Wind Energy Is Not the Answer 

Abstract. Wind energy is not the answer to climate change concerns and cannot do the heavy lifting required by the modern American economy. It would take hundreds of thousands of wind turbines to make a substantial contribution to America’s energy needs. Building so many turbines inevitably causes conflicts with human and animal habitats. Wind turbine noise is a serious problem for those who live in the vicinity of so-called wind farms.

Contents:

1. Wind Energy Is Unreliable and Intermittent.
2. Wind Turbines Are Weak Generators of Electric Power.
3. Wind Energy and the Grid.
4. Wind Energy Facilities Require Conventional Backup.
5. Wind Energy Is Expensive.
6. Government Forces Taxpayers and Consumers to Pay for Wind Energy.
7. Wind Energy Facilities Have Negative Environmental Impacts.
1. Wind Energy Facilities Cause “Energy Sprawl.”
2. Wind Energy Facilities Damage Natural Habitats.
3. Wind Energy Facilities Kill Birds and Bats.
4. Wind Energy Facilities Are a Nuisance To Nearby Residents.
5. Wind Energy Facilities Cause Aesthetic Harm.
8. Wind Energy Facilities Cause Economic Harm.

Conclusion.

Wind energy is inherently intermittent and so cannot provide a reliable source of electricity to the grid. As government compels us to increase our reliance upon wind power, wind’s intermittent nature will destabilize the grid, resulting in outages. Another result of wind’s intermittency is the need for backup, which negates any reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, wind energy fails to accomplish its primary mission, to reduce the threat of global climate change.

Wind energy is much more expensive per unit of power generated than electricity derived from fossil fuels or nuclear reactors. The free enterprise system has no incentive to embrace wind energy because it is uneconomical. Industrial scale wind energy facilities are constructed only with government mandates and subsidies. Taxpayers and consumers bear the cost of wind energy. The European experiment with wind power shows that the government wind energy model is unsustainable. Both our environment and our economy would be better off if wind power were abandoned again, as in the 1930s.

Investing money in wind energy is like buying expensive food that is low in calories. Every day you spend more money and lose more weight. As time goes on you have less energy and less money. Eventually, you either end up in the hospital or the poorhouse.

[with references]

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