Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has filed suit against a wind turbine installer, alleging that the company is taking advantage of consumers purchasing alternative energy.
Filed on Tuesday, the suit claims that WindTechCo misled
consumers regarding the rebates available and the performance of wind
turbines. It also alleges that the company's owner, Mark Howland of East Freetown, Mass., installed unsafe turbines and did not complete
promised work.
Howland, a former state representative, had his bank accounts frozen by the judge who heard the initial complaint.
The suit says that WindTechCo only delivered 20 wind turbines even though about 80 consumers paid Howland. Many of those turbines were not inspected as they should have been or were not properly installed, which led to turbines that did not produce the power consumers expected, the lawsuit claims.
In addition, the suit alleges that Howland wrongly told consumers they would automatically be reimbursed for a portion of the wind turbine's cost from a quasi-state agency that promotes alternative energy in the state.
"It is troubling that individuals who were attempting to be more
environmentally-conscious were not only taken advantage of financially, but also that their safety was put at risk by this unscrupulous contractor," Coakley said in a statement.
Consumers are showing growing interest in wind power and other sources
of energy, such as solar power and biomass. But a comprehensive and mature network of installers is not always available in many places.
One solar start-up, called Citizenre, which has yet to start full
operations, has been accused of setting unrealistic expectations.
Existing solar installers say Citizenre's business model of renting solar panels through a network of affiliates is flawed and could disillusion
consumers.
Google creates an animated doodle that features a boy, a girl, Google's search engine, and a jump rope. But might there be darker, more analytical, more troubling interpretations to this tale?
The Silicon Valley online payments startup grew by 1,000 percent last year and is hopeful it can repeat that level of growth this year. To do that, it's had to move away from its early friends-and-family roots and embrace small businesses.
Chamtech's spray-on antenna uses a nano material to provide a low-power boost to antenna range. The wireless-in-a-can product may some day bring an end to unsightly cell towers.
EnerG2 opens a plant to make an engineered carbon that will improve performance of energy storage devices and make storage for start-stop hybrid cars less expensive.
Robert