Our Greatest Clean Energy Mistake or a Growing Success?
An in-depth look at the big picture behind wind energy.
You may be surprised to learn that windmills were not always the towering fans we commonly see stretched across midwestern plains. Nor are they a recent invention.
Windmills were originally conceptualized as early as 3700 years ago, or 1750 BC, by Babylonian ruler Hammurabi. Early designs were made entirely of wood or reeds and could reach heights of a staggering 9 meters, which may seem less spectacular when compared to our modern-day turbines reaching almost 260 meters.
However, the goals of early windmills vastly differed from the electricity production we primarily see today. From the creation of music to grinding grains, humans have long sought to capture the wind and make use of its natural movement.
This leads us to the modern wind turbine. Towering, ingenious, and if you’ve ever had the displeasure of standing under one when they decide to put on the breaks, loud. But that is on rare occasions.
Today the main product of wind turbines is electricity. This holds true for both onshore and offshore wind energy. Surprisingly, despite the setbacks of the coronavirus pandemic, clean energy investments have been on the rise, particularly in wind energy. 337.5 billion kilowatt-hours of wind electricity were generated in 2020 in the United States. Wind energy has begun to outpace the production of even hydropower, making it the main source of clean energy in the US today.
Investments are not stopping anytime soon. With technological advancements allowing for even bigger turbines or accessibility to previously untouchable locations, some may say wind energy is in its renaissance period right now.
But what exactly are the environmental costs of this industry? Unfortunately, we have yet to discover the perfect clean energy alternative. Even harnessing the wind has a price.
The downside of wind energy
Considering the average size of modern turbines is comparable to a building, it should be of no surprise there are environmental impacts in both the construction and implementation of such structures.
First looking at the construction of a turbine. Studies have shown that the materials needed to create the turbine are one of the biggest carbon costs of wind energy. Specifically, “the steel tower makes up 30% of the carbon impact, the concrete foundation 17%, and the carbon fiber and fiberglass blades 12%.” Luckily, the carbon footprint for the construction of windmills is significantly lower than that of alternative energy production, such as coal or even solar. However, that does not mean these costs can be ignored.
Perhaps an even greater impact, both from an environmental and human standpoint, is the transportation of these materials. It is an all too familiar sight for many when driving on highways or interstates; a massively oversized semi hauling a white blade that is almost as long as a football field. Its sheer size is enough to make a seasoned driver nervous.
Transporting these disassembled turbines is an expensive and dangerous endeavor. The oversized load results in numerous traffic accidents throughout the year, and the average cost of transportation can reach up to $150,000 per turbine. That number doesn’t even begin to touch the long-term impacts on infrastructure.
For example, in Texas where a large number of the US’s wind turbines are located, the quality of the roads has severely diminished due to the constant traversing by these heavy oversized semi-trucks. Furthermore, these roads are often in more rural parts of the state and receive little to no repairs throughout the year.
Additionally, it’s important to note the unseen carbon cost in assembling these massive turbines. While the carbon costs of construction have been measured, the added costs of transporting and assembling are more difficult to calculate. For example, due to the oversized nature of individual pieces of a turbine, transportation trucks often have to take longer alternative routes in order to avoid overpasses or turns they cannot make. This holds true for railways as well, with turbine pieces moving around frequently before reaching their destination.
Finally, consider these costs in addition to the impacts the turbines have on the environment once built. Potential harms to wildlife, such as birds and bats, as well as disruption to the land itself with the construction of powerlines to distribute the energy produced. Even the impacts of noise and aesthetic pollution these towering fans cause. All of these effects are a part of the equation of wind energy, and should not be ignored.
Windmills: A big mistake or our greatest achievement?
This leads us to our overall question, do the costs of windmills outweigh the benefits? Let’s first look at the harms brought up in the previous section and compare them to other energy production methods.
For the carbon costs of wind energy, whether it be via the construction of materials or transportation, it is undeniable that almost all other energy production methods have vastly higher costs. The only energy alternative that is more efficient than wind is nuclear.
This efficiency is only increasing as technology advances. With the development of more offshore wind, as previously mentioned, the overall carbon cost of wind turbines is projected to decrease over time. Combined with the ever-increasing investments being made, the development of this technology is almost a guarantee.
Next, let’s analyze the overall benefits these windmills provide. While modern turbines are impressively tall, they are actually not that wide. This is important, as it means once construction of the structure and any connecting powerlines is complete, the land surrounding the turbine can be utilized as it was before. Typically as farm or ranch land.
Wind turbines are also a clean energy source, which means they produce no air pollution like fossil fuels or coal does. This is certainly the greatest benefit they provide. As the industry continues to flourish the amount of energy produced by wind increases, meaning the benefit only grows and over time offsets the initial carbon costs of construction and transportation.
Finally, the harms that turbines may cause to wildlife and the potential noise pollution are already on the decline. Significant research has been conducted to find the best method to minimize these impacts, whether through turbine location selection or design of the blades themselves. Several committees and government bodies have assembled to address these and other potential negative impacts windmills create.
Overall, the development of clean energy production is something that humans should continue to invest in as much as possible. The greatest impact on global warming is the production of greenhouse gases. Our older methods of energy production, such as coal or fossil fuels, are extremely harmful to our environment as they produce incredible amounts of greenhouse gasses. By prioritizing cleaner methods of energy, such as wind, we can begin to slow the progression of climate change.
While no form of energy production is perfect, wind turbines are about as close as we can get, and they are only getting better. As long as we continue to invest, even the negative impacts seen today can be reduced.
Thank you for reading.
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