CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) I remember when the giant wind turbine was installed at Wausau East High School. It cost about $4-million. The school district, and us taxpayers, did not pay for it. It was funded through a private grant.
And I remember a school official telling me that the windmill covered about one-fifth of the high school’s energy costs. The district was saving about $2,000 a month. And the new wind technology would be used as part of the school’s science curriculum. I quipped that it should be part of an economics lesson. $4-million to build it, $24,000 a year in electricity savings… and that windmill has to spin for 160 years to pay for itself.
So today, three facts about wind power:
Fact one: Wind turbines are expensive to maintain. In Illinois – a big wind power state – about one-third of the turbines are off-line at any give time for repairs. In Iowa two summers ago, 46 windmills were turned off because their blades became loose or fell off.
Fact two: What do these wind turbine manufacturers have in common: Windy, Envision, Goldwind, and Sany? They are Chinese companies. Seven of the top ten wind turbine producers are in China, many benefitting from industrial espionage targeting American and European companies.
Fact three: Wind turbines have two environmental challenges… birds and humans. Think of a wind turbine as a food processor that birds fly into; one million birds each year according to the Sierra Club. Research is still inconclusive about sub-20-decible background noise. Some people say a constant low noise disrupts sleep and causes headaches. Some research suggests large turbines should be one kilometer – about 3,000 feet – away from where people live.
So wind power, like most renewable energy, has promise… but, today, is not ready for prime time.
I’m Chris Conley.
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