As they [the American Wind Energy Association] well know, "installed capacity" is meaningless, since the output of industrial wind turbines cannot be stored and cannot be predicted or regulated. Their effective or useable capacity is near zero, while the effective capacity of coal, gas and nuclear plants is near 99%. When the public figures this out, I doubt that "85% of Americans" will continue to support wind energy.

The May 19 letter from the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association in response to your May 12 editorial "Wind ($23.37) v. Gas (25 cents)" criticizing federal tax subsidies for renewable energy is typically disingenuous. For example, in arguing for the continuation of the billions in federal subsidies for wind energy, they cite the "6,000 megawatts installed" in 2007.

As they well know, "installed capacity" is meaningless, since the output of industrial wind turbines cannot be stored and cannot be predicted or regulated.

Their effective or useable capacity is near zero, while the effective capacity of coal, gas and nuclear plants is near 99%.

When the public figures this out, I doubt that "85% of Americans" will continue to support wind energy.

 

Web link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121151140987816597...