Catherine Yoo

ES 105 S20
Short Paper Assignment

Wind power has been praised as one of the most efficient and clean forms of renewable
energy and is seeing rapid growth with the onset of technological improvements and supportive
government incentives. Today’s wind plants can now operate at less than half the cost and
produce about 180 times more energy compared to 20 years ago. Manufacturers are taking
advantage of larger, lighter turbine blades made from alternative materials such as carbon fiber
and the faster wind speeds at higher heights which leads to increased energy yield and lower
prices [1]. There have also been multiple tax breaks and credit programs put into place that
promoted the development of more wind farms. The 1992 federal production tax credit (PTC)
gave developers 1.5 cents for every kilowatt hour during the first 10 years of a wind plant’s
operation. [2]. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the total potential wind
power capacity of the United States is 10,640 gigawatts and the total installed power capacity in
2019 was only 106 gigawatts. From 2009 to 2019, there has been nearly a 300% increase in
installed power, going from 35 to 106 gigawatts [3]. The United States Department of Energy
has looked into the possibility of having 20% of the country’s total electricity production come
from wind energy by 2030 which I think is a feasible and commendable goal considering how
much potential energy we have yet to harness and the rapid growth of the wind energy sector.
One of the main benefits to wind energy is it’s lack of greenhouse gas emissions. Burning
natural gas and coal releases a plethora of toxins into the environment such as carbon dioxide,
sulfur dioxide, methane, and even heavy metals such as mercury. These emissions lead to
increasing global temperatures and harm human populations as well as natural ecosystems. A
typical wind plant makes up for the carbon footprint created during its construction in around 6
months after the start of its use and seeing that the average tower lasts at least 20 years, it is
essentially a zero-emission energy source. In 2019, about 198 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide was prevented from entering the atmosphere due to increased wind energy usage [4].
With less pollutants, we can also expect to see a decrease in respiratory illnesses and ecological
harm such as asthma and acid rain which could also be economically advantageous as less funds
are needed for medical care or restoration. In addition, unlike natural fuel, coal, or nuclear plants,
wind turbines do not require water to cool down equipment. Areas prone to drought (especially
along the western United States) can heavily benefit from investing in wind energy during water
shortages. 103 billion gallons of water was saved in 2019 just from reducing water usage in other
power plants [4]. Wind energy is also one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation and is
already a strong competitor with fossil fuels in terms of price. In Montana, wind generated
electricity is actually cheaper than other sources such as coal. The U.S. Department of Energy
predicts that by 2050, we will save 400 billion dollars in avoided global damage from reducing
greenhouse gases and create about 600,000 additional jobs in the wind energy sector [5].
The main concerns for wind power include potential harm to wildlife and the negative
visual aesthetics. Animals such as birds or bats can be injured or killed as they collide with the
turbines, especially as blade length and tower heights increase. To prevent further exacerbating
the avian mortality rates, researching the development locations to ensure that there are no major
nesting sites or that it is not in a migratory path is essential to limit the ecological damage. As we
can see in the 2002 study [6, Figure 1], the amount of avian deaths relating to wind turbines is
minimal in comparison to other anthropogenic causes. Wind turbines accounted for less than
0.003% of human-related bird deaths however, we cannot ignore the damages and should
proceed with caution in regards to the location of wind farms. As for the visual impacts, there are
a few solutions that could lessen the jarring sights. Increased spacing between the individual
turbines, non-reflective paint coatings, additional trees or hills used as a cover or simply placing
the farms in inhabited areas are all potential solutions [1]. However, we must then take into
account the drop in efficiency with extra spacing and tree coverings as well as the expansion of
the transmission grid to distribute the energy into areas of higher demand.
Taking into account the economic, ecological, and environmental benefits, I would like to
recommend that we continue with the goal of achieving 20% of all electricity generation through
wind energy by 2030. Expanding the wind energy sector would significantly reduce our impact
on the environment and is relatively cost efficient as the turbines do not require nearly as much
costs in maintenance, fuel, and operation compared to fossil fuel plants. As long as construction
and operation systems do not severely interfere with the pre-existing wildlife, wind farms would
be a great investment for energy production for a sustainable future.
Citations

[1] New Zealand Wind Energy Association. “How Wind Energy Works.” New Zealand Wind
Energy Association. http://www.windenergy.org.nz/improvements-in-technology

[2]Sherlock, Molly. “The Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit: In Brief.” Congressional
Research Service. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43453.pdf

[3] The National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power
Capacity and Generation.” WINDExchange. https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/321.

[4] U.S. Department of Energy. “20% Wind Energy by 2030.” The U.S. Department of Energy.
https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/12/f5/41869.pdf

[5] Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Wind Vision.” The U.S. Department of
Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/maps/wind-vision

[6] Erickson et al. “A Summary and Comparison of Bird Mortality from Anthropogenic Causes
with an Emphasis on Collisions.”
https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr191/Asilomar/pdfs/1029-1042.pdf

Figure 1