Wind energy does not come free

In recent commentaries, Paul Harris of Pioneer Green has extolled the virtues of industrial wind energy and attacked its opponents. Referencing wind energy’s production costs, Harris wrote in May, “Wind is free, which means this power is predictable, economical and sustainable for decades.”

An examination of the facts tells us nothing could be further from the truth.

Electricity from wind is expensive. Independent scientific studies say electricity from wind power is up to twice as costly as electricity from other sources such as coal, nuclear and natural gas.

These analyses show wind power’s higher cost is directly linked to its intermittency and variability, which act to destabilize supply and demand of electricity generation, disrupting the balance of the electrical grid.

This imbalance reduces the grid’s efficiency and increases production costs. Wind power must be backed up with conventional generation sources, adding further to its cost — which must be passed on to ratepayers and taxpayers. The sad truth is virtually no commercial wind farms would be built without massive state and federal subsidies.

Real-world evidence of this exists with a wind turbine located along Route 50 on the campus of Chesapeake College. Based upon the college’s own production figures, electricity from this turbine costs 30 cents per kilowatt hour, approximately three times the current average residential and commercial rate.

Proponents say it was not meant as a commercial enterprise, but as a teaching tool.

Yes, it certainly is a teaching tool. It teaches us commercial wind energy is expensive. It certainly isn’t free.

Dennis Stolte of Trappe is a retired energy policy specialist and member of the American Farm Bureau.