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This is great but it does conspicuously leave out one major point of contention with wind power which is their visual impact. Sometimes noise too. Offshore proj
by abalone 11y ago
This is great but it does conspicuously leave out one major point of contention with wind power which is their visual impact. Sometimes noise too. Offshore projects have been fought and canceled over this issue. And it looks like the key focus of this article, the 60% capacity, is only achievable if the turbines get even bigger:
> The average new wind turbine in the US is 80 meters tall at its hub. NREL looks at what capacity factors could be reached with 110 meter tall and 140 meter tall wind turbines.
Additionally it looks to on-shore sites primarily in the Midwest where it's really flat and so these monster turbines could be seen for miles. I would certainly hope people are cool with it considering how green a power source it is, but I thought it was a bit odd that such an in-depth piece left out one of the biggest obstacles to wind power growth.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago> Additionally it looks to on-shore sites primarily in the Midwest where it's really flat and so these monster turbines could be seen for miles. I would certainly hope people are cool with it considering how green a power source it is, but I thought it was a bit odd that such an in-depth piece left out one of the biggest obstacles to wind power growth. Farmers I've spoken to absolutely love turbines; they receive a lease payment annually for each one on their property. Now, if we're going to complain about "eyesores" through the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Oklahoma, perhaps we could address the _actual deaths_ that coal causes first.
- Gibbon1 11y agoCan also mention the eyesores and ecological ruin created by coal mining and oil sands extraction.
- abalone 11y agoSo, I'm not saying it's good that people object to them. But they do. And just stating that they shouldn't mind large on-shore wind farms isn't going to fix that. Nor is stating that people who are paid to host them like them. Nor is stating that they're less of an eyesore than coal mines when these people can't see the coal mines in the first place. An in-depth exploration of the expansion of wind power really should address this obstacle too, because it's just as big as the technical aspects.
- Retra 11y agoI wouldn't care if they looked like piles of garbage. If they're energy efficient and clean, build them. I mean, we literally build large piles of garbage all over the place. If one's biggest objection to wind power is that it is ugly, then I'd interpret that as no worthwhile complaint.