The wind energy industry worldwide installed more than US$14 billion worth of new generating equipment last year, an increase of 25 percent over 2004, according to a recent report by the Global Wind Energy Council. The Environment News Service reports the United States led the way, with an addition of 2,431 megawatts of capacity, enough to power 680,700 U.S. households per year. Germany was next with 1,808 MW, and Spain was third with 1,764 MW of new generating capacity.
The American Wind Energy Association says depending on whether the tax credit is renewed by the U.S. Congress will such an increase in production continue. Currently, a three-year window of stability exists in the federal incentive for wind energy.
Meanwhile, Whole Foods is switching to all wind power for their electricity, making them the biggest corporate user of wind power in the country. The company is buying enough wind power credits to cover energy use at all of its U.S. stores, bakeries, distribution centers, regional offices and its Austin headquarters.
A flip side to wind power
I have to say that my heart sank a little when I saw this article on the front page of GNN-I. Although the idea of wind power is well-intentioned, and the search for green, renewable energy sources is an important one, there is a distinct negative side to the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. This may or may not be the good news” that we would like it to be. Here is one site to check out for an alternate view: http://www.aweo.org/.”
Interesting
I read the very brief version of the article you site. It is interesting but leaves me with more questions than it answers. For instance, I wonder why, if The Netherlands decommissioned 90 turbines in 2004
The jury’s not in yet
Although I just included the one link, there are dozens of articles out there citing negative effects and questionable benefits of industrial wind turbines. In Highland County,VA there is a court battle raging right now over the construction of industrial wind turbines on the ridgetops of the Alleghany Highlands. In that particular case, the Nature Conservancy as well as the National Park Service have recommended that more studies be done to determine whether or not the benefits of the turbines are not offset by the negative effects on the migratory bird, bat, and raptor populations. Could it be that its just a matter of finding the ideal place to site these machines? Perhaps. Could it be, as you say, that we are in the early stages of development of suitable wind power machinery”? Most definitely. But I think we need to seriously regard both sides of this issue and not dismiss the negative effects as merely “interesting.” The jury’s not in yet on the wind power debate.”
interesting II
Joy wrote: But I think we need to seriously regard both sides of this issue and not dismiss the negative effects as merely “interesting.””
Nobody was dismissing your comments or the issue. I never used the word merely… And
Improved wind machines
Just recently I saw on TV a wind machine which doesn’t use the usual three-bladed windmill-like propeller, but a vertical array of S-shaped blades which rotates no matter from which direction the wind blows.