Let’s build a wind farm. We’ll put windmills just offshore of a major city and disfigure the view of a beautiful lake. We’ll see if winter’s ice will knock them over; if they’ll interfere with established commercial shipping lanes. We’ll count the birds getting whacked in the blades. We’ll see if they endanger pleasure boaters and disrupt prime fishing habitat and confirm what’s already clear — the cost of any power generated will be at least three times higher than current power costs.
It makes no sense, you say? I’m with you, but if you’re in Cleveland, you could be looking at just such blight if a proposed wind farm in Lake Erie moves forward.
Forget about the arguments that wind power is inherently intermittent and unpredictable. Look past the unsubstantiated claim that wind power reduces our demand for oil. Ignore that wind power has low economic value. What’s important is that it gets funds funneled to “green energy” companies authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the stimulus bill) so it must offer some sort of economic salvation. Read more….