Offshore Wind Affirmative

[Offshore Wind Affirmative] WDW 2k8
Table of Contents
Inherency – Property Rights...................................................................................................... .....................2
Under the Property Clause of the Constitution, private parties are not allowed access to offshore lands for
the purpose of building farms....................................................................................................... .................2
Inherency –Production Tax Credit................................................................................................. ..................3
RPS Offshore wind link.................................................................................................................. .................4
Harms – High demand for wind in future ................................................................................................... ....5
Offshore better than onshore................................................................................................................. ........6
They say fish harmed.................................................................................................................................. ...8
Offshore wind farm development will not harm fish population; population growth will be encouraged. ......8
Solvency – proven consistency........................................................................................... ...........................9
Solvency – Denmark proves................................................................................................................ .........10
Solvency – State economy benefit............................................................................................. ..................11
Solvency – electrical production................................................................................................................. ..12
Solvency – electrical production con’t.................................................................................................. ........13
Offshore wind farms could generate enough power for entire US................................................ ................13
Solvency – price sustainability.................................................................................................. ...................14
Economic Advantage......................................................................................................... ..........................15
Economic Advantage con't. ..................................................................................................................... ....16
Local and State Economies Benefit from Jobs Created by Windfarms................................ ..........................16
Environment Advantage............................................................................................... ...............................18
Environment Advantage con’t................................................................................................................. .....19
Biodiversity advantage......................................................................................................... .......................21
Solvency – government necessary...................................................................................................... .........22
Topicality – wind tax incentives substantial.............................................................................................. ....23
Solvency – offsets global warming ............................................................................................ ..................24
Solvency – offsets global warming con’t............................................................................... .......................25
Solvency – Production Tax Credit................................................................................. ................................26
Solvency – Production Tax Credit con’t. ................................................................................................. ......27
They Say: States Do Plan...................................................................................................... .......................28
A/T – states disadvantage ............................................................................................................. ..............29
K Answers................................................................................................................................ ....................30
Solvency – relieves gas prices.................................................................................................................... ..31
Solvency extension....................................................................................................................... ...............32
Turbines only require 48 hours of maintenance per year........................................................ .....................32
Solvency – decrease FF dependence........................................................................................................... .33
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Inherency – Property Rights

Under the Property Clause of the Constitution, private parties are
not allowed access to offshore lands for the purpose of building
farms.
Martin and Smith, 04
(Boston College Environmental Affairs, “The World’s Largest Wind Energy Facility in Nantucket Sound?
Deficiences in the Current Regulatory Process for Offshore Wind Energy Development”, 04, accessed online
July 7, 2008, http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bcealr/31_2/04_FMS.htm )
Under current law, there are no means by which a private party such as Cape Wind may obtain property
rights from the United States to occupy federal submerged offshore lands for activities such as those Cape
Wind proposes. The DOI, which bears primary responsibility under the OCSLA for administering the
regulatory program for the exploitation of OCS mineral resources, formally represented the state of the law
in its letter to Vice President Cheney, cited above. Therefore, at the time it issued the permit, the Corps
had certain knowledge that Cape Wind did not and would not possess the requisite property interest to
undertake the activity contemplated by the application. Only an act of Congress could grant such an
interest. No agency of the executive branch may authorize the use of federal lands without congressional
authorization, as such power is reserved to Congress under the Property Clause of the Constitution.
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Inherency –Production Tax Credit

Production Tax Credit for Wind Energy Fails in Senate
Business Wire, 2008.
Business Wire, Tax Revenues from Wind Farms More Than Offset Tax Incentive, GE Study Estimates. Date
accessed: July 8, 2008.
Accessed on Proquest.
GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE (NYSE: GE), unveiled today a study estimating that a federal tax
incentive set to expire Dec. 31 for wind energy projects more than pays for itself through tax revenues
from the projects' income, vendors' profits and individual workers' wages. The study - released at the
American Council on Renewable Energy's Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York - estimated that
wind farms built in 2007, supported by the production tax credit, carry a net present value benefit to the
US Treasury of $250 million. "Congress is debating how to pay for the wind tax credits perhaps without
realizing that, over time, wind farms pump more money into the US Treasury and state and local coffers
than they take out," Kevin Walsh, Managing Director of renewable energy at GE Energy Financial Services,
said at the conference today. "Our study shows that the wind farms more than pay for themselves through
existing tax revenues, so it's time to renew the incentives immediately." The production tax credit for wind
- as well as similar incentives for solar and other renewable energy sources - has expired three times in the
past nine years, each time causing a 76-90 percent drop in installed capacity from the previous year. The
most recent attempt to renew the incentive failed earlier this month in a US Senate vote that centered on
how to offset the cost of the production tax credit with tax revenues. "Too often, politics, rather than
economics, has shaped the debate about extending the production tax credit," said Michael Eckhart,
President of the American Council on Renewable Energy. "GE's new study identifying additional economic
benefits of the wind industry should bring all parties together, all supporting a proposition that is good for
the environment, good for the economy, and even good for the federal treasury."
Political Opposition in U.S. Senate Prevents Tax Production

Incentive Renewal
Business Wire, 2008.
Business Wire, Tax Revenues from Wind Farms More Than Offset Tax Incentive, GE Study Estimates. Date
Accessed on Proquest.
"Congress is debating how to pay for the wind tax credits perhaps without realizing that, over time, wind
farms pump more money into the US Treasury and state and local coffers than they take out," Kevin Walsh,
Managing Director of renewable energy at GE Energy Financial Services, said at the conference today. "Our
study shows that the wind farms more than pay for themselves through existing tax revenues, so it's time
to renew the incentives immediately." "Too often, politics, rather than economics, has shaped the debate
about extending the production tax credit," said Michael Eckhart, President of the American Council on
Renewable Energy. "GE's new study identifying additional economic benefits of the wind industry should
bring all parties together, all supporting a proposition that is good for the environment, good for the
economy, and even good for the federal treasury."
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RPS Offshore wind link

RPS requirements satisfied by offshore wind.
Kaplan (counsel in Boston, MA, office law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP) 04
(Boston College Environmental Affairs, “Congress, The Courts, And The Army Corps: Siting the First
Offshore Wind Farm in the United States”, accessed online July 8, 2008,
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bcealr/31_2/01_FMS.htm)
Significantly, more than half of the U.S. population resides on the coasts, close to potential offshore wind
locations. Offshore areas can accommodate larger scale projects that can service regional load centers,
avoiding higher transmission costs incurred by remotely located wind farms. In addition, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and New Jersey are examples of densely populated northeastern states that have
established RPSs. Wind is one of the lowest cost alternatives available to satisfy RPS requirements.
Cost decreases, unlimited supply, and environmental

benefits to satisfy state regulations.
Greg Watson, Barbara Hill, Fara Courtney (Vice President for Sustainable Development, Project
Coordinator, Offshore Wind ) 2005
(U.S. Department of Energy ,A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States,
http://www.mtpc.org/offshore/final_09_20.pdf , July 8, 2008)
The energy scenario for the Northeast pertains not only to price and supply, but to environmental quality
as well. A reduction in greenhouse gases and other pollutants from fossil fuel plants is a regional priority
within the regulatory and legislative bodies of most states. Offshore wind energy has the potential to make
a favorable contribution to this scenario because of its projected downward cost trajectory, its vast supply
within close proximity of major load centers, and its status as a clean, non-polluting technology. All three
issues—cost, supply, and environmental quality—will ultimately determine the future value and desirability
of all energy sources, including offshore wind.
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Harms – High demand for wind in future

