Wildlife expert Dan Boone presented these slides at the 38th North American Symposium on Bat Research held in Scranton, PA in October 2008. Mr. Boone's presentation focused on the trade-offs of wind energy development in Eastern US balancing the benefits of this energy resource against the environmental risks, particularly to bats. Note that slides # 27, 32 and 33 of the presentation provide graphs which quantitatively estimate the potential impacts on bats and forest habitat resulting from the projected intensity of wind energy development within the eastern US states which comprise the bulk of the Appalachian mountain region. The summary slide from the presentation is listed below. The full presentation can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Policy analyst and attorney, Drew Thornley, of the Texas Public Policy Foundation examines the growth of wind energy in Texas over the last decade. While many policymakers and business leaders foresee wind as a major contributor to America’s electricity supply, his report identifies several practical obstacles that stand in the way of achieving that vision.

Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens is on a mission, and wants you to support his energy plan away from imported oil and towards natural gas and wind power. But commentator Will Wilkinson says to be wary of what you hear.

This document discusses the political reality of global warming, the push for renewable energy alternatives, and the effort by environmental organizations to see fossil fuel electrical power replaced with energy conservation, renewable and clean energy. The conclusions and recommendations of the document are included below. The full document can be accessed by clicking on one of the links below.

This document by Professor Robert J. Michaels and published in Energy Law Journal provides an economist's perspective on a National Renewable Portfolio Standard as considered by the U.S. Government. The synopsis of the document appears below. The full paper can be downloaded by clicking on one of the links below.

Dr. Robert L. Bradley, Jr. ("Why Renewable Energy Is Not Cheap and Not Green") wrote this compeling document for the Institute for Study of Economics and the Environment at Lindenwood University following his lecture last fall. Outsiders viewing Enron’s collapse blamed it on unregulated markets and free-market capitalism. But, Bradley says Enron fell mainly because it was a “politically dependent” firm, not a truly “free-market” company. The list of Enron political initiatives to promote a marketing strategy of “sustainable development” includes: 1) support for the Clinton/Gore 1993 proposal for a Btu tax; 2) aggressive investment in solar power in 1994; 3) the purchase of Zond Corporation in 1996 to start the U.S. wind industry; 4) spearheading of the nation’s most strict renewable energy mandate in Texas in 1999 and 5) unsuccessful lobbying of the Bush/Cheney administration to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. Bradley includes a never-before-published memo from Enron’s man-on-the-scene at the Kyoto climate change meetings. Writing from Kyoto, Enron’s representative predicted: “If implemented [the Kyoto Protocol] will do more to promote Enron’s business than will almost any other regulatory initiative outside of restructuring of the ‘electricity’ and natural gas industries in Europe and the United States….

Federal electricity subsidies and support per unit of production (dollars per megawatt hour) varied widely by fuel in FY2007, according to EIA. Coal-based synfuels (refined coal) that are eligible for the alternative fuels tax credit, solar power and wind power received the highest subsidies per unit of generation, ranging from more than $23 to nearly $30 per megawatt hour of generation. The smallest subsidies on a per unit basis were for coal, natural gas and petroleum liquids, and municipal solid waste, all at less than $0.45 per megawatthour of generation.

Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst in Energy at The Heritage Foundation provides an analysis of the latest energy bill before the House. He concludes that this "bill boosts taxes on the energy sources America relies upon-oil and natural gas-in order to subsidize alternatives with a spotty track record. Raising taxes on what works and heaping subsidies on what doesn't: This policy has failed in the past and would not fare any better this time around." .

The USDA's Forest Service has proposed sweeping changes to its internal directives governing wildlife monitoring and special use authorizations. These proposed changes will greatly facilitate the siting of industrial wind turbines within our National Forests. The Wilderness Society submitted this letter to the Forest Service detailing concerns about the proposed changes. Windaction.org and over 50 other groups and individuals jointly signed this letter.