{"id":59250,"date":"2015-06-08T12:00:45","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T11:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=59250"},"modified":"2015-06-05T19:10:25","modified_gmt":"2015-06-05T18:10:25","slug":"wind-energy-vs-fossil-fuels-hurdles-and-hopes-for-a-renewable-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/06\/wind-energy-vs-fossil-fuels-hurdles-and-hopes-for-a-renewable-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Wind Energy vs. Fossil Fuels: Hurdles and Hopes for a Renewable Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fossil fuel industry receives billions in taxpayer subsidies as the wind industry fights to take flight.<\/em><\/p>\n

5 Jun 2015 – <\/em>The colossal oil spill in Southern California last month spurred many to wonder why we have not abandoned fossil fuels for wind and other sources of renewable energy.<\/p>\n

A busted pipeline<\/a> spewed an estimated 101,000 gallons of crude oil onto a pristine stretch of the Santa Barbara coastline on May 19, creating a nine-mile-wide oil slick in the Pacific.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have an estimate for [the duration of] this cleanup response, as we are still assessing the extent of the contamination,\u201d U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Rusty Harris-Bishop told Yahoo News this week.<\/p>\n

\"FILE<\/a>

FILE – In this May 21, 2015, file photo, a worker removes oil from sand at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif. An underground pipe, owned by Plains All American Pipeline, spewed oil down a culvert and into the Pacific on May 19 before it was shut off. Democratic U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein say the response to the oil spill that blackened beaches and created a 10-square-mile slick on the ocean was “insufficient.” and called on federal regulators to provide more details on the activities and decisions by Plains. (AP Photo\/Jae C. Hong, File)<\/p><\/div>\n

Last year, roughly 67 percent of the nation\u2019s electricity came from fossil fuels \u2014 such as coal, natural gas and petroleum \u2014 which release pollutants into the air.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, wind power, essentially a pollution-free, sustainable energy resource that the United States can harness domestically, supplied only 4.4 percent<\/a> of the country\u2019s electricity.<\/p>\n

But Franklin (Lynn) Orr, the under secretary for science and energy at the Department of Energy (DOE), said the transition to clean energy is already underway\u00a0\u2014 and expected to continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cFour and a half percent of America\u2019s total electricity. That\u00a0is triple the share what it had six years ago. And it\u2019s on track to double again in the next five years,\u201d Orr said in an interview with Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Given the proper financial investment and political backing, wind could account for a much larger percentage of the nation\u2019s electricity production than it currently does.<\/p>\n

But, critics say, many corporations and politicians stand to profit from our continued reliance upon fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are still a lot of politicians that are really in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry and some that are ideologically committed to it,\u201d Nathanael Greene, renewable energy policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said to Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Widespread support for wind energy<\/strong><\/p>\n

The United States is a world leader in wind power, having invested an average of $13 billion per year in wind plants from 2008 to 2013.<\/p>\n

Kit Kennedy, director of the NRDC\u2019s energy and transportation program, says the United States underwent a \u201cquiet revolution\u201d in renewable electricity in recent years.<\/p>\n

Polls have consistently shown<\/a>\u00a0that Americans strongly support wind energy.<\/p>\n

Conservative Texas has the most installed wind power capacity of any state, and the runner-up is liberal California.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>

An electricity pylon is seen next to wind turbines at a wind power plant in Hami, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, March 21, 2015. China’s wind farm firms are feeling the heat as state grid operators deliberately delay hooking them up and cut back on purchases, wasting about a fifth of the total wind power output or enough electricity to run Beijing for 40 days. Picture taken March 21, 2015. REUTERS\/Stringer<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a red state-blue state distinction. Wind is a powerhouse in states across the country. That means we are seeing bipartisan support for wind power, and that\u2019s growing,\u201d Kennedy said in an interview with Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Iowa and South Dakota power more than 25 percent of the electricity in their respective states using wind, she said.<\/p>\n

And the United States is not alone. Global investment in wind power soared from $14 billion in 2004 to $80 billion in 2013, a 21 percent annual rate of growth. In 2014, Denmark set a world record<\/a> by generating about 40 percent of its electricity from wind.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0DOE estimates<\/a> that wind energy could supply the nation with 10 percent of its electricity by 2020, 20 percent by 2030 and 35 percent by 2050.<\/p>\n

This would require cooperation and strategic planning: expanded development areas, increased economic value and reduced costs.<\/p>\n

Federal policy: A stable environment for investors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cost of wind power has dropped dramatically over the past decade.<\/p>\n