Multiple reasons prove will be high demand for wind in the
future.
Russel (J.D., Harvard Law School) 03
(Boston College Environmental Affairs, “Neither Out Far Nor In Deep: The Prospects For Utility-Scale Wind
Power In The Costal Zone”, accessed online July 7, 2008, http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-
elements/journals/bcealr/31_2/02_FMS.htm)
In little over half a century, grid-linked wind power has progressed from a workbench fantasy to a
renewable resource that, in the view of an increasing number of observers, is ready to compete head-to-
head with the conventional technologies that continue to generate the bulk of the nation’s electricity:
combustion of coal and natural gas, and nuclear fission. Yet in the United States today, the power of wind
remains largely untapped. Many signs, however, point to a considerably larger role for wind in the near
future. These include: (1) new federal and particularly state commitments to the development of
renewable resources; (2) the intensifying effort to identify broad-scale strategies that can effectively
address climate change; (3) public recognition of environmental consequences of an electricity industry
based primarily on coal and nuclear power; (4) awareness of the lack of resource diversity and the risks it
creates; and (5) mounting anxiety that this highly-centralized system of production poses both economic
and security threats.
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Offshore better than onshore

Offshore generators avoid onshore obstacles and produce
double the amount of projected energy
The most attractive feature of offshore generation is that the resource itself is generally better. First of all,
wind speeds are consistently higher than on land—perhaps by twenty-five percent or more. Since the
energy content of wind increases by the cube of wind speed, twenty-five percent higher velocity nearly
doubles the energy potential. In addition, when winds are free of terrestrial impediments—office buildings,
houses, and the crenellated landscape—they benefit from shorter and less frequent fluctuations of the
type that can damage a turbine or force a shut-down. Although offshore wind turbines cost more than
those built at prime sites on land, a good many of the latter are in the vicinity of North Dakota or other
sparsely populated areas. Hence, offshore wind remains a particularly attractive and significant option in
energy poor regions like the Northeast. This is amplified by the difficulty of siting land-based turbines,
which arises from a combination of transmission constraints the rarity of good sites near large population
centers, and the relatively high cost of other energy resources, especially in New England.
Higher wind speeds, decreased aesthetic concerns, and

greater population density around sites make offshore
wind more desirable and functional than onshore.
Pryor, Shaninian, and Stout 05
(Michigan Renewable Energy Program, “Offshore Wind Energy Development in the Great Lakes”, April
2005, accessed online July 8, 2008, http://www.erb.umich.edu/Research/Student-
Research/Michigan_Offshore_Wind.pdf)
The most important benefit of siting wind generators offshore is the exposure to higher velocity and
steadier winds. Winds close to the earth’s surface are generally faster and steadier over large bodies of
water than they are over land masses; with their more varied terrain, ground cover, and buildings that
effectively break up the wind. The higher wind speeds and steadier winds will be the main driver of
offshore wind development. The wind speed at turbine hub-height is generally greater over large water
bodies than over land because stronger winds from aloft mix down towards the surface more efficiently
over water than over land, because water bodies have lower and more uniform surface roughness than
land. As discussed previously, the more electricity generated per wind turbine, given the very large
percentage of fixed capital investment, the cheaper the per-kWh cost of delivered energy. Because wind
power varies with the cube of the wind speed, small differences in wind speeds can make large differences
in how much electricity is generated. With offshore wind turbines, it could be that less attention will need
to be devoted to noise reduction, which adds significant costs to onshore wind turbines. Far enough
offshore, aesthetic concerns about large turbines might also be significantly mitigated. A corollary is that
offshore wind development could be capable of displacing development on land, reducing conflicts over
aesthetics, competing land uses, and other issues. However, siting offshore does not completely eliminate
aesthetic concerns, as is demonstrated by early experience with the Cape Wind project. Additionally,
turbine and component size might not be limited offshore the same way they are on land. Wind generator
turbine, blade, and towers are already nearing the maximum sizes that can be transported and delivered
via land-based transportation systems. However, with offshore turbines, marine shipping and handling
equipment could erect today’s largest, multi-megawatt turbines. The greatest land-based wind resources
in the U.S. are in the Great Plains – from North Dakota to northern Texas. Those resources, however, are
generally far away from major population centers and long distances from the existing electric
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transmission grid, needed to deliver the power from generators to loads. Offshore wind is generally closer
to coastal population centers (as is the case in the Great Lakes region). About 26 million people live in
coastal counties bordering the Great Lakes, for example. By contrast, about 31.5 million people live in the
entire Great Plains region, including 22 million in all of Texas.
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They say fish harmed

Offshore wind farm development will not harm fish population;
population growth will be encouraged.
AWEA 07
(American Wind Energy Association, “Wind Web Tutorial”, accessed online July 7, 2008,
http://www.awea.org/faq/wwt_offshore.html)
Given the relatively small area of seabed that is required there is no evidence to suggest that total fish
catch will decline as a result of wind farm developments; if anything the opposite is true. Fish stocks have
been in decline for many years due to overfishing. Many environmental groups believe that wind farms will
provide welcome sanctuary for fish spawning as well as refuge from intensive fisheries activity. The wind
industry is working actively with the fishing industry to ensure, as the oil and gas industry has done before
it, that the fishing industry is not disadvantaged by the growth of offshore wind farms.
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Solvency – proven consistency

Numerous factors affirm offshore wind as a reliable and
consistent form of alternative energy.
Watson (VP for Sustainable Development) Hill (Project Coordinator for Offshore Wind),
Courtney (Ocean Policy Specialist and Principal), et. Al. 05.
(Offshore Wind Collaborative Organizing Group, “A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in
the United States”, September 2005, accessed online July 7, 2008,
http://www.mtpc.org/offshore/final_09_20.pdf )
Offshore wind has emerged as a promising renewable energy resource for a number of reasons: the
strongest, most consistent winds are offshore and in relative proximity to major load centers—particularly
the energy-constrained northeastern United States; the long-term potential for over-the horizon siting and
undersea transmission lines counters the aesthetic and land-use concerns associated with on shore wind
installations; and wind as a fuel is both cost-free and emission-free.
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Solvency – Denmark proves

