Take a critical look

When gasoline prices skyrocketed last year, fresh attention was given to alternative energies and fuels for the future. Wind power was mentioned by nearly everyone. For some time, we’ve collected information about wind turbines in hopes that we could write a “definitive” editorial about this “green” way of generating electricity.
But the bigger the pile of clippings got, the less clear we became about the true merits of wind power. Environmentalists seem split down the middle about those giant propellers on the horizon. Those who live near them claim they are noisy, disrupt or kill birds and wildlife, and depress property values. Others say they do no harm and claim to find them attractive.
A lot of noise was heard up in Garrett County, Md. last year about a new project with 20 “monster turbines” and whether private firms should be allowed to put turbines on public land (they weren’t). Other projects have been debated for a section of George Washington National Forest in West Virginia and Virginia, and for the area of Virginia adjoining Pocahontas County. Last month, a federal judge turned down a wind farm in Greenbrier County because of the potential impact on wildlife.
While nothing has yet been proposed for Morgan County, one map of potential wind sites shows Warm Springs Ridge in southern Morgan County and Cacapon State Park.
The thought of entire mountain ridges filled with wind turbines to provide a tiny amount of the electricity needed by urban areas is downright depressing. West Virginia already suffers from Mountaintop Coal Removal, after all.
When we visited Portugal last fall, we saw the wind farm landscape and it was not appealing. We’re not just talking about the large contraptions but also all the transmission lines needed to deliver the power they create. Still, it’s hard to argue against a “clean” technology that provides energy.
But do they really provide much energy? Like Portugal, Spain has invested heavily in wind, but it only provides about 2% of their electricity. Wind power is simply unreliable, since it depends on the weather. Look at those propellers and you’ll see a lot of them simply aren’t turning at any given time. Backup coal power plants are needed in case the wind isn’t blowing – or is blowing too much.
As we’ve tried to grasp the wind power picture, we’ve also wondered whether the turbines are truly great for the environment and electricity production, or whether they are being pushed by energy companies seeking tax incentives and writeoffs. An article in Investor’s Business Daily last summer called wind power “a wildly expensive delusion.”
And once the technology changes, will those ugly constructions be left to mar the ridges, like other remnants of past industrialism?
Wind advocates should be careful what they wish for. Like all energy sources, wind power has its negatives and its limitations. It is not the panacea and will create a new set of problems.