John Droz Jr.
AWED
Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions
The purpose of this site is to sort through many thousands of articles, studies and reports on energy matters, select a representative cross-section of informative material, and then organize it in an understandable manner. Clearly there is an enormous amount of subjectivity in executing that simple sentence. (FYI: this website is a successor of WindPowerFacts.info, which has served its purpose for several years. Those using that url are now redirected here.) This is intended to be a relatively fixed reference source — we will primarily make additions when substantial new studies get released.
The basic chronological outline of this site is:
1 – About AWED has three pages providing some background of who we are and what our objectives are.
2 – The New Members page gives the basics that a citizen newly involved with energy matters needs to know.
3 – PR Illusions is also for new members, as they need to be aware of common positions they will encounter.
4 – Essential Reading is the next level of materials that are necessary to learn to be effective in this fight.
5 – Mandates discusses energy edicts, primarily the RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard).
6 – Current News is a list of sources for those who are interested in keeping up with daily energy & environmental news.
7 – Take Action is the desired result once citizens get educated — i.e. they should speak up!
8 – More Technical, Economic, and Environmental Info are three pages of extra material for those who want to go deeper.
9 – Multimedia and Legal (with a special section on leaseholders) are optional pages of additional related information.
10-Global Warming is the elephant in the room, and it references separate pages which discuss Sea Level Rise (SLR), and President Obama’s 2013 Climate/Energy Plan.
A primary objective of this material is to put some balance into what citizens hear about energy and environmental matters from the mainstream media, and most of our academic systems.
A major AWED resource is that our network has over 700 PhDs (from a wide variety of fields) who are committed to real Science. Many of these good people have generously offered to help citizens regarding energy and environmental matters (often for free).
There is also no charge to belong to AWED’s advocacy coalition. We know that most of our network members have already contributed substantial amounts of time and money in fighting local energy issues, and we do not want to add to that burden. We are all about helping YOU and other citizens in getting better energy and environmental policies. Let us know any additions or changes to the site that would be helpful.
[Note: I am not an attorney, so nothing on this website should be misconstrued as giving legal advice. My counsel has always been, and continues to be, to consult with a competent attorney prior to making any legal decisions.]
Although our focus is on the US and Canada, we actually have members all over the world. What is going on in North America, and the solutions to it, apply to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other areas around the globe that have been inflicted with industrial wind energy.
Mission Statement
AWED believes that our government should only support and implement energy and environmental policies that are technically, economically, and environmentally sound
— in short, those that have had a proper scientific assessment.
In achieving our vision, AWED members actively support the premises that:
1 – The planet is experiencing a series of natural and man-made economic and environmental challenges that necessitate the intelligent (i.e. scientifically sound) cooperation of global citizens to manage, mitigate and adjust to these;
2 – Inexpensive, reliable and plentiful electricity is the cornerstone of a strong economy — and this is one of the best economic and job stimulators at our disposal. It is also the basis for our modern society and the underpinning of our national security;
3 – In supplying the electricity needed for our societal needs, a good effort should be made to minimize environmental impact, so as not to undermine our quality of life;
4 – All commercial scale electricity sources have detrimental side effects, so a judicious energy policy would consist of supporting the sources that provide us the most proven NET benefits;
5 – Alternative electricity source should be encouraged, but there must be scientific proof that they at least meet the reliability and cost of existing conventional sources before being allowed onto the public electrical grid system (which is a privilege, not an entitlement). Dispatchability is another necessary factor to consider;
6 – Such scientific assessments should be comprehensive, objective, transparent, and use empirical data;
7 – A comprehensive evaluation of an alternative electricity power source will be an independent analyses of its technical, economic, and environmental impacts. The objective would be to assess whether or not this source is a Net Societal Asset;
8 – When evaluating economic considerations, the affect on businesses, taxpayers, utility ratepayers and any ancillary payers should be of paramount importance;
9 – Delivered electricity efficiency is unacceptably low, primarily due to regulatory restrictions. In light of current environmental and economic conditions, these regulations should be updated and minimized;
10-Working together (organizations, businesses, the government, etc.) on improving the electrical energy sector will result in not only strong economic growth, but a healthier and more satisfactory lifestyle for citizens.