Denmark’s offshore wind farm success proves similar
initiatives will have the same effects in U.S.
Denmark, in fact, is a benchmark of wind-power success. In 2001, wind generation met nearly twenty
percent of the nation’s total electricity consumption; by the end of 2003, offshore wind generation alone
supplied nearly four percent of total Danish electricity demand. At that time, five offshore projects were in
operation, with a sixth under construction. The largest on line now, Horns Rev, consists of eighty 2-MW
turbines placed six to seventeen miles from shore in depths of approximately nineteen to forty-six feet.
Other project sites range from a little more than one to twelve miles off the coast, generally in water of this
depth or less. The current Danish energy plan contemplates that wind power will supply half of the nation’s
electricity by 2030. Given the limited number of suitable sites on land, much of this new capacity is
expected to be developed in the relatively shallow seas that surround the country. In addition to Denmark,
other nations have ambitious plans. Germany, which has the largest installed wind capacity in the world, is
considering the development of 12,000 MW offshore. The UK is moving forward with similar plans for at
least 9000 MW, and possibly more.
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Solvency – State economy benefit

Building offshore wind farms will guarantee royalties for
parties and states involved.
Wayman 08
(Geotimes, “The Wind Over The Waves”, April 08, accessed online July 8, 2008,
http://www.geotimes.org/apr08/article.html?id=feature_wind.html#authors)
Texas has made much of its wealth off the oil and gas industry, leasing its hydrocarbon-rich lands and
waters to oil and gas companies. But these resources won’t last forever, says Jerry Patterson, Texas
General Land Office Commissioner, so he’s open to finding new ways to bring the state revenue — and
energy. When WEST requested to lease 46 square kilometers of water off Galveston Island to build a 50-
turbine wind farm capable of generating 150 megawatts of electricity, Patterson thought it sounded like a
smart idea. “Texas is in the business of energy,” he says. For him, wind power is not just about being
“green”; it’s about dollars and cents. In 2005, Texas granted WEST the Galveston lease and the Land Office
estimates that, once the wind farm is built, Texas should receive a minimum of $26.5 million in royalties
over the course of the 30-year lease. In October 2007, the Land Office held a competitive auction for four
additional offshore wind leases throughout the Gulf. WEST bought them, and if all goes as planned, the
state could net several hundred million more dollars in wind royalties.
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Solvency – electrical production

Offshore winds can produce 90% of U.S. electricity.
Wayman 08
Walt Musial and Sandy Butterfield, both of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.,
estimate that offshore areas within about 90 kilometers of the United States have winds strong enough to
produce 907 gigawatts of electricity — about 90 percent of the country’s current electrical capacity. The
East Coast alone has enough wind potential to power half the country, Jacobson says.
Wind energy can provide the world with enough electricity

35 times over.
Null and Archer 08
(Heldref Publications, “Wind Power: The Ultimate Renewable Energy Source”, July 8, accessed online July 9,
2008,
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1467133/wind_power_the_ultimate_renewable_energy_source/ )
As the debate over the need for renewable energy heats up in meeting rooms, legislatures, and
boardrooms across the globe, the ultimate renewable energy source is blowing all around us. On average,
there is enough power from the wind to meet the world's electricity needs 35 times over. Today, as the cost
of a barrel of oil soars and global warming has us searching for clean, renewable sources of energy,
policymakers and scientists around the world are working to make the idea of gleaning electrical power
from the wind on a larger scale a new reality. The goal of drawing 20 percent of all generated electricity
from the wind once seemed pie-in-the-sky, but it has been realized in Denmark and is a realistic goal in
other parts of the world, such as Spain and Germany. In the United States, wind currently provides less
than 2 percent of the electricity demand.
5% of All United States’ Energy Could be Supplied by Wind
Adam Aston, Energy and Environment Editor for Business Week, 2008.
Business Week, THE WAR OVER OFFSHORE WIND IS ALMOST OVER; It's no longer if, but when, where, and
how many wind farms will go up along the U.S. coast. Date accessed: July 8, 2008. Accessed on Lexis
Nexis.
It's easy to understand why entrepreneurs are rushing in. Winds at sea blow stronger and more steadily
than on land, where they are slowed by forests, hills, and tall buildings. Unlike terrestrial winds, sea
breezes also tend to keep blowing during the hottest times of the day, when the most power is needed.
Within a few miles of much of the U.S. coastline, in almost any direction, wind resources are more
abundant and dependable than anywhere outside the Great Plains. Exploiting this resource could supply
about 5% of all U.S. electricity by 2030, says the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
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Solvency – electrical production con’t.
All East Coast Energy Could be Supplied by 160,000
Offshore Wind Turbines
Andrea Thompson, LiveScience Staff Writer, 2007.
LiveScience, Offshore Wind Farm Could Blow Away Energy Needs. Date accessed: July 8, 2008.
http://www.livescience.com/environment/070214_wind_farm.html
Wind power could supply all the energy needs of much of the East Coast and then some, if a phalanx of
wind turbines running from Massachusetts to North Carolina were installed offshore, a new study
concludes. Even with all those allowances, the energy needs of most of the East Coast could be met, or
even surpassed, with the installation of over 160,000 turbines, according to Kempton's findings. But to
achieve that energy, the turbines would have to be built out to a depth of 100 meters, according to the
research published in the Jan. 24 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The reduced use of
fossil fuels would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the area by 57 percent, even in New England,
one of the world's most highly polluting areas, according to the study.
Offshore wind farms could generate enough power for entire US

Justin Thomas (SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY journalist) 2006
(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, New Report: Offshore Wind Could Power Entire U.S.,
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/offshore_wind_c.php, July 8, 2008)
There is as much wind power potential (900,000 megawatts) off our coasts as the current capacity of all
power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled "A Framework for Offshore
Wind Energy Development in the United States", sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy,
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and General Electric. The Framework report finds the greatest
wind power potential offshore the highly-populated urban coastal areas of the northeast and it recognizes
the roles of Cape Wind and the Long Island offshore wind project in creating the momentum to develop
offshore wind power in the United States.
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Solvency – price sustainability

