Wind Power: Helpful or Harmful?

Sustainable energy sources like wind power are generally thought to be environmentally friendly. Most people don’t realize, though, that the use of wind energy poses challenges as well as opportunities in regard to environmental protection, combatting climate change, and wildlife management. Environmental critics of wind energy point to habitat loss and collision mortality of birds and bats (Kuvlesky 70-71). Additionally, the lack of investment on infrastructure that would allow for wind farms to reach their maximum potential is stunting the popularity of this renewable source of energy (Rebenitsch 6). Regardless of these factors, wind farms are still being built while the question remains; do the positive effects of investing in wind energy outweigh the negative?

For those unfamiliar with the mechanism involved in wind energy, a single wind turbine’s three white blades of fiberglass are each 120 feet long and weigh 16,000 pounds (Rebenitsch 6). Once a breeze reached 8 mph, turbines are able to produce electricity that could power a few homes; however, as the wind picks up in regions like the Great Plains, “wind energy has the potential to develop into a significant energy source for the United States.” Investment in wind energy farms would undoubtedly benefit local areas like the Dakotas that are in serious need the economic activity (Rebenitsch 6).

Most people see the benefits of wind power from a purely environmental standpoint, but as suggested by the investment in depressed areas like the Dakotas, wind energy also has economic benefits. First, to review the environmental benefits, the following facts featured on Green Mountain Energy’s website cannot be denied: Clean electricity generated from wind has “no emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), mercury, nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) or particulate matter into the air, water or soil; it doesn’t require fossil-fuel extraction that seriously damages the land; it is made from unlimited renewable sources that will never run out, unlike limited and polluting fossil fuel sources; and it helps preserve and protect the environment for future generations” (“Benefits of Clean Electricity”).

Economically speaking, Green Mountain Energy also cites that investment in wind energy “creates employment opportunities in the green job sector in the U.S.; between 1998 and 2007, clean energy economy jobs — a mix of white-and blue-collar positions — grew by 9.1 percent, while total jobs grew by only 3.7 percent (qtd. “Benefits of Clean Electricity”).

Additionally, it can be argued that wind energy will help secure America’s energy future by investing in domestic sources of energy, bringing development to rural areas where wind farms are often sited to take advantage of the available acreage and wind potential (“Benefits of Clean Electricity”).

In spite of all the potential benefits of wind energy, this resource also has its critics, ranging from environmentalists to corporations who don’t want to see a shift in our energy consumption. Environmentalists are concerned with the placement of the large wind-powered turbines and their impact on wildlife. Extensive studies have been done to show that there is in fact harm done to bird and bat populations when these animals collide with the large fiberglass blades of the turbines (Kuvlesky 70). Additional concerns are related to habitat destruction due to placement of these often-expansive wind farms. Research on placement for both environmental and economic reasons is a huge consideration in the investment of this resource.

Wind power capacity in the United States has been growing 29% annually since 2003 and wind farms are currently being built in 34 states (Schlichting 157). In light of this growth, “650 million [acres] of federal lands are facing scrutiny for wind energy development. As a result, the US Forest Service has been directed to develop policies and procedures for siting energy projects” (Schlichting). Although wind energy is not a particularly new concept, it is obvious that there is still much debate over the risks and benefits of investing in this energy source. There are many stakeholders involved, and not everyone sees eye to eye on the benefits of wind energy, even among environmental groups who continue to argue both for and against wind energy development. Some parties oppose alternative clean energy sources like wind purely because of their own fiscal concerns, for example those who depend on the fossil fuel and auto industry. Others are simply skeptical of the resource, which depends on an unpredictable environmental factor and a much larger scale infrastructure to utilize the energy produced in remote locations that needs to be redirected to large cities. Others, still, remain torn on the debate over the larger question of environmental degradation and how this issue relates to our energy use.

The issue of global warming has become so tied up in political debate that it is difficult to discern how our energy sources are actually affecting the environment. Regardless of one’s political leanings, the world needs to look at different options for energy sources that have become available to us, including sustainable options like wind power. Wind energy can be a viable solution to home energy bill problems in our ailing economy. When weighing the pros and cons of the use and investment in wind energy, it is important to consider all the facts and to clear the smudged perspective we often get from both sides of the political spectrum.

Works Cited

Kuvlesky,William P. Jr, et al. "Wind Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities." Journal of Wildlife Management 71.8 (2007): 2487-98. ProQuest.

Rebenitsch, Ron. "Wind Energy: Power from the Prairie." The Futurist 41.1 (2007): 6-7. ProQuest.

Schlichting, Kerry, and Evan Mercer. "Blowing in the Wind: Evaluating Wind Energy Projects on the National Forests." Journal of Forestry 109.3 (2011): 157-66. ProQuest.

“The Benefits of Clean Electricity.” Green Mountain Energy Co. www.greenmountain.com.