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Restrict blight of wind farms
Credit: Billings Gazette | billingsgazette.com ~~
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We don’t need the blight of wind farms in Montana. Our largest industry is tourism because of Montana’s beauty. Drive across Minnesota and Kansas and you will agree about the blight.
Physical footprint of about 12 acres per megawatt produced by coal, gas and nuclear. Solar and wind are much more land intensive using 46.5 and 70.6 acres per megawatt produced. As of 2015 wind turbines accounted for only 4.7 percent of total electricity demand. Each turbine has a lifespan of approximately up to 25 years. Some studies say 12 to 15 years. Wind energy produces an average of 32.2 percent capacity making wind the least efficient energy source, other than solar. Consider this: A wind facility to match the output of a 1.3 square miles, 1,000 megawatt nuclear plant would take 85,240 acres or 133 square miles.
Solar, a real loser per megawatt produced. Today only 0.65 percent of the nation’s energy. Solar is also intermittent and depends on weather conditions, daylight and seasons. Solar panels include rare earth minerals and chemicals that are toxic, including lead, arsenic, telluride and different kinds of silicon and selenides. In 2015 solar panels produced 60,000 tons (not pounds) of toxic waste.
Solar and wind energy, if such a great thing, why do taxpayers have to subsidize them with our tax dollars? Ask your elected representatives how often they are visited by lobbyists and how much the lobbyists contribute to their elections.
Keep Montana beautiful. Restrict the number of wind farms. Visitors matter.
Rich Lloyd
Absarokee
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