What's the real issue with wind to produce electricity? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

  Commentary

    Michael Goggin, with the American Wind Energy Association (a lobbying organization for the wind energy industry), responded to an article we posted that raised questions about the efficacy of wind generated electricity. While we sincerely appreciate Mr. Goggin's Feedback, we believe, based on our research, that he overstates the current state of technology of wind energy.

    There are an abundance of research and popular media reports about the problems we identified with wind generated electricity. In fact, one of the major efforts in the industry right now is finding a way to level out the variability in current produced by wind farms. But that is not the main issue, we have learned.

    The technology is just not there at this point, in spite of how good Mr. Goggin makes it sound. But if you want to read a more detailed explanation of the technology of wind energy, click here, even though this is written by an advocate of wind energy.

    Meanwhile, in what may be symptomatic of the reality setting in on the renewable energy industry now, Google announced yesterday (11-22-11) that it is pulling out of the "green energy" market. Click here to read more about that story. Google was one of the leading companies working toward making alternative energy competitive with existing fossil fuel methodologies. It's withdrawal from the market is a severe blow to making alternative sources stand alone in the market. Apparently they know something we don't yet know.

    The real issue with wind technology is that it is not cost effective at this point. It requires massive government subsidies. Even the American Wind Energy Association's own website recognizes this as it advocates for a renewal of the government subsidies that are set to soon expire.

    The real issue therefore is not one of technology but rather of politics and economics.

    Everyone is well aware of the problem with the national debt and the failure of the politicians in Washington to effectively address the crisis. Hopefully, it is more a matter of timing than it is whether or not we will develop alternative sources of energy. There is no doubt in our mind that we need more clean energy. But we would suggest that it is not as simple as Mr. Goggin makes it out to be. We would suggest that given the current unsustainable deficits our Federal government is running that the time simply is not right to add more deficit spending.

    And as this relates to the Pantego Wind Farm, we would suggest that rather than rush to try to get it built before the current subsidy program expires, that what would make more sense is to put it on hold until: 1. The technology improves the efficacy of wind-generated electricity and 2. We get the national debt on a more manageable footing.

    If we do not get control of the debt it is going to cause the value of the dollar to decline. As this happens everything, including petroleum, will increase. There are far too many people in America today who are unemployed, underemployed and living on fixed incomes who cannot stand an increase in the necessities of life. The only way to make solar and wind energy work is if the cost of fossil fuels go up. We don't need that. We need to lower the cost of oil, not raise it.

    Barack Obama made a terrible policy decision when he cut drilling after Deep Water Horizon. He made another terrible policy decision when he delayed the Keystone pipeline. Until we get our economy back on track we need policies that will decrease the cost of energy, including electricity, not increase it. Pantego Wind Farm is like handing a drowning man a bucket of water.

    So ultimately we are suggesting that the politics of alternative energy is what we should be focused on at this time. Click here to read more about that issue.