“Gone With The Wind..”
Wind power as a source of clean energy helps to reduce air pollution and save water but at the same time kills birds and bats potentially creating a negative impact on the ecosystem in the long term perspective.
In March 2015 US Department of Energy launched a report suggesting scenario where by 2050 more than 1/3 of electricity in the US would be generated from wind power. Usage of wind as a an alternative source of energy not only reduces air pollution, but also helps preserving water which makes it an attractive option, especially for some regions of the US such as California that recently has been suffering from a draught. Nevertheless according to the data provided by American Bird Conservancy 1.4 million birds are projected to die by 2030 because of the wind farms construction and usage.
Over the past 10 years percentage of electricity generated by wind from total in the US has been growing on average 28.1% per year (see chart) and already supplies almost 5% of nation’s electrical demand. The country is second in the world in terms of total installed capacity after China, with Texas leading by the total capacity of installations with 14 098 MW in 2014 and California being home to the second largest wind farm in the world, Alta Wind Energy Center, and overall state production capacity of 5 917 MW (American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)).
One of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy, wind power has an additional set of benefits. In comparison to nuclear or coal plants which use the water every day for cooling, withdrawal of water by wind plants is close to zero according to AWEA. For instance, US Department of Energy forecasts that by 2050 usage of wind for power generation will help saving 260 billion gallons of water.
Among other benefits of wind power is its affordability: energy production becomes more cost-effective as technology advances introducing larger and taller wind turbines and advanced control systems. In addition, the price for this energy type, same as with solar, is locked by a contract, Power Purchase Agreement, which usually lasts approximately 20 years. That makes the wind energy market more stable and predictable than some others such as, for example, oil.
On the other hand, wind power industry raises several concerns. One of the most important ones is the potential impact that its growth can create on the wildlife. American Wind Wildlife Institute shares references to the data proving that birds and bats may die as a result of collision with wind turbines.
For instance, a particular case occurred in California with Altamont Wind Inc. turbines that, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, inadvertently killed 31 golden eagles since 2010, species protected by law in the US. Although numbers may look relatively small, in the long term perspective these type of cases can potentially lead to changes in the ecosystem as some of the turbines are located on the path of the migratory birds or affect the species where even a minor reduction can cause a serious impact on the whole population due to the small number of birds in general or their longer reproduction period. One of the solutions to this was offered by American Bird Conservancy organization that created an interactive map highlighting US regions specifically important for bird populations and advises manufacturers to locate the farms in alternative spaces to preserve the wildlife.
The industry experts mention that there are other additional ways of preventing and lowering the negative impact of wind farms on the wild life, for example, the newer turbines with larger blades could reduce collision rates as well.
Another concerns with construction of wind farms include significant land requirements and limited access to transmission facilities. Currently most of the wind farms are sited in the remote locations, away from the large cities which are in need of electricity produced by the farm. This creates an obstacle for successful and easier deployment (Wind Vision, US Department of Energy).
Nevertheless the studies show that US is the largest consumer of renewable energy, producing 22% of the world’s total in 2012, and has the potential to use wind as a viable source of this energy in all 50 states by 2050.