Still, the initial investment needed to install wind turbines is greater than it is for traditional energy generators. Furthermore, the development of wind farms is not always the most financially lucrative use of land.<\/p>\n

The American Wind Energy Association<\/a> (AWEA), the national trade association for the wind industry, argues that investors need a \u201cpredictable, stable pro-growth tax policy\u201d \u2014 the kind currently enjoyed by the fossil fuel industry.<\/p>\n

The U.S. government provides the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for investors who financially support one of 12 renewable electricity sources.<\/p>\n

But potential investors are scared away because Congress does not always extend the PTC, AWEA says.<\/p>\n

In 2012, uncertainty over whether the incentives would be renewed resulted in a 92 percent drop in wind installations the following year, according to AWEA; as a result, the wind industry\u2019s economy reportedly lost $23 billion and 30,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

\"FILE-<\/a>

FILE- In this file photo made July 14, 2009, wind turbines line a ridge on Stetson Mountain in Stetson, Maine. The state became the regional wind power leader under Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, but change is in the air as Gov. Paul LePage makes an aggressive push away from his predecessor\u0092s renewable energy policies. The outspoken Republican, who says wind power is too expensive, is looking to hydropower from Canada and natural gas to bring down electricity prices that are among the highest in the country. (AP Photo\/Robert F. Bukaty, File)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cDespite the fact that we have been growing rapidly, there has been a boom-and-bust cycle due to unstable\u00a0federal policy,\u201d David Ward, director of strategic\u00a0communications for AWEA, said in an interview with Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Investment in new wind industry projects rebounded after Congress extended the PTC with the American Taxpayer Relief Act, which became law in early 2013, but the damage for that year was already done.<\/p>\n

The 2013 drop-off was the most drastic since the PTC was introduced in 1992, but it was not unusual. There had been similar drop-offs in 2000, 2002 and 2004.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther industries have permanent incentives in place that do not come and go,\u201d Ward said. \u201cThis happens despite poll after poll showing that the overwhelming number of voters support policies supporting wind\u2019s growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

State policy: Commitment to clean energy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Twenty-nine states have adopted policies to incentivize renewable energy called Renewable Portfolio Standards. These require state utilities to purchase a certain amount of renewable energy.<\/p>\n

For instance, Hawaii recently adopted a policy<\/a> pledging to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Right now, Hawaii\u2019s electricity is extremely expensive because it is primarily powered by diesel fuel, which is imported to the islands.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you are importing oil, there is a possibility of spills,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cSimply as a matter of economics, Hawaii has gotten religious on renewable energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Moore, executive director of the Hawaiian Sustainability Foundation, says that the state\u2019s salt saturation can break wind turbines \u2014 especially if they are close to the water \u2014 but that is no reason to abandon clean energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of people that live in Hawaii see no reason why we can\u2019t have all solar and some wind,\u201d Moore told Yahoo News. \u201cThe solar is the real no-brainer because the sun\u2019s always shining here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The costs of solar panels for consumers have dropped rapidly, as well.<\/p>\n

By 2014, a typical rooftop solar panel cost about 1 percent of what it cost 35 years earlier, Orr explained; as a result, solar PV module installations last year were 25 times what they were in 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these efforts are not a coincidence,” he said. “They are the result of public and private investments in research and development.”<\/p>\n

California, another state with ambitious goals, is working toward using 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you\u2019re seeing is a large number of states \u2014 red and blue \u2014 adopting these renewable energy policies and a couple of states redoubling their efforts from one set of targets to a new set of targets. That\u2019s incredibly exciting, too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Subsidies for the fossil fuel industry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scientists know that fossil fuels harm the environment, exacerbate climate change and cause respiratory ailments in humans.<\/p>\n

So why does the U.S. government shell out billions of dollars to prop up fossil fuels while providing relatively sparse support for wind?<\/p>\n

Oil Change International<\/a>, an organization advocating against subsidies for fossil fuels, says the industry\u2019s fingerprints can be seen on every barrier to a transition toward clean energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see the influence of the fossil fuel industry as hugely problematic and something that needs to change. We need to separate the influence of the oil, gas and coal industries from our politics,\u201d David Turnbull, campaign director for the nonprofit, said in an interview with Yahoo News. \u201cThey spend millions upon millions of dollars to influence our democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The rotor blades of a wind turbine is lifted by a crane at a construction site of a wind power plant in Yiyang, Henan province, China, February 10, 2015. China’s wind farm firms are feeling the heat as state grid operators deliberately delay hooking them up and cut back on purchases, wasting about a fifth of the total wind power output or enough electricity to run Beijing for 40 days. Picture taken February 10, 2015. REUTERS\/Stringer<\/p><\/div>\n

