Wind energy seems to be the most controversial form of renewable energy. Most people know that wind turbines use large blades to catch the wind, turn their inner gears, and convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, which is then distributed to the power grid. However, the most powerful man in America is spreading ignorance about wind turbines.
In a speech to young Republicans in Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump went on a “bizarre tirade” about wind energy, stating several blatantly false facts that can be easily refuted.
First of all, President Trump states that the manufacture of these “monsters” in Germany and China is spewing tremendous amounts of fumes into the atmosphere. Somehow this is worse than the millions of tons of fumes from vehicles and coal and gas power plants? I’m confused, as I’m sure his audience is.
Then, President Trump claims that the value of a house within sight of wind turbines decreases by 50%. However, according to Appalachian State University and the Working Wind Group, studies “conducted of tax assessors in other areas with wind power projects… found no evidence supporting the claim that views of wind farms decrease property values.”
The next drawback of wind turbines, Trump asserts, is their noise. However, the American Wind Energy Association states that wind turbines make less noise – 45 decibels – than one experiences in their own home (50 decibels). From just 750 feet away, the noise from a wind turbine is only as much as a kitchen refrigerator.
According to President Trump, if one looks under a wind turbine, they will find a bird graveyard. And apparently, in California, “they were killing the bald eagle.” The windmills are “destroying the bird population.”
Where does President Trump find these facts? Because according to the Audubon Society, some 365 to 988 million birds are killed every year in collisions with buildings and windows, and Appalachian State’s research estimates that at least 60 million birds die from vehicle collisions each year. This is not even considering the fact that “conventional fuels contribute to air and water pollution that can have far greater impact on wildlife and their habitat,” according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Wind turbines cause just 1-2 bird deaths per turbine per year (Wind Working Group and Appalachian State University). Although there are about 58,000 wind turbines in the United States, this number of bird deaths is far less than the figures listed above.
Wind turbines are also built to avoid the migratory patterns of birds, unlike many power plants. According to Appalachian State research, one coal power plant in Florida killed over 3,000 migrating birds in just one fall night, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill killed over 500,000 migratory birds. So let’s keep that in perspective when deciding to use the argument of bird deaths to reject wind energy.
President Trump’s final word on wind energy is that it destroys the natural beauty of the land. This point is mainly subjective, based on a person’s view of what is beautiful. Personally, when I see wind turbines on mountains while driving to Penn State, I see them as a beautiful and purposeful addition to the natural landscape, since clean energy helps preserve the world.
In addition, wind turbines are not placed in national and state parks and forests nor along the Blue Ridge Parkway or Appalachian Trail (Working Wind Group). The land around wind turbines can also be used to grow crops or raise livestock, providing a dual beneficial purpose.
Wind farms don’t have to be large scale projects that occupy hundreds of acres. According to the US Department of Energy’s diagram of distributed wind, community wind farms, owned by small corporations or nonprofits, give electricity to local schools, businesses, hospitals, and farms. Personal wind turbines also allow individual households to offset electricity costs and even sell extra electricity back to companies through net metering (Department of Energy).
Another common misconception about wind energy is that the turbines are useless when the wind is blowing the wrong way. However, the Department of Energy’s diagram of the inner workings of a turbine shows that they can actually turn to catch the direction of the wind. The wind vane collects data on wind direction and sends it to the yaw drive, which turns the entire top of the structure into the wind. The pitch system also turns the blades to catch more of the wind as well. The wind turbine has become more efficient than ever.
In conclusion, one must be careful about renewable energy misconceptions. Even the most powerful man in America is not always right – it is sad when the American public cannot trust their own President to present them with trustworthy information. Wind energy is projected to become more and more of the energy budget, so hopefully people can banish their misconceptions and accept the clean energy that wind turbines provide.