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Because they require so little, infrequent, maintenance it makes very little sense to pave asphalt roads to wind tower locations. For the vast majority of wind

Because they require so little, infrequent, maintenance it makes very little sense to pave asphalt roads to wind tower locations. For the vast majority of wind farms, dirt or gravel roads connect masts to pre-existing infrastructure. The largest wind farm in the US is the Alta Wind Energy Center: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rPjUGSTN979dfUoDA https://maps.app.goo.gl/rPjUGSTN979dfUoDA The largest wind farm in Europe is the Markbygden Wind Farm: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ETVeMXpf1uPieTct8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/ETVeMXpf1uPieTct8 Dirt and gravel roads. I'm not saying that there have never been roads paved to create wind farms. I am saying that the number of roads that have paved is so small that it is irrelevant.

dylan604 1y ago
looking at the wind farm from a certain elevation reminds me of west texas where each of the dots is a gas well instead of a turbine. then my brain went hard left and imagined the wind turbines being used to pump gas in some insane reason
- imtringued 1y ago
  As weird as it may sound, but it is more efficient to refine crude oil with renewable energy, because it means that you get more usable gasoline, diesel, etc as the end product. The reason is that the refinery output is easier to store.
internet_points 1y ago
Can't speak for the US, but that is not the case in Norway. There have been massive protests due to the amount of nature destroyed. There are some before-after sliders on https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/dokumentar/her-er-norges-storste-naturinngrep-1.16689009?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=no&_x_tr_pto=wapp#Rogaland https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/dokumentar/her-er-norges-s... (scroll around for "wind") that give an indication, although the most striking difference is experience by the people who used to go for hikes in remote places where there are now immense wind parks. The wind companies love building them up in the previously-untouched mountain regions since I guess height = more power, also less NIMBY neighbours. https://www.google.no/maps/place/Buheii/@58.6554134,6.8870617,1630m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4639bbd25c97ef6b:0x59cbdc79a6342b84!8m2!3d58.6536001!4d6.9065008!16s%2Fg%2F1tcvgnxr?hl=no&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUyMS4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D https://www.google.no/maps/place/Buheii/@58.6554134,6.887061... had zero roads a decade ago, now it's all roads. And with roads come traffic and people and cabins and tourism and more roads. Now they're saying we need more wind parks for AI data centers (a few years ago it was for crypto). We're tearing down nature so we can keep growing our energy use while staying "green".

dylan604 1y ago

looking at the wind farm from a certain elevation reminds me of west texas where each of the dots is a gas well instead of a turbine. then my brain went hard left and imagined the wind turbines being used to pump gas in some insane reason

imtringued 1y ago
As weird as it may sound, but it is more efficient to refine crude oil with renewable energy, because it means that you get more usable gasoline, diesel, etc as the end product. The reason is that the refinery output is easier to store.

internet_points 1y ago

Can't speak for the US, but that is not the case in Norway. There have been massive protests due to the amount of nature destroyed. There are some before-after sliders on https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/dokumentar/her-er-norges-storste-naturinngrep-1.16689009?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=no&_x_tr_pto=wapp#Rogaland https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/dokumentar/her-er-norges-s... (scroll around for "wind") that give an indication, although the most striking difference is experience by the people who used to go for hikes in remote places where there are now immense wind parks. The wind companies love building them up in the previously-untouched mountain regions since I guess height = more power, also less NIMBY neighbours. https://www.google.no/maps/place/Buheii/@58.6554134,6.8870617,1630m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4639bbd25c97ef6b:0x59cbdc79a6342b84!8m2!3d58.6536001!4d6.9065008!16s%2Fg%2F1tcvgnxr?hl=no&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUyMS4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D https://www.google.no/maps/place/Buheii/@58.6554134,6.887061... had zero roads a decade ago, now it's all roads. And with roads come traffic and people and cabins and tourism and more roads. Now they're saying we need more wind parks for AI data centers (a few years ago it was for crypto). We're tearing down nature so we can keep growing our energy use while staying "green".