Healing the planet is complicated and expensive: California wind turbine program on hold as people figure out how to cash in on rebates that were higher than the cost of the equipment

Homeowners and Businesses Embracing Small Wind Turbines - NYTimes.com

This year, both California and New Jersey — two states that have aggressively embraced renewable energy — put their small-turbine incentives programs on hold, at least temporarily, after problems surfaced.

In New Jersey, the issue was defects in a few turbines, according to Mr. Flowers. In California, “some scammers figured out some loopholes in the program,” said Mr. Bergey, who is also the president of the Distributed Wind Energy Association. Effectively, he said, they found a way to qualify for rebates that were higher than the cost of the equipment. “The market has literally stopped there,” said Mr. Bergey, referring to California. “We’re hoping it will get going again shortly.”