Former Arkansas Governor and Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee thought AIDS patients needed to be quarantined. This wasn’t in the early 1980s, this was in 1992 when he was running for the Senate.

In 1992, Huckabee wrote, “If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.”

Yes, again, that was 1992, a time when Americans already knew that AIDS was not spread by casual contact, but according to Huckabee:

Huckabee said Saturday that his comments came at a time when the public was still learning about HIV and AIDS and promised to do “everything possible to transform the promise of a vaccine and a cure into reality.”

In 1992, however, he didn’t advocate the Federal government doing “everything possible to transform the promise of a vaccine and a cure into reality,” he advocated Hollywood stars funding AIDS research themselves, since they were so worried about the disease. Now, as a presidential candidate he’s totally changed his tune, promising an “overreaching strategy for dealing with HIV and AIDS here in the United States….”

Come on, Mike, it was 1992, some Americans can remember those long ago days…sheesh….

A wind turbine similar to the one recently installed at the Bush’s Kennebunkport home.

George and Barbara Bush are powering their Maine vacation home with the help of a windmill. The 33 foot tall structure is “connected to the electric power grid,” and expected to save the couple money on their electric bill:

If the turbine is not producing all of the power needs in the Bush home, it will draw electricity from the power company. But when it produces excess energy, that power goes to the grid and the homeowner will get credits from the power company.

That will probably be the case with the Bushes, said Greig, because the Bushes’ summer home needs little power during the winter.

“When he comes up, he should have a substantial credit on his bill to start off the summer,” Greig said.

The windmill was made by Southwest Windpower and you can check out their website HERE.

When I covered the current President Bush’s visit to Wilmington last January, he was there to speak about energy, and this is what I wrote about his idea of the future American home, (which was obviously written during a low point in the Delaware off shore windpower saga):

The President looked forward to a future where your house “becomes a power generator,” and he brought up wind power, an idea that’s floundering and dying in Sussex County:

“We’ve got a lot of wind, especially in Washington.” -George Bush

So now the current President Bush’s parents are living his vision in Maine. I think it’s great. Maybe Bush 41 can talk the Kennedys into going a little greener in Cape Cod, and maybe he can do a little lecture tour here in Delaware.

No, your turkey doesn’t cost more because it hangs out with President Bush and his buddies.

This year your Thanksgiving turkey is going to cost more than last year because we’re turning to alternative fuels:

Turns out your Thanksgiving dinner is going to cost about $5 more this year. One big reason? Ethanol. Here’s why. The most expensive part of the dinner is the turkey (though some grocers give it away if you overload on everything else). And 60% of the cost of the turkey is the feed. Most of the feed is corn, and corn prices are through the roof because corn is being diverted to the hot item of the moment: ethanol.

California’s poultry industry alone has seen a “$100 million dollar” increase in the cost of corn feed. So is there a bright side? Well, no, not if the “side” you’re talking about is creamed corn or cornbread stuffing….

Wednesday night, November 14th, Jim Lanard, Director of Strategic Planning and Communications for Bluewater Wind, will be on WGMD Radio live with wide open phone lines to answer your questions about their proposed wind farm from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m..

If you can’t call in, you can put your questions right in the comment section below, or you can e-mail your questions to maria@wgmd.com.

Think your questions through, because I’ll ask them the way you write them, my goal is for every question to be from you….

Could Blue Water Wind’s response to the PSC put the wind farm back on the table?

Just one short week ago things were looking grim for the future of America’s first off-shore wind farm after the Delaware Public Service Commission released a staff report calling the Bluewater Wind’s proposal “not in the public interest:”

The Delaware Public Service Commission is deeming Blue Water Wind’s proposed off shore wind farm “not in the public interest” after the company changed it’s original proposal during negotiations with Delmarva Power and Light.

Today, Bluewater Wind responded to the Delaware Public Service Commission’s staff report. Check it out. And here are the highlights:

Bluewater will remove all escalators related to commodities and exchange rates.

Bluewater asks that the DE PSC Staff and Independent Consultant become actively involved in the negotiations on the Power Purchase Agreement.

The new, non-escalator hybrid price is just 53 cents per megawatt hour above Bluewater’s original 2006 price.

Not a “cap,” a “removal” of escalators, this is a huge move by Bluewater Wind (pgs. 24 & 25, emphasis mine):

Bluewater carefully considered the IC’s recommended solutions regarding commodity and currency escalators and strongly considered proposing symmetrical escalators with caps. Again, the problem with symmetrical escalators is that contractors and equipment vendors rarely agree to decrease their price, even when commodities go down. Hence, the wind park’s revenues would be reduced even though its contractors would almost certainly not reduce their construction costs to Bluewater. In addition, Bluewater does not and has never viewed the escalators as a means to profit and its own estimates do not suggest that escalators will have a significant impact on the transaction. Accordingly, consistent with Bluewater’s view that the risk presented is manageable, bluewater proposes to go beyond the IC’s suggestion and eliminate such escalators entirely. In short, with all the discussion about escalators and the uncertainty and confusion they create regarding price stability, this solution better serves to sever this issue from the debate and allow us to properly turn the focus on securing Delaware’s energy future with clean, stable-priced energy.

I just spoke with Jim Lanard from Bluewater Wind and he said they were “very proud” of what they presented to the PSC today.

Pat Gearity from Citizens for Clean Power was “pleased” with Bluewater’s new submission, and left me this message:

“I’m very pleased…I really think that it’s a great step forward in getting this proposal approved for the benefit of Delaware and all of the generations that will follow.”

And Wilmington blogger Tom Noyes from Tommywonk had this to say:

“This is an important development. Last week State Sen. Harris McDowell characterized the PSC staff report, particularly its criticism of the escalator, as a “nail in the coffin.” Maybe he’ll have to pull that nail back out.”

Meanwhile, Delmarva Power and Light is “taking its case against a proposed offshore wind farm to community groups.” It’s surprising that a company that claims to just be an energy “broker,” (buying and selling electricity but not actually generating it, like Enron), would bother to lobby the public against a wind farm. If Bluewater Wind’s numbers line up, what’s the difference to DP & L?

Is there more long term stability in the cost of wind power, or is there more long term stability in the price of coal? Is burning coal still America’s energy future?

More to come as this unfolds….

Former Delaware Congressman Thomas B. Evans, Jr. (R) surrounded by a group of local children at the wind power rally in Rehoboth Beach.

With it gusting around 40 mph, you just couldn’t have picked a better day for a wind power rally in Rehoboth Beach. As pinwheels whirled in the crowd, organizer Marc Weiss kicked off the rallly,

“It’s absolutely vital that it (the wind farm) get built and that the project be approved now.” - Marc Weiss audio

And while some politicians felt that sending their regards was enough, two Delaware politicians were in Rehoboth Beach Saturday to take a stand for clean, renewable energy.

Former Delaware Congressman Thomas B. Evans, Jr., (R), who lobbys for environmental causes (like not wasting tax payer money to build roads in the Tongass National Forest for lumber companies), lectures at Florida Atlantic University, and grew up in Seaford, Delaware, (he’s also my father-in-law), took the time to show his support for clean energy and talk about the realities of burning coal,

“…it’s a calculable cost to people here, to their lives, to their futures and the young people.” - Thomas B. Evans, Jr. audio

Yes, that’s gubernatorial candidate, Mike Protack (R), (in the back of the crowd to the left with the baseball cap and the moustache), supporting “renewable power.”

Mike Protack (R), who’s running for Governor, was also at the rally and more than happy to share his views on wind power and Delaware’s energy future,

“Delaware is selling itself short if we don’t make that gradual and necessary move to renewable power.” - Mike Protack audio

Wilmington blogger Tom Noyes of Tommywonk, spoke about letting the state know that you back the Blue Water Wind project, and he had some encouraging words for the crowd,

“The Public Service Commission and other state agencies need to hear from you….I’m convinced that these numbers can work and they can work in a way that’s going to save us money over the next 30 years.” - Tom Noyes audio

The general consensus at the wind power rally today in Rehoboth Beach was that there was still hope for the nation’s first off-shore wind farm to be built in the First State.

Citizens for Clean Power was in attendance and helping with the rally. I spoke with Pat Gearity from CCP, and she also wanted to tell people to “get involved,”

“Get involved right away with writing the Public Service Commission and making your feelings known about the Blue Water Wind project.” - Pat Gearity audio

Delaware’s Public Service Commission chose Blue Water Wind’s wind farm proposal to be the new source of energy in the state. However, after the PSC reduced the size of the project from 200 to 150 turbines, and made BWW and DP & L negotiate terms of agreement, the PSC rejected the newly negotiated BWW proposal, (because it wasn’t like BWW’s original proposal anymore, duh), sending the state’s energy future back to square one. So here’s how you can get involved, and since you’re on the internet right now, I’m going to assume you can e-mail:

Delaware Public Service Commission
Arnetta McRae, Chair
arnetta.mcrae@state.de.us

Office of Management and Budget
Jennifer W. Davis, Director
jennifer.davis@state.de.us

Controller General’s Office
Russell T. Larson, Controller General
russell.larson@state.de.us

DNREC
John Hughes, Secretary
john.hughes@state.de.us

And wait, to give you some of that, “This blog post made me almost feel like I was there,” feeling, HERE is the rally’s chant.

While we wait for the alleged “new bridge” to be built over the Indian River Inlet, the current Indian River Inlet Bridge is being “monitored,” but how closely?

Darrel Cole from DelDot said, “The bridge is safe,” when he was the guest on Thursday’s The Dan Gaffney Show. The “bridge” in question, of course, was the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Cole had this to say about what DelDot was doing to insure that we’re safe driving over the old Indian River Inlet Bridge:

“…we have what we call even ’tilt sensors’ that we work with the University of Delaware, next year we’re going to put on what we call sonar readings…” - Darrel Cole of DelDot AUDIO

Well, WGMD News has learned that right now, those “tilt sensors” touted as part of the monitoring system of the Indian River Inlet Bridge, aren’t set up for any kind of emergency alert activity. So, if the bridge starts tilting fast and furious right now, those “tilt sensors” aren’t going to alert any kind of an authority to stop you from driving over the bridge.

I spoke with Jack Puleo, Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and he explained the “tilt sensors” to me.

There are “two small tilt sensors” on the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Puleo said fluid inside a sensor puts out an electronic charge that measures “tilt” “every two minutes and sends the data” to a “logger” at the Indian River Inlet. Then someone from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware’s Newark campus plugs their laptop into the system at the Indian River Inlet, downloads the information, then brings it back to Newark and it’s analyzed.

So how does it help during some kind of a bridge tilting emergency? Well, it doesn’t. Not right now, and not anytime soon.

According to Puleo, the sensor, “does not by itself have an emergency anything….” Eventually, there will be a “radio link” that will send “tilt sensor” information directly to the University of Delaware’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Newark and then, ultimately, a real time feed will go to DelDot.

DelDot, incidentally, is the only authority that actually can make the call to close the bridge, the University of Delaware does not have that power.

So let’s recap…we’re supposed to feel safe going over the Indian River Inlet Bridge because of “tilt sensors” that are not monitored daily, are not hooked up to any kind of emergency system, don’t automatically alert any kind of authority to take action like closing the bridge in the event of drastic or dangerous tilting, and they won’t do any of that stuff anytime in the near future.

But don’t worry, next year there will be “sonar readings” at the bridge. WHEW!

But wait, there’s more…here’s what DelDot’s Q & A released on October 26, 2007 (yes, that’s one week ago) has to say about the “tilt sensors:”

Most recently, DelDOT worked with the University of Delaware to install tilt sensors on the piers of the bridge. This latest effort will further enhance the Department’s current bridge monitoring program. These sensors will offer the department added confirmation that the bridge piers are stable. Should any change occur, the sensors would provide DelDOT an opportunity to promptly respond.

Right now, that would be “promptly respond” after someone downloads the data from the Inlet Bridge onto a laptop, takes it to the U of D in Newark, its analyzed by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and someone calls DelDot. But for the record, the “tilt sensors” are, in fact, installed. Kudos to DelDot.

Looks like we’re gonna say “bye bye” to this…

The Delaware Public Service Commission is deeming Blue Water Wind’s proposed off shore wind farm “not in the public interest” after the company changed it’s original proposal during negotiations with Delmarva Power and Light.

After an informed and deliberative review of the Term Sheets, Staff cannot recommend that the State Agencies direct Purchase Power Agreements (“PPAs”) based on any of the long-term generation proposals, including the backup arrangements. Although Staff would like to be part of the effort to pioneer offshore wind power to take control of Delaware’s energy future, such a recommendation is — at this time — not in the public interest and is not consistent with the underlying principles of the Electric Utility Retail Customer Supply Act of 2006 (“EURCSA”).

Staff believes that approval of Bluewater’s revised project is not in the public interest because:

• The revised project, which includes a commercially unreasonable pricing escalator, imposes significant additional risk as well as cost on Delmarva’s SOS ratepayers;

• Bluewater shifts the project’s risk associated with cost increases during construction to Delmarva SOS ratepayers, and thus, the ratepayers – not Bluewater – assume full responsibility for any losses incurred with project delay and/or failure;

• The delayed timing of the revised project results in additional cost and exacerbates the price risk;

• Staff expected that the negotiations would yield a lower price for the wind project, on a per customer kWh basis, but rather the negotiations resulted in a more expensive, less favorable project than the original bid proposal; and

• Other jurisdictions, such as New York and Texas, have determined that offshore wind facilities are not an acceptable solution to energy needs based on unreasonable expense and uncertainty with regard to project viability.

Moreover, the bidders and Delmarva have not complied with the State Agencies’ direction to craft Term Sheets that include the material aspects of the long-term power arrangements because several crucial issues remain in dispute in all three proposed Term Sheets.

And “hello” to another century or so of this…

It bothers me that the PSC is deeming the offshore wind farm “not in the public interest” and using because other states have as one of their reasons. This looks bad for the people crossing their fingers for a clean source of energy for the state, but the PSC has left the door open….

You can read what Tommywonk has to say about this latest twist HERE.

Sussex County Delaware does not have the luxury of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Photo courtesy of BMS

If he isn’t at an activity with his children, Dr. Jay Ludwicki can be found at the Pediatric and Adolescent Center in Lewes, Delaware. I had the opportunity to speak with him a few weeks ago on the sidelines of a soccer field about a troubling problem in Sussex County, the length of time a newborn in distress has to wait for emergency transportation.

As it stands now, if you have a baby in one of the County’s three hospitals and there’s a problem, you have to wait for the state’s only transport team, located at the Christiana Hospital, to come and take your baby to a higher level of emergency care. That would be either Kent General in Dover, a Level 2 facility, or Christiana, a Level 3 facility. The wait can take hours and hours.

“We are at the other end of the state and what I’ve dreamt of seeing is that instead of having transport centered from Wilmington that we would have transport possibly centered out of Kent…” - Dr. Jay Ludwicki audio

And yes, the state has only one transport team. One. And that team could be in New Jersey transporting a baby when a baby with serious health issues is born here in Sussex. The team does have access to a helicopter, but a number of weather factors and the cost make the ambulance trip the more usual method. audio

While the baby waits to be transported out of Sussex County and to a higher level of emergency care, the hospital staff will “use a bag and mask” to keep air in their little lungs.

Dr. Ludwicki would like to see the transport team centered at Kent General Hospital in Dover to lessen the wait. He’d also like to see neonatal nurses at Kent General who can come to Sussex to assist with the baby, and even neonatal nurses on staff in the more “remote” County hospitals who could deliver drugs like surfactin to the newborn. This kind of fast, emergency care can mean a lot.

“There are babies you give immediate care to and they turn around very quickly and you might not even need to transport them in the first place if that care is given.” - Dr. Jay Ludwicki audio

But with an anticipated “17% increase in women of their maternity years” here in the County over the next 10 years, Sussex could someday see its own Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Dr. Ludwicki can dream about other things….

Former Vice President and Oscar winner and now Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore.

Former Vice President and Oscar winner, Al Gore has won the Nobel Prize for peace for “for spreading awareness of man-made climate change and laying the foundations for counteracting it.”

The White House was “happy” for Mr. Gore:

“Of course we’re happy for Vice President Gore and the IPCC for receiving this recognition,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the award with Gore.

The last time an American won the Nobel Prize for peace was former President Jimmy Carter in 2002. Carter has been keeping himself busy lately denying that genocide is occurring in the Darfur region of the Sudan.

Check out what Hube has to say about Al Gore winning the Nobel Prize for peace at the Colossus of Rhodey.