The Facts About Wind Energy and Emissions - anti-wind groups attempting to defy the laws of physics

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/09/the-facts-about-wind-energy-and-emissions

Recent data and analyses have made it clear that the emissions savings from adding wind energy to the grid are even larger than had been commonly thought. In addition to each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of wind energy directly offsetting a kWh that would have been produced by a fossil-fired power plant, new analyses show that wind plants further reduce emissions by forcing the most polluting and inflexible power plants offline and causing them to be replaced by more efficient and flexible types of generation.

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Fossil Fuel’s Desperate War against Facts

Not to be deterred by indisputable data, numerous refutations, or the laws of physics, the fossil fuel lobby has doubled down on their desperate effort to muddy the waters about one of the universally recognized and uncontestable benefits of wind energy: that it reduces the use of fossil fuels as well as the emissions and other environmental damage associated with producing and using these fuels.

For those who have not been following this misinformation campaign by the fossil fuel industry, here is a brief synopsis. Back in March 2010, AWEA heard public reports that the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS), a lobby group representing the oil and natural gas industry, was working on a report that would attempt to claim that adding wind energy to the grid had somehow increased power plant emissions in Colorado.

Perplexed at how anyone would attempt to make that claim, AWEA decided to take a look at the relevant data, namely the U.S. Department of Energy’s data tracking emissions from Colorado’s power plants over time. The government’s data, reproduced in the table below, show that as wind energy jumped from providing 2.5% of Colorado’s electricity in 2007 to 6.1% of the state’s electricity in 2008, carbon dioxide emissions fell by 4.4%, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 6%, coal use fell by 3% (571,000 tons), and electric-sector natural gas use fell by 14%. (Thorough DOE citations for each data point are listed here (PDF).) Two conclusions were apparent from looking at this data: 1. the claim the fossil fuel industry was planning to make had no basis in fact, and 2. the fossil industry was understandably frustrated that they were losing market share to wind energy.

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:thumbsup:

[NNadir]

1. It's interesting to see the wind industry pretending to oppose the dangerous fossil fuel industry.

Gerhardt Schroeder anyone?

How about T. Boone Pickens?

The wind industry would collapse in 30 minutes if the dumping of dangerous fossil fuel wastes into the atmosphere by the dangerous natural gas industry was outlawed.

[jpak]

2. It's interesting to see anti-wind advocates still believing the Earth is flat...

:rofl:

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. You ever consider that gas & oil guys are investing in wind because

they KNOW theirs is a dying industry? If you are in the energy business and one sector is about to experience a full scale collapse, wouldn't it behoove you to position yourself in the new sector so you won't be driven out of business completely?

[DLnyc]

6. You forgot the sarcasm thingy, I think.

[texastoast]

3. They will cry just like the California grocers and plastics industry cried over plastic bag use

Such a great idea to do away with plastic shopping bags, but OH NO, the grocery and plastics industry lobbied hard against it.

These people fighting clean air and water are similar the railroad industry fighting air traffic.

I wish people could see that clinging to the past polluting ways is going to make their children suffer immeasurably.

[earth mom]

4. K & R & Bookmarked! nt