Commentary

Sure, you’ve heard that phrase before.  So have I.

While researching its origins, I found this appropriate meaning for its usage: 

“If you describe someone as whistling in the wind, you mean they are trying unsuccessfully to change something which cannot be changed.”

It’s appropriate because it applies to the effort to have us believe that wind power is capable of supplying us with a reasonable generation of electricity cheaper than fossil fuels.

The cons are many

Setting aside the stories of the bird kills caused by a moving 60-foot-long blade (there are three per windmill) weighing approximately 12 ton apiece, and recent suggestions that the work of installing windfarms off the east coast may have caused the deaths of 18 whales since December 1, are they worth it? 

By the way, newer windmills are getting bigger and the blades longer and heavier, causing noise pollution complaints to increase.

Corporate CFO’s have to be concerned with that question, too.  In the U.S., General Electric, facing inflation and supply chain problems, reported a loss of $2.2 billion last year.

And remember those green jobs President Biden promised?  Well, GE is reducing its headcount in its offshore wind operation by nearly 20 percent, as it looks to restructure and resize its business.

Denmark’s Orsted, the world’s number one offshore windfarm developer, recently announced a write-down on a big U.S. offshore project, while projecting its earnings for 2023 will fall short of analyst estimates.

Germany’s premier turbine manufacturers reported a loss of $967 million in the last quarter of 2022.  Siemans, the company that touts itself as “the global leader in offshore power generation,” suggested that “governments would need to further assist the industry.” Read that as “bailout.”

Avangrid, the company that was going to build an offshore windfarm for New Hampshire, states that increases in commodity prices, rising interest rates and supply shortages mean that its renewable energy project cannot be financed or built under the terms of the power purchase agreement.

In addition, turbine manufacturers are also faced with higher costs of warranty provisions as a result of faulty components. At the Danish company Vestas, warranty claims have reportedly exceeded their revenue target.

Again, it makes sense to ask – is it worth it?

What are the costs?

A typical wind turbine costs from $2 to $3.5 million, not including the acreage required.  Annual maintenance runs from $40 to $50 thousand.  Incidentally, it requires 80 gallons of lubricating oil requiring changing every three years.  Of course, project costs vary from location to location.

On the positive side

Wind turbines, with all of its negatives, are said to consume less energy and releases less CO2, with just one turbine generating the same amount of electricity per kwh, as about 49,000 solar panels.

Another negative thought

Windmill blades have about a 20-year life span.  By 2050 it is estimated that two million tons of blades will annually find their way into a landfill.  Made from a composite material, recycling is not economical, although this problem is being addressed.

And they’re ugly

Importantly, can they fulfill their promise?

Are they worth it when it comes to their ability to generate reasonable electricity demands?

Windmills in the U.S. are reportedly supplying 10 percent of our energy.  Reports out of the UK indicate that a windmill only generates 25 percent of its claimed capacity, also referred to as its nameplate. Some experts have said that even if 35 percent is achieved, it would be futile to install more windmills

Just as solar without sunshine, wind power without wind is intermittent and unreliable, while generating low levels of energy at a high cost of ownership.

Aren’t we “just whistling in the wind?”

The Biden administration’s overly aggressive goal of renewables, practically relacing fossil fuels overnight, is a fantasy.  Wind power cannot replace fossil fuels.

To borrow another well-known phrase.  Aren’t we really “blowing in the wind?” With continued technological advances, wind could contribute, but there are problems to be resolved while we agree to restore our fossil fuel independence.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.