Wind Is Not All It Is Cracked Up To Be


You can learn more about wind turbine noise by watching these videos. So what is the answer? I think offshore wind is the way to go for now until the issues brought up in these videos are sorted out.

An alternate view. Farm machinery is nosier. And from the look at the blade construction on the turbine in this video it seems different from that in most of the others I have watched.

Another contrarian view from England.

One thing for sure is that the subsidies for wind need to be phased out.

Thanks to Josh Cryer at Talk Polywell for the heads up.

posted by Simon on 12.19.08 at 12:54 PM





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Comments

" subsidies for wind need to be phased out."

Ditto for corn.

When I ponder alternative energy I often ponder the smell from billions of ton of horse manure, then I thank God he created fossil fuel.

When the time comes the better alternative will be discovered, this is the nature of things.

Whenever anything is forced this tells me that it won't work.

syn   ·  December 19, 2008 01:43 PM

Simon

Why not subsidize the wind industry? Can you name an energy industry that is not heavily subsidized?

Dr. Nobel Dynamite   ·  December 19, 2008 03:23 PM

Nobel,

Because decisions are then affected by bribery and not technology and economic efficiency.

I suppose you are one of those Chicago guys who are OK with bribery as long as you get your cut. If so your position is understandable and I applaud your defending it.

In any case I was in favor of the wind subsidy to jump start the industry. It is jump started. The subsidy should be phased out over time. I have been saying that since 2002 or so. It is now a political and economic liability for the industry.

But you have given me an idea. I'm going to write a bit on bailing out the wind industry. Right off the bat I can get 60% of the people against it.

Thanks for the hint!

Simon

M. Simon   ·  December 19, 2008 06:22 PM

Simon

I believe you have misunderstood my point.

I understand that you purport to to be against subsidies in general, but you are not acknowledging that every other energy industry is heavily subsidized. Do you also think that the petroleum industry should pay its own way?

Dr. Nobel Dynamite   ·  December 21, 2008 11:44 AM

Nobel,

It is difficult to do anything about long entrenched subsidies.

I do believe wind is small enough to nip future subsidies in the bud.

I do believe wind can beat coal without subsidizing the wind.

It would be better to be paying the real price for energy. It optimizes use (mostly) in the total economic mix.

M. Simon   ·  December 21, 2008 04:25 PM

Simon

If you were truly interested in introducing market forces to energy prices, why complain about the few hundred million dollars that subsidize wind energy, when the petroleum industry is subsidized with hundreds of *billions* of dollars every year?

Dr. Nobel Dynamite   ·  December 21, 2008 10:28 PM

Nobel,

Because if wind is successful it will not be just a few hundred million a year.

If conservation is one of the goals then people should (as much as possible) pay the real price of their energy supplies.

As an economist you must know this.

M. Simon   ·  December 23, 2008 08:15 AM

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