Wind Power
What are the positive and negative impacts of renewable energy resource you chose? The advantages of wind power include Cost-effective: Initial start-up costs are mitigated over a period of time. costing 12 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit. Because the electricity from wind farms is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time (e.g. 20+ years) and its fuel is free, wind energy mitigates the price uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources of energy. Enables industry growth: Wind energy projects account for over 10 billion in annual revenue. Job creation: over 100,000 workers currently in this field and it’s projected to be near 600,000 by 2050. Clean energy source: Wind energy doesn’t pollute the air like power plants that rely on the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, which emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxidecausing human health problems and economic damages. It also, in itself does not produce greenhouse gases. Domestic source of energy: Wind is abundant and inexhaustible. Over the past 10 years, U.S. wind power capacity has grown 15% per year, and the wind is now the largest source of renewable power in the United States. Disadvantages of wind power: Cost: Wind projects need to be able to compete with the lowest cost electricity projects which currently can be a large challenge even with a dramatic improvement in cost. Location/Infrastructure: Most windmill sites are remote which means the generated power must be stored and transmitted greater distances which can be another challenge and a costly one. Furthermore, the locations may be better suited for other options than simply electricity generation. Aesthetics and Wildlife: Some believe that the windmills themselves do not look attractive and decrease overall land value. There have been reports of many bird strikes and some disruption to habitats. Can or cannot renewable energy replace fossil fuels? The short answer is not yet at least. Wind generation on its own cannot replace fossil fuels but it is suggested that over time several renewable platforms can do the job collectively. In 2007, fossil fuels accounted for nearly 72 percent of the United States’ electric power production, while hydroelectric power supplied only 5.8 percent and other renewables supplied a mere 2.5 percent. Those are daunting numbers, especially when you factor in Energy Information Administration estimations that fossil fuels and uranium will still provide 85 percent of the nation’s electricity in 2030. But just as it would be unreasonable to think renewable sources could take the reins now, it’s equally unreasonable to think they can’t eventually facilitate an end to fossil fuel dependency. There’s only so much oil and coal in the Earth, after all, and global warming concerns only punctuate the need for a new direction. How does renewable energy affect the current power industry infrastructure? At the end of 2011, worldwide nameplate capacity of wind-powered generators was 238 gigawatts (GW), growing by 41 GW over the preceding year. Data from the World Wind Energy Association, an industry organization, states that wind power now has the capacity to generate 430 TWh annually, which is about 2.5% of worldwide electricity usage. There is always wind being generated from a location even if its not windy in one region it will be in another making it reliable in a sense. To this point, its better suited to bring stability as a hybrid option to aid the power industry’s stability. What help, if any, should governments give to help the establishment of renewable energy production? In some cases there are government incentives to build renewable sources including wind energy options. If this was done federally across the board it would be a giant step. Will the Clean Power Plan Survive? Why or why not? I guess I would say as of today, there inst a chance of survival because our current president doesn’t put as much emphasis on renewable energy or the dangers of global warming.