Owners of offshore wind farms will be able to keep prices
competitive and sustainable in the long-term.
Wayman 08
Wind analysts, however, say the cost of wind power really isn’t prohibitive. It’s the most cost-competitive
form of renewable energy, Kempton says. “Even compared with existing fossil electricity prices in this
region, the contract in hand here in Delaware is at market rates or a little above, but not more than 10
percent [above projected market rates].” And owners of offshore wind farms can promise their customers
long-term price stability, says Mark Rodgers, communications director for Cape Wind, because wind is a
stable, renewable energy source that’s not subject to the inflation or market volatility that plagues fossil
fuels such as oil or natural gas.
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Economic Advantage
Construction and operation will expand the job market and
bring in substantial revenue to the states.
Flynn and Carey 07
(The Storm Thurmond Institute: Clemson University, “The Potential Economic Impact of an Off-Shore Wind
Farm to the State of South Carolina”, February 07, accessed online July 8, 2008,
http://www.strom.clemson.edu/publications/flynn/Wind_Farm_Impact.pdf)
During the two-year construction phase the equivalent of up to 1,881 fulltime jobs will be created by
direct, indirect and induced effects. Annual state economic output is predicted to increase by as much as
$287 million, and annual disposable income is expected to increase by up to $93 million in the state. The
fiscal effects resulting from the construction of an off-shore wind farm is predicted to be an increase in
state income tax revenues of up to $2.8 million and an additional $190,000 in corporate income tax
revenues over the two year period. During the operational phase of the project which begins in year three,
predicted economic and fiscal impacts will result from the employment of workers to operate and maintain
the power generation equipment, as well as from revenue generated by tourism of the off-shore wind farm.
The analysis predicts that employment will permanently increase by the equivalent of up to 155 fulltime
jobs over the currently predicted baseline. Annual state output is expected to increase by up to $15 million
and disposable income by up to $7 million per year above baseline. Predicted fiscal impacts are an
increase in state personal income tax revenues of up to $200,000 and corporate income tax revenues of
up to $14,000 in each year. In addition, state could potential provide a revenue neutral production tax
credit of up to $.84 cents per MWh.
An international market for energy exportation will be

developed by offshore wind power investments.
OSPAR 04
(OSPAR Commission, “Problems and Benefits Associated with the Development of Offshore Wind-Farms”,
accessed online July 9, 2008,
http://www.ospar.org/documents/dbase/publications/p00212_Wind%20farms_Problems%20and%20benefits
.pdf)
Offshore wind power is expected to contribute a significant proportion of this renewable energy. According
to a study published by the European Wind Energy Association/Greenpeace, in Northern Europe alone more
than 20 000 MW of capacity is planned off the coast of European countries. Use of a sustainable, pollution-
free energy source; Use of wind as a free and inexhaustible energy source (wind speeds are considerably
higher at sea compared to land; most of the marine sites are expected to deliver 40% more energy than
good shoreline sites); Economic benefits: creation and safeguarding of jobs, e.g. manufacturing of wind
turbines, construction, operation, maintenance and removal of turbines, research and monitoring; potential
to develop tourism (boat trips to the wind-farm); potential for EU companies for a world wide export
market (technical transfer).
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Economic Advantage con't.

Economic Development Impact Study Shows Windfarms
Added $250 Million to U.S. Treasury
Steve Taub, Senior Vice President of Investment Strategy at General Electric Energy Financial Service,
former Cambridge Energy Research Associate, 2008.
General Electric, GE ENERGY FINANCIAL SERVICES STUDY: Impact of 2007 Wind Farms on US Treasury. Date
http://www.geenergyfinancialservices.com/press_room/press_releases/PTC_StudyFinal.pdf.
Over the long-term, wind projects pump money into the US Treasury. Tax revenues flow mainly from the
projects, which become significant taxpayers once the PTCs run out. Income taxes on corporate profits
and individual workers’ income associated with wind projects also help offset the US Treasury’s cost of
the PTC. Calculations in this study are based on GE Energy Financial Services’ extensive experience
investing in real projects and the “Jobs and Economic Development Impact” (JEDI) Model from the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The JEDI model estimates the direct effects of investment as well
as the multiplier effects throughout the US economy. The JEDI model addresses three types of impacts:
• Direct – the effect of immediate expenditures to construct and operate projects. Examples: Construction:
truck drivers, crane operators, linemen; Wind turbine manufacturing; Operations: field technicians, plant
managers• Indirect – the effect of increased economic activity. Example: Supply chain: component
manufacturing, raw materials; Bankers, lawyers, accountants • Induced – the effect of increased spending
and investment by workers and businesses directly and indirectly involved in the wind industry. Example:
Retail, real estate. Using this model, GE Energy Financial Services estimates that wind farms built in 2007
generates for the US Treasury: • $1.9 billion in NPV of taxes on project income • $540 million in NPV of
income tax on individuals’ wages • $280 million in NPV of income tax on vendors’ profits • $30 million in
NPV of income tax on lease payments and royalties to landowners. The total NPV to the US Treasury was
an estimated $2.75 billion, greater than the $2.5 billion total cost of the PTCs – resulting in a net inflow to
the Treasury of $250 million.
Local and State Economies Benefit from Jobs Created by

Windfarms
In addition to the revenue to the federal government, our analysis shows that the wind industry generates
state and local tax revenues, creates jobs and avoids emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants:
State and local tax revenue estimates: Property taxes: $6 million/year to meet local governments’ needs.
State income taxes on wages and profits: $15 million during construction and $1.5 million/year during
operations sales taxes. Job creation estimates: Construction Period: 17,200 jobs for approximately one year
of construction Operating Period: 1,600 jobs for 20 or more years of operation . Project-level impacts (PTCs
and project income taxes) were calculated using conservative estimates, with a generic wind project
model similar to the one used by GE Energy Financial Services when it invests in real wind projects. Project
inputs were calibrated to represent what GE Energy Financial Services believes to be the market’s
expectations of the costs and performance of an average US wind project in 2007: $2000/kW project cost,
35 percent capacity factor, 7.5 c/kWh revenue, average O&M cost $15/kW per year, and $20,000/yr O&M
cost per turbine. Because the bulk of the tax payments come after the tenth year of operation, we
assumed the US Treasury would borrow money to finance the tax credits, to be repaid from tax proceeds.
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As a result, the NPV calculations used a 4 percent discount rate based on 10-year US Treasury note yield.
We assumed 2 percent annual inflation in operating costs, power and Renewable Energy Certificate sales
prices.
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Environment Advantage
Birds are protected by manufacturing changes and face
less risk of death than that associated with fossil fuel
production.
Ellison 07
(Salon, “Gone With the Wind”, March 28, accessed online July 8, 2008,
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/28/wind/index.html)
Three things have happened in the past quarter-century, however. Strict avian-impact studies are now
required for wind development. Wind technologies have become less lethal, with slower-moving blades and
warning systems. And perhaps most important, as predictions of global-warming risks have become
steadily more alarming, bird lovers are getting a grip. Last winter even the National Audubon Society went
on record as supporting wind. Its president, John Flicker, pointed out that while bird kills by windmills may
be grisly, the toll is far lower than that exacted by coal power, via air and water pollution and climate
change, which are hastening the extinction of entire species.
Birds have decreased their risk of mortality by increasing

their distance between them and the farms.
Desholm and Kahlert 05
(The Royal Society, “Avian Collision Risk At An Offshore Wind Farm”, April 18, 2005, accessed online July 8,
2008, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1617151)
To date, 14 marine wind farms (in total 213 turbines) are in operation around the world (five in Denmark,
three in Sweden, two in the Dutch IJsselmeer and two in the UK). However, few have provided adequate
case studies upon which to base the current advice relating to the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds.
The present radar study documents a substantial avoidance response by migrating waterbirds to a large
offshore wind farm. A larger proportion of the birds fly within the wind farm at night- compared with day-
time, but counteract this higher risk of colliding with the turbines in the dark by remaining at a greater
distance from the individual turbines. Overall, less than 1% of the ducks and geese fly close enough to the
turbines to be at any risk of collision. To date, the avian avoidance factor has never been implemented in
models for estimating the number of bird-turbine collisions. Our findings stress the importance of applying
the avoidance factor when dealing with wind farm-related mortality.
Only 0.9% of birds fly close enough to risk mortality.

