I’m having a hard time getting too enthused
about wind energy (HCN, 5/02/05: The Winds of Change). The idea of
solving our energy woes by harnessing wind sounds wonderful, but
the reality is less appealing. The California Energy Commission
lists wind power as 1.5 percent of its total electricity production
for 2003. The sprawl of wind turbines from this 1.5 percent in
places such as Tehachapi and San Gorgonio is enormous.
California’s total energy consumption — from diesel
trucks to hair dryers — is more than double its electricity
use alone.
If anything holds promise and is deserving of
research dollars, it’s photovoltaics. From a rooftop, they
would have no additional impact on open spaces. They are expensive
at the moment. But when I think of how many solar panels could be
purchased for the price of a smart bomb, I just shake my head.
Americans are consuming enormous amounts of energy, and
the trajectory is exponential. Most of the talk about solving
energy problems revolves around how to get more per capita and more
for an ever-increasing population. Our thinking has to change if
we’re to have any chance at long-term sustainability.
Steven Walker
Logan, Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Wind doesn’t turn this reader’s crank.
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