Big Wind? Bad News All Around

The video above explains how big wind projects lead to higher use of fossil fuels, rather than lower use.

But much worse, from the viewpoint of power grid managers -- constantly maintaining the delicate balance between power supply and power demand -- the unpredictability of big wind energy is the equivalent of sabotage.  In fact, it would be easier to deal with an eco-terrorist dynamiting a high voltage tower, than to deal with the violent fluctuations of power output from large scale wind. (Source PDF)

In America, some wind-farms are now being built solely for tax credits, and to fill renewable energy portfolios. Such "tax credit" wind farms are likely to end up idle and rusting in the weather -- never having generated significant power, but still having served the purpose of providing tax breaks for wealthy and cynical green investors.

Warren Buffet’s MidAmerican Energy project calculates that it can break even after six years, without ever producing any electricity. And Boone Pickens is offering his investors a 25% return on a 4000 MW wind-farm based entirely on federal tax credits.

Energy Facts PDF

And I am not mentioning one of the worst facts of all:  the massively expensive machines are constantly breaking down -- requiring expensive repairs amounting to millions of dollars, every few years, for each giant turbine. Multi-million dollar gearboxes break down on a regular basis, requiring massively expensive replacement and repairs. The same goes for expensive ultra-precision bearings.

Placing these massive, precision made fine steel turbines and drive mechanisms out in the elements to corrode and degrade, is the ultimate in bad energy planning and low IQ wishful thinking. Imagine the problems that will be faced with turbines placed in a highly corrosive offshore environment, which would not be accessible for maintenance most of the year.

And by all means, never never live or work near one of these incredibly dangerous structures:

Pieces of blade are documented as traveling over 400 m, typically from much smaller turbines than those proposed for use today. In Germany, blade pieces have gone through the roofs and walls of nearby buildings. This is why CWIF believe that there should be a minimum distance of at least 2 km between turbines and occupied housing - in line with other European countries - in order to adequately address public safety and other issues including noise and shadow flicker. _Source PDF

Anyone who cares whether the lights stay on -- or go off permanently -- should take some time to study where the Obama - Pelosi regime wants to risk our increasingly scarce energy investments.

For much more information, consult this slideshare presentation on Wind Energy Facts Once you become informed, you will never fall for the clown prince's energy jive again.

A confession: Earlier in the history of this blog, Al Fin was highly optimistic about the future of big wind energy. Al Fin has personally installed wind turbines, and has been a renewable energy enthusiast for decades. But over the last few years, the sad facts of big wind energy have become too obvious to ignore any longer.

When I find out that I am wrong, I change my mind. What do you do?

Taken from an earlier post at Al Fin Energy