Desholm and Kahlert 05
(The Royal Society, “Avian Collision Risk At An Offshore Wind Farm”, April 18, 2005, accessed online July 8,
2008, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1617151)
By tracking the spatial migration pattern of waterbirds by radar we found that the diurnal percentage of
flocks entering the wind farm area decreased significantly (by a factor 4.5) from pre-construction to initial
operation. At night, 13.8% of flocks entered the area of the initially operating turbines, but only 6.5% of
those flew closer than 50 m to turbines. During the day, over the same period, these figures were 4.5 and
12.3%, respectively. This means, ceteris paribus, that only 0.9% of the night migrants and 0.6% of the day
migrants flew close enough to the turbines to be at risk of colliding with the turbines.
www.ksu.edu/debate
18
Environment Advantage con’t.

The Thermal Animal Detection System proves that most
birds avoid wind farms altogether.
Peter Fairley, energy and technology journalists, a director of the Society of Environmental Journalists,
2007
(Technology Review, Massive Offshore Wind Turbines Safe for Birds, July 7, 2008,
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18167/)
TADS was developed to solve a problem specific to monitoring bird collisions at offshore wind farms, in this
case the 80-turbine Horns Rev wind farm off Denmark's North Sea coast and the 72-turbine Nysted wind
farm in the Baltic. The Danish researchers at Horns Rev and Nysted used visual monitoring and radar
tracking, which showed that most birds avoided the farms altogether or flew down the half-kilometer-wide
gaps between the wind farms' orderly rows of turbines.
Danish Study of Offshore Windfarms Indicates Minimal

Environmental Impact
Danish Energy Authority, 2006.
Danish Energy Authority, Offshore Wind Farms and the Environment: Danish Experiences from Horns Rev
and Nysted. Date accessed: July 8, 2008.
http://www.bluewaterwind.com/pdfs/havvindm_korr_16nov_UK.pdf
During the period 1999–2006 a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme was carried out in
order to evaluate the environmental impact of two of the biggest offshore wind farms in the world: the
Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm and the Nysted Offshore Wind Farm. This booklet discusses the results of
this program. After an introduction to the Danish experience with offshore wind power, the wind power
policy in Denmark and the EU, the authorization process and the technical details of the wind farms, the
booklet will address the main issues and the results of the environmental monitoring program. This booklet
is based on the book “Danish Offshore Wind – Key Environmental Issues.” The artificial reef effects from
the wind turbine foundations and scour protections are changing the benthic communities to hard bottom
communities with increased abundance of species and biomass. Monocultures of common mussels have
developed at the turbine structures, due to low salinity and a lack of predators. Fish Introduction of new
artificial habitats with positive effects on fish communities after full development of artificial reef
communities. No linkage between the strength of the electromagnetic field and the migration of selected
fish species. Seals were only affected by pile driving operations. No general change in the behaviour of
seals at sea or on land could be linked to the construction or operation of the wind farm. The harbour
porpoise population decreased slightly during construction, but increased again during operation. The
harbour porpoise population decreased significantly during construction and only slight recovery was
observed after two years of operation. Birds generally show avoidance responses to the wind farm. Some
species are displaced from former feeding areas. The collision risk with turbines is low. Effects on overall
bird populations are negligible.
The Thermal Animal Detection System has proved that
wind farms are not an ecological problem.
Peter Fairley, energy and technology journalists, a director of the Society of Environmental Journalists,
2007
(Technology Review, Massive Offshore Wind Turbines Safe for Birds, July 7, 2008,
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18167/)
Uncertainty surrounding wind power's impact on wildlife--particularly the potential for deadly collisions
between birds and turbines--has tarnished its image and even delayed some wind farms. Indeed, the first
large offshore wind farm proposed for U.S. waters--the Cape Wind project in Massachusetts's Nantucket
19
Sound--has been held up in part by concerns that its 130 turbines could kill thousands of seabirds annually.
www.ksu.edu/debate
Now a simple infrared collision-detection system developed by Denmark's National Environmental
Research Institute is helping clear the air. The Thermal Animal Detection System (TADS) is essentially a
heat-activated infrared video camera that watches a wind turbine around the clock, recording deadly
collisions much as a security camera captures crimes. The first results, released this winter as part of a
comprehensive $15 million study of Denmark's large offshore wind farms, show seabirds to be remarkably
adept at avoiding offshore installations. "There had been suggestions that enormous numbers of birds
would be killed," says Robert Furness, a seabird specialist at the University of Glasgow, who chaired the
study's scientific advisory panel. "There's a greater feeling now among European politicians that marine
wind farms are not going to be a major ecological problem, and therefore going ahead with construction is
not going to raise lots of political difficulties."
www.ksu.edu/debate
20
Biodiversity advantage
Settlement on new surfaces will increase species variety
and food availability.
OSPAR 04
(OSPAR Commission, “Problems and Benefits Associated with the Development of Offshore Wind-Farms”,
accessed online July 9, 2008,
http://www.ospar.org/documents/dbase/publications/p00212_Wind%20farms_Problems%20and%20benefits
.pdf)
As a secondary element of establishing offshore wind-farms, the foundations and the rocks placed to
prevent scouring at their bases will introduce new hard substrate surfaces. The foundations and the scour
protection may form a new type of sub-littoral habitat, which may be colonised by a variety of marine
species. Likewise the covering of power cables which need to be laid on the sea floor may introduce
unnatural or additional hard substrate. The hard substrate may increase the opportunities for epifauna to
settle and it may provide a substrate, which is more attractive to hard substrate communities than the pre-
wind-farm seabed. In turn, the naturally occurring species, i.e. the soft substrate community, which may
have been present previously in the area will be out-competed and displaced. The establishment of
epifauna and flora on the hard substrates may increase the food available to fish, which in turn could lead
to an increase in the food available to marine mammals and birds.
Biomass and Specie Diversity Increase with Introduction of

