Reasons why we don't have more wind power

Wind power could be significant to reducing our energy needs, but most people only want it if it is in someone else's backyard.

In My Own Backyard

I have no problem with windmills. I think they're beautiful to look at as they turn majestically in the wind. I first saw large-scale wind farms when I lived in Southern California, and whenever I drive by a wind farm in Southwest Kansas, I can't help but marvel at how far we've come in harnessing free energy. Hydropower is now 90% efficient, wind energy is soon to surpass 60%, and new solar panels are close to 40% efficient in generating electricity to power all the electronic doodads and geegaws I use in my everyday life. Compared to the 1,200 pounds of coal I use each year to power my computer fetish alone, alternative fuels sound like the way to go. Imagine my surprise when half of the community revolted saying they didn't want the wind farm built.

"My Truth"

Those that are most vocal about wind farms tend to be those that live closest to the turbines. This isn't just a local problem; it's the same all over the world whenever wind farms begin to encroach into residential areas. Complaints range from wind turbines kill birds (less than 1 out of every 10,000 birds, compared to 800 of every 10,000 killed by high-tension wires), turbines are too noisy (new turbines generate less noise than the wind turning them), shadow flicker (only a problem for those living in Alaska), they are ugly (eye of the beholder) and lowering property values. The list goes on and on, but it's this final complaint that has most home owners in a tizzy. Surveys have shown property values decrease between the time of the initial proposal to two years after completion, but once the wind farm has been established, values rebound. So we're talking about roughly four years of inconvenience — bad if you are trying to sell your home right now, not so bad in the long term.

What I find really amusing is 100 years ago, windmills were vital to pump water for local farms and communities. What's worse is that those same people complaining about their property values being lowered have no problem with coal-fired power plants being built 100 miles away. When I lived in SoCal, my friends and I would often step outside during our work breaks and jokingly comment about the smog we could see in the distance. "Glad it's over there," when we knew full well we were breathing in the very same brown air. Out of sight, out of mind.