Wind Power Misconceptions

Chris Bell, at American Thinker, has done a great job of detailing the fallacious arguments surrounding the supplanting coal fired electrical power plants with wind turbines, in his recent article. First a look at the current breakdown of power generation in the U.S.
First note that renewables, i.e. wind, solar, biomass, comprise only 2.4% of our current electrical sources. Why is that? It’s clean, its renewable, the wind and sun are free, right? Why don’t we use more of those sources? The answer is obvious, because the use of solar, wind, et al. represents an inefficient use of capital. The market has selected the most efficient means of generating electrical power in this country, coal fired power plants. Coal is an abundant resource, with a high energy density return per dollar investment in its recovery, transport, and end use. Wind and solar are not in wide spread use as power grid sources because the energy density return per dollar of invested capital in its collection, transport, and use, sucks. That’s why.
If the so called ‘renewables’, a term that really makes no sense by the way, were more efficient than the current power generation methodologies, they would be in widespread use. Bell points out the number of windmills required to replace 1 nuclear power plant’s typical output, given the 25% efficiency of a typical wind mill, under favorable conditions.

A power plant near me produces 1,100,000 kilowatts (1.1 gigawatts) of power. At a 25% capacity factor it would take nearly 2600 large wind turbines to produce the same power as this nuclear power plant. And this is not a particularly large plant.
If you placed these 2600 wind turbines the recommended 5 rotor-blade diameters apart, they would stretch for 600 miles. That’s as far as the distance from Michigan to Georgia. In practice wind turbines are not placed single file, they are placed in several rows, like crops, in what are called wind farms, but you get the idea.

That’s the required amount to replace 1 of the nations nuclear power plants. One. Note, we haven’t even touched on the maintenance and lifespan of a typical wind turbine. It’s not trivial, turbines are expensive and need to be replaced every 15-20 years, depending on conditions. But those are ‘green jobs’ you say? Wrong, those are ‘green bubble jobs’. When the government generates false demand for a good or service, not required by market forces, is how bubbles are created. These jobs will amount to another government wealth redistribution program. Bear in mind, we could create more ‘green jobs’ along these lines by eliminating tractor trailers rigs, hitching up ropes and harnesses to the trailers and employing humans to pull these trailers down the highway to their destinations. Not efficient, but creates a lot of ‘green jobs’. What’s the difference? None.
Now, take a look at which areas of the country can have electricity generated via wind power and those that can’t.

Sucks to be in the Midwest, you know that area rich in coal. So, will they have to go without power? No, they’ll burn coal, and pay an incredibly high carbon tax for the privilege to do so, under Chairman Obeyme’s wonderful plan.
The story for solar is equally as bad. Similar limitations apply, which explains exactly why it is not in more widespread use as a grid power source. Why would our Government force an untenable energy system upon us? Because, it will give them ultimate power over how we live our lives. That’s what this ‘green’ movement is all about, it has NOTHING to do with the climate. They know that alternative energy won’t work but they will never tell you that. The goal of the ‘progressives’ is to create need, control all aspects of business and commerce, raise tax revenue through carbon cap and trade restrictions, and basically tell you how to live your life.
‘Renewables’ won’t work for large scale power generation because they haven’t to date, they are too expensive and too inefficient, otherwise, they would represent 50% of our current power generation profile instead of a paltry 2.4%. We’ve reached the point in the process where politics runs into the immovable wall of physics and physics could give a shit about filibusters and elections. A great deal of money will be wasted on this new ‘renewable’ energy bubble. A great many jobs that shouldn’t exist will be created and great many more that are viable will be destroyed, all in the name of ‘being green’ which I happen to equate with ‘being stupid’. The energy bubble will pop, and when it does, we’ll be left with coal, nuclear,a great deal of debt, and a lot less of our personal liberty.
-OMB