Offshore Windfarms
Danish Energy Authority, 2006.
Danish Energy Authority, Offshore Wind Farms and the Environment: Danish Experiences from Horns Rev
and Nysted. Date accessed: July 8, 2008.
http://www.bluewaterwind.com/pdfs/havvindm_korr_16nov_UK.pdf
The main effect of the establishment of the Horns Rev and Nysted wind farms was the introduction of the
turbine foundations and the scour protections onto seabeds that previously consisted of relatively uni-
form sand. These hard bottom structures, covering 0.2% of the total wind farm area, have increased
habitat heterogeneity and locally changed the benthic communities from typical fauna communities with
most aquatic animals living in the seabed to hard bottom communities with increased abundance and
biomass. The habitats introduced by the wind farms will be suitable for colonisation by a variety of marine
animals and algae, and the hard bottom structures may act, both individually and collectively, as an
artificial reef and as sanctuary areas for threatened or vulnerable species. Furthermore, it is expected that
the introduction of hard bottom communities will increase the availability of food to fish, which again will
lead to an increase in the available food to marine mammals and birds. Different native fauna. The
baseline studies of Horns Rev found no vegetation and the native fauna composition was found to be
closely associated with the sandy environment. The fauna was very variable and heterogeneous with the
bristle worms Goniadella bobretzkii and Ophelia borealis and the thick trough shell amongst the most
predominant and characteristic species. Mobile fauna was often found on the seabed in the area. The
brown shrimp, which often was observed, is an important prey species for both sea birds and fish. At
Nysted, the native fauna community was characterised as a shallow water Macoma community, named
after the Baltic tellin. The bottom fauna was very homogeneous and some species found were typical
indica- tors of brackish water. Common mussels were locally found in large numbers consti- tuting more
than 35% of the total biomass. Massive colonisation by common mussels. After the establishment of the
wind turbines at Horns Rev the hard substrates were colonized mainly by species not previously recorded
in the sandy seabed community, thereby increasing the species richness in the area. At Nysted, the
colonising communities were mainly composed of species previously recorded in the benthic mussel bed
and algae communities. Almost monocultures of common mussels had developed at the turbine
structures.
www.ksu.edu/debate
21
Solvency – government necessary

Private capital will come with government support.
O’Neill (president Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition) 06
(Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, “Renewable Ocean Energy: Tides, Currents, and Waves”, October 23,
accessed online July 8, 2008, http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/renewable-ocean-energy-tides-
currents-and-waves/)
Wind energy has benefited from substantial government investment. Thirty years ago, wind cost 30
cents/kWH to generate; today, that cost stands at 3 to 7 cents/kWH. And even today, DOE continues to
invest in wind. Just a few months ago, DOE announced a $27 million partnership with GE to develop large-
scale turbines and also issued a $750,000 SBIR to Northern Power for offshore wind technology
development. Private developers have borne the costs of bringing the ocean energy technology forward for
the past thirty years, but they need government support. Government funding will also give confidence to
private investors and help attract private capital.
www.ksu.edu/debate
22
Topicality – wind tax incentives substantial

Tax incentives are substantial support for offshore wind
development.
O’Neill (president Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition) 06
(Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, “Renewable Ocean Energy: Tides, Currents, and Waves”, October 23,
accessed online July 8, 2008, http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/renewable-ocean-energy-tides-
currents-and-waves/)
Offshore renewables are compatible with other large industries in our country, such as oil and maritime
industry. These industries, with the right tax incentives, can provide substantial support to offshore
renewable development. Incentives could include investment tax credits for investment in offshore
renewables and incentive to use abandoned shipyards and decommissioned platforms for prototypes and
demonstration projects.
www.ksu.edu/debate
23
Solvency – offsets global warming

Greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions are offset by
the development of offshore wind.
Anzalone 08
(University of Buffalo: Environment and Development Clinic, “Report Urges State to Harness Offshore Wind
Power”, May 22, accessed online July 8, 2008,
http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol39/vol39n34/articles/BergerWindPower.html)
Even if only 10 percent of the wind power potential for lakes Erie and Ontario was used, about 8,200
megawatts of electricity could be harnessed for private and commercial use, according to Kanyuck. That’s
more than 400 times the capacity of the eight turbines operating at Steel Winds-enough power to meet the
annual needs of about 360,000 homes, using the existing scale of demand. “Eighty-two hundred
megawatts would be equivalent to adding the renewable energy capacity of more than three power plants
the size of the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Plant,” according to the report. “This level of
development would significantly offset the greenhouse gas, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury
emissions associated with coal power generation and provide a stably priced supply of energy for years to
come.”
Over One Million Tons of Greenhouse Gases Could be

Eliminated using Offshore Windfarms
Elizabeth A. Ransom, Symposium Editor and Solicitations Editor, 2004.
Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT ON THE UNITED STATES
OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF: BALANCING EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS IN THE
SHADOW OF THE OCSLA. Date accessed: July 7, 2008. http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-
elements/journals/bcealr/31_2/10_FMS.htm
Cape Wind’s proposal promises most of the environmental and economical benefits characteristic of
renewable energy production. Cape Wind predicts that their wind farm would produce enough electricity,
at peak output, to power more than a half million homes, or an amount about equal to that required by
Cape Cod and the nearby Islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard combined.24 On average, the
project could provide about three-quarters of this demand. 25 Cape Wind claims that the electricity
produced by their project would replace up to 113 million gallons of imported oil a year.26 The wind farm is
said to generate “clean” electricity because, unlike oil and gas, it will produce no harmful emissions, which
could eliminate up to 4642 tons of sulfur dioxide, 120 tons of carbon monoxide, 1566 tons of nitrous
oxides, over one million tons of greenhouse gases, and 448 tons of particulates from being released into
the air.27 In addition, unlike oil or coal, whose prices are volatile, the cost of wind is “forever free,” and its
supply is inexhaustible, which could help to reduce U.S. dependence on conventional, increasingly scarce,
energy sources and help stabilize energy prices in the long term.
www.ksu.edu/debate
24
Solvency – offsets global warming con’t

Ocean problems and noxious gases will both be reduced by
the use of offshore wind farms.
Interestingly, the move towards offshore wind energy development is leading to a convergence of two of
society’s most pressing environmental challenges: to curtail the emissions of noxious and heat-trapping
gases being released into the atmosphere and to sustainably manage our ocean resources. Earth’s oceans
and atmosphere are both in peril. As recent studies document, our oceans face a greater array of problems
than ever before in history.2In particular, unprecedented concentrations of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide,
and other emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels threaten to alter the composition of the
atmosphere and undermine the integrity of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. An aggressive push
for renewable energy production will start us down a path to reducing these environmental and public
health threats.
www.ksu.edu/debate
25
Solvency – Production Tax Credit

