New plans for a project on the East side of cozumel

[DandyDon]

Didn't we have a thread about these recently...??

Looks good. Hopefully they will send the power up to us in the USA if they aren't going to use it.

We do buy from Mexico, often.

Hurricanes will love them!

Hope the noise they make doesn't affect turtle habitat.

They're pretty bad on birds & bats, killing the latter without touching them - barotraumas.

What does that mean?

I think he let out the word "not." The ones built here don't seem very distructive, but they do require access roads as well as the base - and are so ugly. I keep hoping solar energy will win out, but the wind turbines are gathering popularity. Maybe they are necessary.

There are undersea electrical transmission lines already running between Cozumel and the mainland.

At Villablanca wall, isn't it? So new lines have to run all along the eastern shore, then across the island to hookup to that one as well as the local grid.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

That whole area is environmentally extremely sensitive and that is the reason that the Trump project stalled/stopped. As a Mexican citizen being very familiar with the ecology of that area and the ways to fight such insanity, I will be in the fight if this goes anywhere past conjecture.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[lionfish-eater]

Why not put them offshore on the east side just over the horizon. Seriously, how about a power generation station that burns trash to produce electricity. We have one here in downtown Minneapolis that has been generating energy for over 15 years. It is claimed to be clean burning and has scrubbers to clean up the emissions. Since the trash is already being burned in open air fires on the island this would solve two problems at the same time. Maybe someone could develop a system that is based on all the trash on the cruise ships. Charge them a dumping fee and use the trash as fuel. Separate out organic waste and recyclables and turn the rest into steam to generate electricity. Simple win -win solution.

 

[scubawife]

What does that mean?

It was a type-o. Thanks for seeing that, I corrected it. "WITHOUT"

 

[ggunn]

It was a type-o. Thanks for seeing that, I corrected it. "WITHOUT"

That's good. I am so relieved to hear that you are not advocating the total destruction of Cozumel.

 

[Dive Choice Mexico]

Karen,

How do you know that the power will not be used in Cozumel? What I read from the article is that the benefit to the island has not yet been calculated/determined - but I don't see where this power generated will be used elsewhere. Is there another source of information for this project other than this article? I'm very interested to know more about it!

There was a meeting last Friday in front of City hall where it has been stated that only 10% of the energy will be used for government offices in Cozumel, city lights etc. the rest will go to the mainland they said at that meeting
Construccion de torres eolicas vulneran calidad de vida de los habitantes: biologo - Grupo SIPSE, sipse.com

They got that information out of this 467 pages document, look at page 20 (sorry it is in Spanish):
http://sinat.semarnat.gob.mx/dgiraDocs/documentos/qroo/estudios/2012/23QR2012E0010.pdf

 

[Laura Cozumeleno]

Proyect Facts: There´s 114 wind towers. Each tower need at least 1000 square meter. The park will be built within 7 years so they need a 25 meter wide road among 120 kms to move and instal the towers. All this in a protected area which is an endemic species sanctuary, some of the in danger of extintion. Most of the power generated (99%) from this mill, will be for Riviera Maya and cancun... There´s 9 suitable places among the state or Quintana Roo to install this park, but only in Cozumel is where the government "owns" the land that could be used for it. In mainland, they will have to buy it from owners. The only two benefits the experts and promoters have shown for cozumel are: 1.- 10% "savings" on the actual power consumption ONLY for Government offices, schools and Government Hospitals (two clinics) and 2.- Jobs for 300 persons.
Cozumel HAS already a private energy producer that sale energy to CFE, the name is "Wartzila" and it is located in the south "industrial" side of town. This energy plant works only to 30% of it´s capacity because in Mexico no one can produce energy but only CFE.
This eolic park clearly is only someone´s business.

 

[mstevens]

I wouldn't support this even if it reduced my ridiculously high electricity bill on the island.

I do understand that electricity generation by any means is problematic, and don't think Cozumel would be inhabitable without power.

Cozumel's economy lives or dies based on its environment, including appearance. To erect wind turbines that endanger this would be foolhardy even if they directly benefited islanders.

Who's going to pay to repair, replace, or remove them when the next major storm hits? If these ever go up, my prediction is that within a few years they're just unsightly, non-functional, rotted hulks.