Wind power is a failing strategy
The Lowell Sun, www.lowellsun.com 9 October 2010
How long are we willing to wait for wind energy to become competitive?
How much are we willing to spend developing a turbine capable of making a difference?
Do we want honest answers or do we want to feel good about trying?
Will wind turbines ever become a significant contributor?
Windmills will continue to rapidly consume taxpayer subsidies for years to come, making the real cost of implementation impractical. Expecting consumers to lower their demands and ignore off-the-shelf solutions such as nuclear power will eventually fuel their anger. When users understand that sacrifice is not necessary toward achieving performance or megawatts and that wind turbines have become a phony feel good tradeoff toward progress.
Real anger will set in when the cost of electricity doubles and supplies are limited.
The private sector would never risk spending their money on this type of technology.
Two options remain available: Cluttering the landscape with underperforming, noisy bird hazards when we begin building wind turbines that have a short life expectancy at a high cost or nuclear power.
Many European countries have decided in favor of nuclear power as the source that makes sense.
The cost of energy will remain high as long as the government subsidizes wind turbine schemes. The only way the government can justify schemes such as this one is to drive up the cost of all remaining options. Without driving prices higher on known solutions the high cost of wind power could never be justified.
Wind turbines are the reincarnation of failures of the past; we must start thinking about the future. With countries such as India, China and others that are now ramping up their needs, we will eventually conclude that nuclear power is the only realistic option. Will it come too late?
DON ORDWAY
Tewksbury
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/10/09/wind-power-is-a-failing-strategy/