Incentive renewal is necessary for production.
Chapman 08
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Wind Turbines Considered for Georgia Coast”, July 9, accessed online
July 9, 2008,
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/07/09/wind_turbine_georgia_coast.html)
Congress hasn't renewed tax credits deemed necessary to boost production, unlike Washington's
subsidized embrace of ethanol and alternative fuels. Southern Co., which owns Georgia Power, prefers coal
and nuclear power. Only 4 percent of its power, mostly hydro-electric, is generated by renewable fuels.
"We need to see them looking beyond traditional energy sources and to improve on their renewable
energy portfolio," said Mary Carr of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "We need the Southern Co. to
get serious about offshore wind." The utility recently received approval from the U.S. Department of the
Interior to move forward with leasing three plots off Tybee to further test the feasibility of a wind farm.
"More data is needed before any determination on whether a wind farm can be placed out there," said Liz
Philpot, a research engineer with Southern Co. "There are so many issues that have not been resolved,
including regulatory issues. ... We're doing what we can." Another federal permit is needed before
Southern Co. can build a 300-foot meteorological tower to more accurately gauge wind speed and
directions. Possible effects on right whale calving grounds and turbines' effect on migrating birds also will
be researched. The wind study could take three years and $3 million, Philpot said, adding that a pilot
project wouldn't get under way for at least five years. Nothing, though, is expected to happen without tax
breaks and, probably, a federal mandate to use renewable energy. Washington allows a 1.9 cents per
kilowatt hour tax credit for wind-energy projects, yet the subsidy is set to expire in December. In 1999,
2001 and 2003, when Congress temporarily killed the credits, the number of new turbines dropped
dramatically.
www.ksu.edu/debate
26
Solvency – Production Tax Credit con’t.

Confidence in the Production Tax Credit is Key to Wind
Power Construction
The PTC has been key to the expansion of wind energy. The incentive provides an income tax credit of 1.5
cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (in 1993 dollars) for the first 10 years of a wind farm’s production. This
incentive is available to owners of wind farms and other renewable energy projects when the projects
become operational, though it is reduced for some technologies.2 The PTC is indexed to inflation; for
2008, the credit is 2.1 cents per kWh. Wind power assets are depreciated over five years for tax
purposes. This accelerated depreciation further reduces project owners’ income taxes in the early years
of operation. The PTC is scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2008. Since its establishment in 1992, the PTC has
been allowed to lapse three times: 1999, 2001, and 2003. Each time, the annual increase of wind power
capacity dropped dramatically (See Figure 1). Beginning in 2005, wind energy power capacity soared in
part because of confidence in the PTC. Without confidence in the PTC, new wind power construction
will slow significantly, and the uncertain future of the PTC is already creating a chilling effect on
construction and investments. In early 2008, the House approved a one-year extension, but the bill
failed a cloture motion by one vote in the Senate. The latest attempt to extend the PTC failed in the
Senate in June 2008.
Economic Decline Results when Production Tax Credit is

Not Renewed
Community Energy, an Iberdrola Renewables Company, 2008
Community Energy, Wind Industry Works to Extend Production Tax Credit. Date accessed: July 9, 2008.
http://www.newwindenergy.com/education/email-newsletter/2008-april/renewable-ptc/
One of the biggest concerns facing the renewable energy industry at this time is the status of the Federal
Production Tax Credit (PTC) bill. The PTC, which is a government program providing generators of
renewable energy with a tax credit of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated and it is set to
expire at the end of this year. The bill was first introduced in 1992 and is a major reason for the continued
growth of the renewable energy industry – - a bright spot in an otherwise troubled economy. Earlier this
year the House of Representatives successfully passed a four year PTC extension proposal, but the effort
has failed to gain passage in the Senate. On April 11, the Senate attached a PTC extension to a housing
assistance bill, providing hope that the PTC will soon be extended. The PTC has been instrumental in
making wind energy the second fastest growing form of new electricity generation, behind natural gas, in
the United States. Without the economic incentives provided by the PTC, the production of renewable
energy generation is likely to drop substantially. Since 1992, the PTC has been allowed to expire for one
year by Congress on 3 separate occasions. During these years, new development of renewable energy
projects fell by an average of 68%. According to a recent study by the American Wind Energy Association
failure to extend the PTC would cost the economy 119,000 jobs and $19 billion in investments. As it stands
now, the PTC is set to expire on December 31st of 2008. Members of Congress are still examining options
for extending the bill and we are hopeful that resolution will be achieved but there is still much work to be
done.
www.ksu.edu/debate
27
They Say: States Do Plan

Wind Energy Incentives Provided by States Do Not
Interfere with Production Tax Credit Provisions
Ryan Wiser, Mark Bolinger, and Galen Barbose, Members of the Environmental Energy Technologies
Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2007.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Using the Federal Production Tax Credit to Build a Durable Market
for Wind Power in the United States. Date accessed: July 9, 2008.
http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/emp/reports/63583.pdf
First, the PTC contains what are commonly known as “credit offset” or “anti-double-dipping” provisions that
reduce the amount of the tax credit available to any eligible project that also benefits from certain types of
government grants, tax-exempt bonds, subsidized energy financing, and other Federal tax credits. The
design and application of these rules has been refined and clarified, over time, by legislative guidance and
IRS rulings. Importantly, most individual states that offer financial incentives to encourage wind project
development structure their incentives so as not to trigger the PTC’s credit offset provisions.
www.ksu.edu/debate
28
A/T – states disadvantage

Coastal states have control over waters three miles in from
the shoreline
Renewable Energy Policy Project 2003
(REPP, OFFSHORE WIND FARM APPROVAL PROCESS, NORTH CAROLINA,
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/binaries/REPP_Offshore_Wind_Approval.pdf, July 9, 2008)
Coastal states and the federal government have laws in place to regulate activities in navigable waters1
of the U.S. Individual coastal states have jurisdiction over activities in coastal waters that extend from
the shoreline to three nautical miles seaward. These are termed state waters. Federal waters are waters
that extend from the 3-mile to 200-mile economic exclusive zone boundary. U.S. territorial seas are
defined as waters extending from the shoreline seaward to 12 nautical miles. As described below, certain
federal agencies also have authority over certain activities located within three nautical miles from the
shoreline and beyond. Where the jurisdictional line falls depends on what the activity is and where it is
conducted.
www.ksu.edu/debate
29
K Answers
Cape Wind project proves that opposition to offshore wind
farms is due to a false idea of the cult of wilderness.
Jay Wickersham (Partner, Noble & Wickersham LLP, Cambridge, MA; Lecturer in Planning and
Environmental Law, Harvard Graduate School of Design and Kennedy School of Government. J.D., Harvard
Law School, 1994; M. Arch., Harvard Graduate School of Design, 1983; B.A., Yale University, 1978. Mr.
Wickersham was Assistant Secretary of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
Director of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office from 1998 to 2002.) 2004
(Boston College Environmental Review, SACRED LANDSCAPES AND PROFANE STRUCTURES: HOW
OFFSHORE WIND POWER CHALLENGES THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW PROCESS ,July 7, 2008,
http://bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bcealr/31_2/05_FMS.htm)
In closing, I would like to explore an unstated assumption that helps explain the opposition to the project:
the cult of wilderness, which presumes that all human impacts on the natural environment are necessarily
harmful.119 To understand what I mean by the cult of wilderness, let’s look at the rhetoric of opponents to
the Cape Wind project. Attorney General Reilly and others have described Nantucket Sound as akin to the
“Grand Canyon.”120 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has compared Nantucket Sound to “Yosemite,” and said that for
many people, “it’s their only access to wilderness.”121 Historian David McCullough has said that the wind
farm would ruin “one of the most beautiful unspoiled places in all America.”122
The Grand Canyon, Yosemite: these are the sacred places of the American cult of wilderness, consecrated
in the scriptures of writers beginning with John Muir.123 The legal designation that opponents favor is
actually a religious term: “sanctuary.”124 One reason the wind farm turbines are proposed to be located
more than three miles offshore, outside of Massachusetts territorial waters, is that Massachusetts has
designated virtually all its coastal areas, with the exception of Boston Harbor, as “ocean sanctuaries,”
within which the construction or operation of an electrical generating station is prohibited.125 Now there is
a proposal that the federal waters of Nantucket Sound receive a comparable federal designation as a
“marine sanctuary.”
www.ksu.edu/debate
30
Solvency – relieves gas prices

