The pros and cons of wind power are making news
NEWSCOM
Wind power has been in the news this week:
鈥� Offshore wind turbine projects proposed in several states got a boost Wednesday from . These make it likely that proposed wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean that have been delayed by opponents and a jurisdictional dispute between government agencies will move forward toward approval, with several probably getting under way within several years.
鈥� As President Obama touted all kinds of renewable energy on Earth Day, he specifically mentioned that in 20 years, the US could be getting .
鈥� Today's with Leon Steinberg, CEO of National Wind (which builds wind projects in the Midwest), discusses some of the advantages of wind power as well as a few of the obstacles to achieving the Obama administration's goal.
But a few "discouraging words" about renewable or clean energy in general 鈥� and wind power specifically鈥� were also heard:
鈥� Not everyone is as enthusiastic about wind power as Obama. Gerry Meyer, who lives about 1,500 feet away from a wind farm in Fond du Lac County, Wis., that on some days it "sounds like a Chinook helicopter taking off."
Another annoyance from wind farms can be what's called "shadow flicker, a strobe-light effect that sometimes occurs when the sun hits wind turbines at a certain angle," wrote Christine Buurma in the article, RENEWED ENERGY: Noise, Shadows Raise Hurdles For Wind Farms.
鈥� Harm to birds and bats has been a persistent problem for wind turbines. Last Thursday, The Washington Post looked into , wind (and solar) power projects that can adversely impact wildlife, including New Mexico's sandhill cranes.
鈥� that potential problems for offshore wind turbines include not only bird strikes, but hurricanes and "the potential impact on military training that occurs in the Atlantic, said Dennis Scanlin, a senior research scientist with the Energy Center at Appalachian State University, in Boone, N.C."
鈥� Wind power is also attracting interest in Canada, on Tuesday. In "Going green without disrupting the environment," it brings up the appearance issue 鈥� do wind farms detract from beautiful scenery? Many people feel that they do. And in areas that draw tourists because of their natural beauty, this can be a dilemma. It's one facing Prince Edward Island.
And that's the main issue on which Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and his neighbors have been opposing and delaying a Cape Cod wind farm that will be visible from their homes. wrote about it Wednesday: U.S. Approves Offshore Wind Turbines (Even if They Block Kennedy Views).
鈥� There were several reports about the higher costs of clean energy. One was in .
For Obama, the cost of renewable energy isn't debatable: 鈥淭he choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy; it鈥檚 a choice between prosperity and decline,鈥� .