POINT: Wind energy is fueled by the wind, so it's a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses.

COUNTERPOINT: Wind is unreliable, producing electricity only when the wind blows, and within the right range, usually between 8 and 56 mph, with optimum capacity at around 33 mph. Since wind is intermittent and largely unpredictable, industrial wind plants produce miniscule amounts of electricity. In fact, the installation at Mendota Hills produces energy at approximately 18% of its touted full capacity, although its owners are loathe to publish that fact. Because back-up energy sources are required at all times to cover wind turbine downtime, wind sites are not ‘emission free’. The same amounts of emissions occur whether wind power is being generated or not, and not one coal-fired plant will come out of production as a result of wind facilities being built.

Wind resource development may also compete with other uses for the land and those alternative uses may be more highly valued than electricity generation.

POINT: Wind energy is a domestic source of energy, produced in the United States. The nation's wind supply is abundant. Wind energy relies on the renewable power of the wind, which can't be used up. Wind is actually a form of solar energy; winds are caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the earth, and the earth's surface irregularities.

Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available today, costing between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource and project financing of the particular project

COUNTERPOINT: The major challenge to using wind as a source of power is that the wind is intermittent and it does not always blow when electricity is needed. Wind energy cannot be stored, and not all winds can be harnessed to meet the timing of electricity demands.

No wind facility operates at even half the full capacity it is capable of because of wind's intermittency. And while wind power may be produced relatively cheaply once the installation is in, the cost to put in and maintain the facility is incredibly high. The federal government subsidizes wind energy to the tune of $1.5 million dollars per megawatt of energy produced. Wind energy is not cheap; it is incredibly expensive, and costs both taxpayers and the environment dearly.

POINT: Although many people say wind turbines can negatively affect birds, bats, and other wildlife, the effect is so minimal as to be negligible.

COUNTERPOINT: Click here to discover the true effect wind turbines have on such creatures.

POINT: Wind turbines can be built on farms or ranches, thus benefiting the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites are found. Farmers and ranchers can continue to work the land because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the land. Wind power plant owners make rent payments to the farmer or rancher for the use of the land.

COUNTERPOINT: Although wind power plants have relatively little impact on the environment compared to conventional power plants, there is concern over the noise produced by the rotor blades, visual impacts, and negative affects on wildlife and native plants in the areas in which they are developed.

In addition, good wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities where the electricity is needed.

Wind resource development may compete with other uses for the land and those alternative uses may be more highly valued than electricity generation.

The fact is, wind developers look for unsophisticated areas where there is little or no zoning or oversight regarding such developments. The lack of hoops to jump through makes these areas highly appealing to developers, who can ramrod through whatever they want while the local population, who stands to benefit little or not at all, has no resources to prevent this from happening. While there is a minimal review process in place at the federal level through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the incentives in place for development of wind farms appear to far outpace the review processes.

Is wind energy really "green" energy? Click here to find out.
 

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American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACE3)

Why conserve energy?

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Illinois Waste Management and Research Center

Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation

The Green Ribbon Pledge