Could wind energy be the solution to some of our environmental problems, as well as to the war in Iraq? Wind energy is fairly new to our energy system, but is gaining respect in communities throughout the United States and other countries around the world. McLeish stated, “Wind power is the fastest growing form of renewable energy in the United States” (qtd. in Reynolds 1219). Wind energy has its pros, such as environmental benefits, creating new economies, and easing the huge demand for oil. However, it also has its cons, such as transferring the energy from the source to the market, higher costs, adverse effects on the natural habitat surrounding the wind turbines, and political challenges to overcome. In the next few pages, I will cover some of the pros and cons of the renewable energy form called wind energy.
The first and largest pro of wind energy for me as a consumer and member of society is its positive environmental impact. Wind energy is a renewable resource, which is fantastic! Wind turbines produce energy, and we can use the energy being created without using up any precious non-renewable resource. When oil is burned to produce energy, emissions are created and that increases pollution in our air (Rebenitsch 7). While the wind blows no pollution is being created. Some states are dictating that a percentage of energy used must come from renewable sources by a certain year. For example, New York State must be using 25% renewable energy by 2012 (Reynolds 1219). Right now, consumers in New York City have a choice to switch to wind energy by calling 1-800-780-2884. Customers pay about 7% more for wind energy, but many consumers, such as myself will pay a little extra for the environmental benefits of using a renewable resource and creating less pollution from the burning of oil.
Another benefit of wind energy is that it is helping the economy in areas such as the Dakotas that have seen little economic activity since the Depression (Rebenitsch 6). These prairie states have a huge amount of wind that sweeps across their country every day at a fairly high speed. Rebenitsch states, “Wind energy is unique in that the amount of energy available increases dramatically as the wind’s speed increases” (6). The turbine will begin to move when the wind blows at 3 mph, will produce enough electricity at 8 mph for a few homes, and will produce enough electricity for whole communities when the wind speed increases (Rebenitsch 6). Well then why don’t we install a million turbines on the prairie lands of the Dakotas, you might ask? Well, there are a few problems: transporting the energy created to communities and the government approving the building of these wind farms, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The last pro that I want to mention is reducing the demand that citizens of the United States have placed on natural gas and oil. This natural gas is being used in each of our homes and our cars, and I believe our demand for natural gas is contributing to the war in Iraq. The demands for oil are not decreasing, yet the prices continue to increase. The United States is not equipped with as much oil as we use, and so we go to countries in the Middle East to meet these needs. If the U.S. could be more self-sufficient in our energy needs then maybe the disputes in the Middle East would cease or at least lessen.
It is hard to imagine that there are any cons or problems involved with wind power, because it seems like such a wonderful solution to our energy crisis. But, there are. The first con is that we currently lack the large transmission lines needed to carry wind energy from the turbines to the cities (Rebenitsch 6). Often cities are located far away from the wind farms. Rebenitsch states, “The electrical grid needed for that task has been described as ‘the biggest machine on the planet’” (6). Yes, building “the biggest machine on the planet” is a problem, but I would like to think of it as a small hurdle that can be overcome with hard-working scientists and a committed community.
The second hurdle that the wind industry faces is cost. First of all, the large turbines are not cheap to manufacture. Secondly, Congress has allowed the production of tax credits to expire several times in the past 10 years, which leads to a boom and bust cycle in the wind industry (Rebenitsch 7). It is much harder to receive investments and make long-range financial plans when the government does not make the tax policies clear and long lasting. Lastly, Rebenitsch states “Most of the transmission lines in the regional grid are 20 to 50 years old,” and to provide adequate energy from the turbines to the cities would require replacing or at least upgrading the system, which would not be cheap (7).
Another interesting difficulty of the wind industry that I came across in my research is that it is affecting the mortality rate on the population in migratory birds in the United States (Reynolds 1219). Johnson states, “In a survey of 9 wind projects across the United States, over 90% of bat mortality occurred during the fall migratory season” (qtd. in Reynolds 1219). At the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center in the Appalachians of West Virginia, a survey estimated that there were over 2,000 dead bats in 2003 and over 4,000 dead bats in 2004 (Reynolds 1219). These mortality rates are astounding, and more research needs to be done in order to protect migratory birds from new and existing wind farms.
The last problem that I want to mention is political, not financial or technical. Virginia Republican Senator John Warner inserted a rider into the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires Pentagon approval for wind power projects (Niman 4). That doesn’t seem like such a problem, but this new rider has stopped construction on as many as 15 wind farms in the Midwest (Niman 4). To bring us back to the earlier topic of wind energy and its effects on war, I would like to ask the following question. Is it surprising that Senator Warner, who created this rider, received over $221,000 from the oil and gas industry, and more than $785,000 from military contractors in campaign contributions (Niman 5)?
There are many pros and cons to wind energy, and it has been interesting to explore all of the variables from environmental to financial and technical to political. I am in favor of wind energy and hope that the problems that the wind industry is facing are supported and solved in the near future. Once these problems are solved, I believe wind power will help to solve larger problems, such as the high demand for non-renewable resources or the war in Iraq.
Niman, Michael I. “Outlawing the Wind: Oil Republicans Attempt to Thwart Renewable Energy Development. ” The Humanist 66.5 (2006): 4-5. Research Library Core. ProQuest. Empire State College Library, New York City, New York. 10 Oct. 2007. http://www.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/
Rebenitsch, Ron. “Wind Energy: Power from the Prairie. ” The Futurist 41.1 (2007): 6-7. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. Empire State College Library, New York City, New York. 10 Oct. 2007. http://www.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/
Reynolds, Scott D. “Monitoring the Potential Impact of A Wind Development Site on Bats in the Northeast.” Journal of Wildlife Management 70.5 (2006): 1219-1227. Research Library Core. ProQuest. Empire State College Library, New York City, New York. 10 Oct. 2007. http://www.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/
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