WIND FACES ITS FOES

Is Wind Energy The New Wedge Issue For Conservatives?
Jeff Siegel, 27 April 2011 (North American Windpower)

"…Wind, after being the darling of the media, business and state governments for much of its history, has suddenly found itself on the receiving end of negative publicity, questions about its value as an energy source and even calls for an end to wind development…Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota, all considered wind-friendly states, have recently pursued policies that can be seen as anti-wind.

"Some of this shift is due to the industry's natural maturation…Some of the backlash against wind also stems from the recession, which has not only hampered wind development but has made even previously wind-friendly regulators and legislators question its cost…[but pushback] is genuine and something that the industry needs to address…[It] is being powered by a combination of small-government conservatives who see wind and other renewables as a waste of money and by others who consider wind a technology that will never be as effective as oil, coal or natural gas…"

Wind has staying power. (click to enlarge)

"Certainly, not all has gone badly for wind…[AWEA] estimates that the U.S. wind power industry grew by 15% in 2010 and provided more than one-quarter of all new electric-generating capacity. Also, California, despite its fiscal problems, will require one-third of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

"But…The Wisconsin State Legislature is considering a bill that would restrict the development of approximately $500 million worth of projects over the next two years…[and] voted in March to suspend wind farm siting rules…Texas comptroller, Republican Susan Combs, has decried wind as an expensive boondoggle…[and the] GOP-controlled legislature may limit the ability of local school districts to give tax abatements…The 2012 extension of the production tax credit could be in jeopardy…"

Bring it. (click to enlarge)

"…[R]hetoric debunking climate change has increased markedly over the past several years, more or less in relation to how many Americans believe that climate change actually exists. If fewer Americans believe in climate change, fewer Americans will support wind and other renewables…This goes a long way toward explaining the difference in the current political and media attitude…Also important, say wind industry analysts, has been the length and depth of the recession…

"Has the backlash irreparably damaged wind? Has the momentum and goodwill built up over the past 20 years been lost? The answer is complicated and depends not only on what happens during the 2012 presidential and congressional elections, but on what the wind industry does over the next several years to regain lost momentum…Education also remains key…Focusing on the long-term benefits of wind is important. If the green argument fails to work, there is always the economic one…"