The Human Cost of Subsidizing Wind Energy
Texas Public Policy Foundation|June 19, 2018
AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation released a new video that reveals a side of the debate over wind energy that rarely receives any attention – the downside.
“Like any energy source, wind energy comes with tradeoffs,” said Bill Peacock, TPPF’s vice president for research. “The reality is that wind energy comes at a great cost, particularly to nearby homeowners. One of the great drawbacks of wind turbines is the noise.”
TPPF interviewed Comanche County residents who live near wind farms.
“Some people describe it as a jet plane that never lands,” said one resident.
Another added, “For us, if the wind is out of the north, they roar.”
“I’m exhausted,” said another resident. “You stay that way. You don’t rest good at night and you work hard during the day, and that’s strictly because of the turbines.”
The video also explains the tax subsidies upon which these wind farms rely.
As one resident explains, “They’re not making money off the electricity, they’re making money off what the government is giving them.”
She went on, “My hope is that all the subsidies (will be) gone. Because if the subsidies go away, these will not be profitable, and the wind turbines will go away.”