Fifteen bad things with wind power — and three reasons why

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Here’s an article full of important observations about the drive to produce more of our electricity from wind power. For example, promoters of wind (and solar) say we can use it to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But this article points out that only one percent of our electricity is generated from oil.

Another important observation has to do with the high cost of electricity generated by wind: “Along the way, yet another claim has been made: that wind energy is low cost. This is surprisingly bold considering that if that was really true, then why would any RES be necessary? For some reason all ‘calculations’ showing wind to be low cost conveniently ignore exorbitant subsidies, extra backup and balancing costs, additional transmission costs, etc.”

That’s a simple and brilliant observation: if electricity from wind is so cheap to produce, why do utilities have to be forced — and subsidized — to produce it?

Fifteen Bad Things with Windpower–and Three Reasons Why

By John Droz Jr.

Trying to pin down the arguments of wind promoters is a bit like trying to grab a greased balloon. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, it squirts away. Let’s take a quick highlight review of how things have evolved.

1 — Wind energy was abandoned well over a hundred years ago, as it was totally inconsistent with our burgeoning more modern needs of power, even in the late 1800s. When we throw the switch, we expect that the lights will go on — 100% of the time. It’s not possible for wind energy, by itself, to ever do this, which is one of the main reasons it was relegated to the dust bin of antiquated technologies (along with such other inadequate sources like horse power).

2 — Fast forward to several years ago. With politicians being convinced by lobbyists that Anthropological Global Warming (AGW) was an imminent threat, a campaign was begun to favor all things that would purportedly reduce CO2. Wind energy was thus resurrected, as its marketers pushed the fact that wind turbines did not produce CO2 in their generation of electricity.

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Comments

6 responses to “Fifteen bad things with wind power — and three reasons why”

  1. sue c.

    People who think wind power is a useful source of energy are just not well informed, or ideological deniers of the truth.

    More reasons wind power doesn’t work: the turbines still have to have electricity fed to them to work (costly and still use energy), they are unable to store energy, they are a blight on the vistas, and very expensive to remove once they are obsolete. They kill birds of prey at an alarming rate with their powerful blades.

    The Texas millionaire, T Boone Pickens, who was touting this type of energy during the 2008 election has now abandoned the idea, saying it is not ready for prime time.

    If people were serious about clean energy at a low cost, they would look to nuclear, IMHO. France’s electricity is 70% from it. And there are many new technologies that use the nuclear material so efficiently that it is not much of it left to store.

    Great article, Bob.

  2. Anonymous Mike

    Hi

    “More reasons wind power doesn’t work: the turbines still have to have electricity fed to them to work (costly and still use energy), they are unable to store energy, they are a blight on the vistas, and very expensive to remove once they are obsolete. They kill birds of prey at an alarming rate with their powerful blades. ”

    My Kindergarten teach and her husband had the opportunity to have some wind turbines on their farm. They were asked to build the road to the site, and be responsible for doing away with the turbine when the power company is done with it. Guess what, even Kindergarten teachers and run the numbers better than that.

    One of her other students is a leading authority on bats, and how wind turbines kill them. Search on “Ed Arnett Bat”.

    Mike

  3. FLB

    I’m black

  4. i relly don’t like this

  5. bam

    this is all crap wind turbines are goood

  6. Ashley

    For one thing look at all the pics of wind turbines burning animals will suffer from that if you’re a hater than dont reply plz this artificial is only for people who dont like wind turbines.

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