There is as much wind power potential (900,000 megawatts) off our coasts as the current capacity of all power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled, A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and General Electric. See the full story here.
(Editor’s note: Thanks for the link, Cindy… That’s a lot of power, alright. But, I keep thinking, the reason I go on holiday to the shore is to gaze upon the vast unbroken horizon. . . How do people feel about the possibility of changing that landscape? Should there be a limited number of areas with the turbines?)
Answers and questions are blowin’ in the wind”
I think the IDEA of wind power is exciting. It’s limitless and cheap (at least it should be, eventually). Indeed it may be the way we’re all headed in the future. But there is no easy solution to our insatiable craving for more energy that doesn’t come with its own costs. Geri’s thoughtful comment highlights one of those costs. Hundreds or thousands of wind turbines along the coastline or on a pristine mountain ridge completely destroy the viewshed. And have you ever heard the noise those turbines make? Its a loud constant droning. Not to mention the migratory bird and bat kills that they are responsible for. I am not foursquare against wind energy by any means. I just think its important that we realize that there will be other costs to pay and we should all know what they are so that we are making an educated choice to go to wind power.