By Janet L. Sawin, Ph.D.
Energy Policy Specialist for Greenpeace USA

The Proposed Cape Wind windfarm project, planned for Horseshoe Shoals in Nantucket Sound, could break new ground in giving Americans what they want – clean energy now. A recent Gallup poll found that 91 percent of Americans favor investments in new energy sources such as solar and wind power. At home and abroad, leaders are calling for a transition to a new energy economy, one based on renewable energy and more efficient technologies to meet our future energy needs, increase national security, and avoid catastrophic climate change.

Offshore wind power will play a critical role in moving our nation toward a secure energy future. The Cape Wind project will bring added benefits to eastern Massachusetts, including cleaner air and water, improved health, jobs, millions of dollars in investment, and the potential for greater tourism and fishing opportunities.

Wind power is the fastest growing energy source in the world, with global wind energy capacity doubling every three years. The United States once led the world in wind power development. Today Germany, the size of Montana, has more that twice our wind power capacity, and tiny Denmark dominates the world market for wind turbines. The European Union plans to generate 22 percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy by 2010; much of this will come from the wind. In the United States we now get a fraction of one percent of our electricity from the wind, but have the potential to far exceed Europe.

Over the past 20 years, wind energy performance has improved dramatically, while costs have declined by 90 percent. Wind generated electricity is now cost-competitive with fossil fuels in good wind sites, and far cheaper than nuclear power. This, despite the fact that fossil fuels and nuclear power receive billions of dollars annually in U.S. government handouts – many times more than all renewable energy technologies combined.

The appearance of turbines and wind farms has changed over the years as well. For many, the thought of wind power evokes images of oil derrick-like towers topped with lifeless, broken blades. But today’s turbines are sleek, elegant structures, with high-tech blades that sweep slowly and gracefully through the wind.

A number of concerns remain for many, including the impact of turbines on wildlife, recreation, and those people living nearby. Fortunately, problems of noise have largely been overcome with new materials and designs, and careful siting of turbines. Technological changes and siting improvements have dramatically reduced risks to birds, and studies in Europe have found that offshore wind farms have no significant effects on water birds. While there is potential for a wind farm to adversely affect fisheries, in Europe the opposite has occurred – the bases of turbines have often acted as artificial reefs which, in turn, increase fish populations. Existing offshore turbines have not presented significant navigational hazards as they are well marked, visible on radar, and widely spaced with plenty of room to maneuver in between.

Greenpeace has encouraged the trend toward offshore wind projects in Europe for years with positive results. When properly developed and managed, offshore wind projects can be implemented with minimal harm to the environment.

Wind turbines are moving offshore in Europe for many reasons, only one of which is constraints on land. Siting wind farms at sea can increase generation by up to 50 percent because offshore winds are stronger and more consistent. Less turbulent wind over water reduce war and tear, allowing for longer turbine lifetimes. Moving turbines offshore can also alleviate transmission constraints, which could potentially be highly beneficial for U.S. cities such as New York and Boston.

On shore and off, wind farms strengthen communities, generate tax revenue, and create jobs. Not only short-term construction jobs, but also year-round, long-term, high-tech and high-paying jobs. In Germany today more than 35,000 people are permanently employed in wind-related industries. And wind farms attract tourists. For years, then-Mayor Sonny Bono fought to dismantle the wind farm near Palm Springs, Calif., until he was convinced that it should remain not only for the power it generates but also the tourist dollars it continues to draw to this desert oasis.

In fact, those who live closest to wind farms are, on average, even more favorable to wind energy than the general public. Across Europe, over 80 percent of people who live near wind farms support wind energy. Polls in Scotland demonstrate that the share of people who anticipate problems with wind farms drops considerable after projects are completed – by more than 75 percent in one study.

Ultimately, how individuals view wind farms and turbines is a matter of personal perception and perspective. However, like it or not, there are costs to all forms of energy. If we are going to consume energy, we must produce it, and we should do so in a responsible manner which enables us to meet our own needs without jeopardizing those of our children. Our current means of producing energy is literally costing lives and the health of the planet.

Of course, the Cape Wind project must be evaluated and developed carefully to ensure that no serious harm occurs to the surrounding ecosystem and that it can serve as a model for future projects around the country. Concerns about visual pollution are also legitimate. While they must not be dismissed out of hand, they should not be overblown for the purposes of stoking opposition, and must be carefully balanced within the context of our rising energy needs and the costs of conventional electricity generating systems.

Overall, the benefits of safe, clean, sustainable, home-grown wind power far outweigh its costs. If we hope to protect human health, stop further droughts, heat waves or the disappearance of winter as we know it in New England, we must develop our renewable energy resources as rapidly as possible. The Cape Wind project could mark the beginning of a major energy transformation that will improve the quality of life, health, environment and security for all Americans.