WIND WILL STUDY WIND

The ongoing conflict between two ranches in Texas over a controversial wind installation (Reported here yesterday: See TEXAS WIND WARS GO TO COURT) is a perfect example of why FPL Energy, a big wind energy builder, would see a need to spend $2 million dollars on yet another academic study of wind energy.

The ranches' dispute comes down to a fight over contradictory reports on the wind installation's environmental impacts.

Wind energy parlayed a $9 billion investment into 45% growth in 2007 and now supplies more than 1% of U.S. electricity. Allowed to grow, it expects to be generating 20% or more of U.S. power by 2030. Such huge growth inevitably encounters opposition. The wind energy industry has demonstrated an almost unvarying willingness to face its detractors, learn and grow. The industry has funded and scrutinized many, many evaluations of its activities.

The wind energy industry could produce 20% to 30% of U.S. power by 2030 if it is allowed its full potential to grow. (click to enlarge)

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has established the American Wind Wildlife Association, a partnership of environmental and government groups, to perfect the site-selection process. AWEA’s SITING HANDBOOK is available to anyone who wants to see what parameters and sincere concerns go into putting wind installations where they will produce the most emissions-free, ever-renewable energy and have the least harmful environmental impact.

And yet AWEA welcomes more information from any valid source. Tom Gray, Director of Communications, AWEA, on the FPL Energy/TCU/Oxford study): "The initiative, with its broad scope, will provide a valuable contribution…"

Insiders suggest the Texas controversy is spurred by a less than valid environmental study from one of the contending ranches. Maybe the FPL-funded study can bring the prestige and academic integrity of Texas Christian and Oxford universities to bear, establishing some accepted conventions and guidelines that will in the future discredit invalid studies before they can interfere with the urgent building of America's 21st century energy infrastructure.

A wind energy installation is a big imposition on the landscape. It cannot avoid scrutiny. Though the electricity it produces is emission-free and endlessly renewable, there are those who question its ecological and aesthetic impacts despite the fact that coal and nuclear plants are even greater and more detrimental impositions.

The nation and the world need energy. Comparing a wind installation to a wilderness landscape is like comparing a movie and a mountain vista. The legitimate question is what ecological and aesthetic impacts contending energy installations have and which is preferable. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on the California coast between LA and San Diego is a far greater intrusion on the coastline than any wind installation would be. The spew of coal plants is obnoxious and the landscape devastation of coal mining operations is utterly reprehensible.

The U.S. and the world need energy and have choices to make. NewEnergyNews has never seen a good reason to choose anything currently available over wind and eagerly welcomes the new study.

The wind industry's Siting Handbook and all its efforts to do the right things are a matter of public record. (click to enlarge)

FPL, Universities Team Up on Wind Study
John Porretto, March 19, 2008 (AP via Houston Chronicle)

WHO
FPL Energy LLC (Mitch Davidson, President), Texas Christian University (Institute for Environmental Studies) (TCU), Oxford University (Environmental Change Institute)

The universities will want to study the hard work done by the governmental and environmental groups in this Institute. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
FPL will fund a joint study of wind energy with TCU and Oxford to examine, among many topics, how turbines impact avian, bat and wildlife populations and habitat, how the renewable energy source can best be incorporated into power production to cut greenhouse gas emissions and how wind energy installations impact a region’s employment and tax base.

WHEN
The study will last 5 years.

A Fall 2007 presentation listed the groups working to perfect wind installation siting and identified the biggest threat to avian life and habitat - global climate change. (click to enlarge)

WHERE
The study will begin in Texas and move to other U.S. wind energy sites.

WHY
The study is expected to cost FPL Energy, a subsidiary of Florida utility FPL Group, $2 million.

Facing these issues frankly now will allow wind to grow exponentially soon. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Davidson, FPL Energy: "As the need for power increases across the U.S. and the climate change debate intensifies, we believe now is the right time for a comprehensive research program to study the real environmental impacts and benefits of wind power…"