan Guarantee for Kahuku Windfarm

History: Hawaii Wind Developer tied to Largest-ever asset seizure by anti-Mafia police

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii