Wind turbine projects being delayed due to lack of parts.

Wind turbine projects being delayed due to lack of parts.

The Boston Globe (10/8, Ailworth) reports that "a new wind turbine at the Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod was supposed to" begin operating "soon, generating enough electricity to save about $660,000 a year. But the $4.6 million turbine project...is in limbo because key parts of the machine have yet to arrive." The Globe "blame[s] a worldwide parts shortage." Wind turbines "can't be made fast enough to meet growing demand," and "as a result, projects are being delayed for up to two years. The problem is particularly acute in the United States, the world's fastest growing wind-power market." According to General Electric Co. and Vestas Wind Systems, two leading turbine makers, "wind projects worldwide are being delayed by a lack of parts for the machines, which have about 9,000 components." Furthermore, "the delays in getting turbines online compound an already lengthy approval process for such projects, which often face complicated permitting procedures or legal action taken by those" who are concerned about the effects of turbines on property values.