The cost of energy is not affected by the fuel market once
we depend upon offshore wind
Besides its demonstrated cost competitiveness off-shore, wind is an attractive energy option because it is
a clean, indigenous, and non-depletable resource, with long-term environmental and public health benefits.
Once a wind plant is built, the cost of energy is known and not affected by fuel market price volatility. This,
along with its economic benefits in terms of employment through manufacturing, construction and
operational support, makes wind an attractive technology with which to diversify the nation’s power
portfolio and help relieve the pressure on natural gas prices.
www.ksu.edu/debate
31
Solvency extension
Turbines only require 48 hours of maintenance per year
Bluewater Wind (experienced environmentalists and business professionals)2008
(Bluewater Wind, Tapping Wind Energy's Real Potential http://www.bluewaterwind.com/energy.htm, July 9,
2008)
Wind parks deliver energy to our grid in a reliable, predictable manner. Forecasts of energy output from a
wind park are highly accurate - usually as accurate as forecasts of the amount of energy being used by all
those connected to the grid. Thanks to major engineering improvements over the past 20 years, today's
wind turbines require less than 48 hours of maintenance per year. This maintenance is done on two to
three turbines at a time, thereby keeping the wind park operating all year long and at high efficiency even
during maintenance. In comparison, when a fossil fuel plant needs maintenance, usually the entire plant
must be shut down. All of this means that wind parks are economically and effectively integrated into
power grids around our country and around the world. The lights stay on when there's no wind, just as the
lights stay on when a coal-powered plant is down for maintenance or for equipment failures.
www.ksu.edu/debate
32
Solvency – decrease FF dependence

Wind power stability decreases dependency on fossil fuels
that are subject to price increase.
Gala 08
(Neighborhood Network, “Clean, Inexhaustible Energy for the 21st Century”, accessed online July 10, 2008,
http://www.longislandnn.org/energy/wind.htm )
Wind power reduces dependence on fossil fuels that are subject to price volatility. Because it uses no fuel,
the cost of wind power is much more stable. Oil, coal and gas power plants are dependent on fuels that are
subject to shortages and price spikes. Future environmental regulations may also increase the costs of
operating fossil fuel burning plants, either by adding a surcharge for emissions, or requiring costly
emission control technologies.
Economic Development Impact Study Shows Windfarms

Added $250 Million to U.S. Treasury
Over the long-term, wind projects pump money into the US Treasury. Tax revenues flow mainly from the
projects, which become significant taxpayers once the PTCs run out. Income taxes on corporate profits
and individual workers’ income associated with wind projects also help offset the US Treasury’s cost of
the PTC. Calculations in this study are based on GE Energy Financial Services’ extensive experience
investing in real projects and the “Jobs and Economic Development Impact” (JEDI) Model from the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The JEDI model estimates the direct effects of investment as well
as the multiplier effects throughout the US economy. The JEDI model addresses three types of impacts:
• Direct – the effect of immediate expenditures to construct and operate projects. Examples: Construction:
truck drivers, crane operators, linemen; Wind turbine manufacturing; Operations: field technicians, plant
managers• Indirect – the effect of increased economic activity. Example: Supply chain: component
manufacturing, raw materials; Bankers, lawyers, accountants • Induced – the effect of increased spending
and investment by workers and businesses directly and indirectly involved in the wind industry. Example:
Retail, real estate. Using this model, GE Energy Financial Services estimates that wind farms built in 2007
generates for the US Treasury: • $1.9 billion in NPV of taxes on project income • $540 million in NPV of
income tax on individuals’ wages • $280 million in NPV of income tax on vendors’ profits • $30 million in
NPV of income tax on lease payments and royalties to landowners. The total NPV to the US Treasury was
an estimated $2.75 billion, greater than the $2.5 billion total cost of the PTCs – resulting in a net inflow to
the Treasury of $250 million.
www.ksu.edu/debate
33

Offshore Wind Affirmative

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[Offshore Wind Affirmative] WDW 2k8

Inherency – Property Rights

Inherency –Production Tax Credit

Political Opposition in U.S. Senate Prevents Tax Production

RPS Offshore wind link

Cost decreases, unlimited supply, and environmental

Harms – High demand for wind in future

Offshore better than onshore

Higher wind speeds, decreased aesthetic concerns, and

They say fish harmed

Solvency – proven consistency

Solvency – Denmark proves

Solvency – State economy benefit

Solvency – electrical production

Wind energy can provide the world with enough electricity

5% of All United States’ Energy Could be Supplied by Wind

Offshore wind farms could generate enough power for entire US

Solvency – price sustainability

An international market for energy exportation will be

Economic Advantage con't.

Local and State Economies Benefit from Jobs Created by

Birds have decreased their risk of mortality by increasing

Only 0.9% of birds fly close enough to risk mortality.

Environment Advantage con’t.

Danish Study of Offshore Windfarms Indicates Minimal

Biomass and Specie Diversity Increase with Introduction of

Solvency – government necessary

Topicality – wind tax incentives substantial

Solvency – offsets global warming

Over One Million Tons of Greenhouse Gases Could be

Solvency – offsets global warming con’t

Solvency – Production Tax Credit

Solvency – Production Tax Credit con’t.

Economic Decline Results when Production Tax Credit is

They Say: States Do Plan

A/T – states disadvantage

Solvency – relieves gas prices

Solvency – decrease FF dependence

Economic Development Impact Study Shows Windfarms

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