Finding the most reliable, efficient source of energy is quite possibly the most important challenge that we face today. Currently, fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal dominate the energy market. Why is this? Simply put, they’re cheaper. If history has taught us one thing, it’s that newer technology is always more expensive.8
However, according to recent polls, nine out of ten Americans want to see an increase in the amount of electricity we produce from wind. Regardless of their political standing, it seems that the desire for clean energy is increasing.1
Meanwhile the nation possesses practically boundless land-based wind resources that it’s only begun to tap. Wind farms in 30 states currently provide less than 1 percent of the nation’s total electricity demand. But, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, there’s enough harvestable wind to light up the whole country.5
Therein lies the debate. Are the benefits of wind energy significant enough to justify the higher cost and expensive government subsidies?
Free, Green, and Flexible
Building and maintaining wind turbines costs money but no one pays for the wind itself. Since wind is a “free” fuel, wind power prices do not go through the kind of price fluctuations consumers experience with fossil fuels, making it the cheapest renewable resource currently available.
Some carbon dioxide is released during manufacture and maintenance of wind turbines, but wind turbines themselves emit no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases while they are producing electricity. That means users of wind energy have smaller carbon footprints.
The towers and turbines that turn wind into electricity come in different sizes to meet different needs. The biggest wind turbines use rotors spanning more than 100 yards mounted on towers higher than 20-story buildings. One of these turbines can generate enough power to support 1,400 homes. A unit designed to make electricity for a single house might have blades with a diameter as small as 8 feet atop a 30-foot tower.7
Along the lines of a dynamic tower, offshore wind energy is also an upcoming possibility in the United States. Although we currently do not support this type of wind energy, the adaptability of our machines to harness this energy helps to promote the cause of pro-wind regulation. If subsidies are passed to allow for installation of off shore wind, it would create thousands of new jobs and help eliminate dependence on un-clean energy.6
According to Mark Muro, “The ultimate reward is cheaper, cleaner energy and greater energy diversity, which will help guard against price shocks, keep energy costs down through competition and lessen the damage our energy consumption does to the environment, among other things.” The benefits are well worth the cost of temporarily extending government subsidies, which are such a small portion of the federal budget.4
Current Regulations
Current Federal policy, such as the Federal Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), provides an income tax credit of 2.2 cents/kilowatt-hour for the production of electricity from utility-scale wind turbines, and is set to expire on December 31, 2012.
In terms of these federal regulations, we experienced an over 90% drop in the price of wind power since 1980, benefiting utilities and consumers, and providing a compelling argument for subsidizing wind energy.1
According to a study done on the energy incentives in Turkey and the EU, the Governments’ energy policies play important roles to create more investments in renewable energies. Increasing incentives, notably feed-in tariffs, direct subsidies, and tax credits can make the risk/revenue view of renewable energy investments more attractive.3
Limits
Like all things, wind energy has limits. The real limit to wind power expansion is the proximity to the power grid, not the output of the generator. “Countless remote locations that possess good wind lie far off the grid, leaving wind farm developers, governments and utility companies to squabble over who will pick up the tab to string a high-voltage connection to civilization.”5
The need to connect our machines to the grid brings with it a host of new problems. Who will pay to build this new infrastructure? If tax dollars are spent to subsidize wind energy and used for this new task, it may not be worth the gains to the average tax payer.
This leads us to yet another unaddressed issue: can we store this energy? As of now, the wind turbines feed the electricity directly into the grid. Without the ability to store the energy, and lack of a grid to use it, subsidizing wind energy seems hard to justify.
Common Misconceptions
Aside from the well-voiced complaints concerning aesthetics and noise pollution, it is often over-looked that this energy isn’t actually “free”. When we think of wind energy, the words, renewable, clean, and free come to mind. The wind exists, it cannot be taxed or monopolized or controlled. However, a deeper look into the preparation for wind farms reveals hidden costs in blade manufacturing, testing, land clearing, amongst other typical costs of business, such as labor.2
The Costs
Along with the limitations surrounding wind energy, there are several other major costs that need to be assessed.
Quite possibly the strongest arguments for wind energy at this time encompasses its environmental benefit as well as its economic boost supported by the creation of new jobs. However, when it comes down to it, many of the “facts” put out by supporters of wind energy are misleading.
Numerous studies show that energy subsidies will stimulate the economy by creating jobs. But these studies consistently ignore the fact that draining taxes out of the general economy to pay for those subsidies runs the broader job-creating mechanism in reverse. The net effect is to shrink the economy, not grow it.4
Another assertion is that subsidies will save the planet. According to David Kreutzer, “agreement that man-made carbon-dioxide emissions warm the Earth doesn’t mean we are headed to environmental catastrophe. Even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for instance, projects a sea-level rise of about seven to 24 inches over the next century—not 20 feet. Recent trends argue more strongly for the lower end of that range.”4
Scholars agree that the carbon cutting policy (of which wind and solar are only a small part) in the U.S. would have no real effect on global warming. This is because the majority of future carbon emissions will come from the developing world, which most likely will choose economic growth over environmental consciousness.4
From this argument, we can deduce that building utility-scale solar and wind creates expensive environmentally intrusive and undependable eight-hour power that can’t replace 24-hour coal, gas and nuclear power.
Conclusion
The debate for wind energy is highly controversial, as the risks and rewards for this endeavor are high. In the very near future we will see if there will be continued subsidies for wind energy. This will determine the importance of renewable energy in our lives for the years to come.
Works Cited
1“AWEA – American Wind Energy Association.” Federal Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.awea.org/issues/federal_policy/index.cfm>.
2“For the Wind.” For the Wind. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://forthewind.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/cartooning-about-change/>.
3Kaya, Durmuş, and Fatma Çanka Kılıç. “Renewable Energies And Their Subsidies In Turkey And Some EU Countries-Germany As A Special Example.” Journal Of International Environmental Application & Science 7.1 (2012): 114-127. Environment Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.
4Muro, Mark, and David Kreutzer. “Do We Need Subsidies for Solar and Wind Power?” The Wall Street Journal. N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444032404578008183300454400.html?KEYWORDS=renewable+energy>.
5Tompkins, Joshua. “Wind Power Reconsidered.” Popular Science. N.p., 13 Oct. 2004. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-10/wind-power-reconsidered>.
6“Why Offshore Wind – Offshore Wind Development Coalition.” Offshore Wind Development Coalition RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://offshorewinddc.org/why-offshore-wind/>.
7Williams, Mike. “Positive & Negative Facts About Wind Energy.” Green Living on National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/positive-negative-wind-energy-2715.html?source=glhottopic>.
8Wilson, Charlie, and Arnulf Grubler. “Lessons From The History Of Technological Change For Clean Energy Scenarios And Policies.” Natural Resources Forum 35.3 (2011): 165-184. Environment Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.