Estimates for how much the U.S. government gives to the fossil fuel industry \u2014 not even including indirect costs \u2014 can vary from $10 million to more than $50 billion per year, according to Turnbull.<\/p>\n

According to a Guardian investigation<\/a>, the U.S. government awarded Shell, ExxonMobil and Marathon Petroleum significant taxpayer subsidies \u2014 worth $1.6 billion, $119 million and $78 million, respectively \u2014 thanks to politicians they helped elect by donating to their campaigns.<\/p>\n

Greene says it is understandable that the subsidies were implemented long ago to bolster the American economy, but it is time to cut back \u2014 especially now that we have viable alternatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony is that we are now subsidizing renewables as a way to overcome the subsidies we are paying to the fossil fuels industries,\u201d Greene said. \u201cIt\u2019s like subsidizing both sides of a war.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the coming decade, taxpayers are projected to give more than $135 billion to these corporations.<\/p>\n

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who recently launched his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison have introduced legislation<\/a> that would end subsidies to the oil, gas and coal industries.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when scientists tell us we need to reduce carbon pollution to prevent catastrophic climate change, it is absurd to provide massive taxpayer subsidies that pad fossil-fuel companies\u2019 already enormous profits,\u201d Sanders said in a release<\/a>. \u201cAt a time when fossil-fuel companies are racking up record profits, it is absurd to provide massive taxpayer subsidies to pad their already enormous earnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and ConocoPhilips \u2014 the five most profitable oil companies \u2014 raked in more than $1 trillion in profits over the past 10 years, according to the release.<\/p>\n

In a report, the\u00a0International Monetary Fund (IMF) says<\/a>\u00a0that post-tax global subsidies are significantly higher than previously thought and are expected to reach $5.4 trillion by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sustained interest in energy subsidy reform also reflects increasing recognition of the perverse environmental, fiscal, macroeconomic, and social consequences of energy subsidies,\u201d the report reads.<\/p>\n

In April, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim called for eliminating all subsidies for fossil fuels<\/a> and implementing a carbon tax.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Fatih Birol, the chief economist at the International Energy Agency, has said that fossil fuel subsidies are basically an incentive to pollute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fossil fuel industry’s perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

The American Petroleum Institute, the nation\u2019s largest trade organization for the oil and natural gas industry, argues that fossil fuels are central to the country\u2019s economic growth, energy security and overall security as the foundation for its \u201call-of-the-above energy approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to make sure that the small but vocal view of those who peddle the false choice between energy production and safe environmental stewardship do not prevail in their narrow view which is contradicted by the facts,\u201d API president and CEO Jack Gerard said during his “State of American Energy” speech in January.<\/p>\n

The API and similar organizations argue that not only should we persist in using fossil fuels to maintain our current lifestyles, but also we will have to use more of it in upcoming decades.<\/p>\n

Cape Wind<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wind power has occasionally been met with resistance \u2014 perhaps most famously in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

In 2010, the federal government approved the construction of a wind farm, called Cape Wind<\/a>, off the coast of Cape Cod.<\/p>\n

The proposed 130 wind turbines on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound would generate 75 percent of the electricity for Cape Cod, Martha\u2019s Vineyard and Nantucket, according to project organizers.<\/p>\n

But there has been fierce opposition from some groups, most notably the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, who say the wind turbines would ruin the ocean views of wealthy homeowners and decrease property values.<\/p>\n

Although the Alliance presents itself as an \u201cenvironmentalist\u201d group, billionaire industrialist William I. Koch<\/a>, who made a fortune in fossil fuels, is its chairman and a main financier.<\/p>\n

The anti-wind campaign has succeeded in slowing construction of the wind farm.\u00a0Ironically, the Cape and nearby islands would be among the top beneficiaries of wind power, since they are particularly vulnerable to the hazards of climate change.<\/p>\n

The future<\/strong><\/p>\n

In March 2015, President Obama committed the U.S. to fighting climate change by setting a challenging, even unprecedented, goal: to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent<\/a> below 2005 levels by 2025.<\/p>\n

Orr, who was sworn in as the DOE\u2019s under secretary for science and energy three months earlier, said, \u201cWe need all of the tools that are in our toolkit now to do this, plus some more that we need to invent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whereas Congress and state governments set the rules for Renewable Portfolio Standards and direct subsidies, the DOE focuses on advancing clean technologies and ensuring that fossil fuels are as clean as they can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we really need for the country is a well-diversified portfolio of energy,\u201d Orr said. \u201cFossil energy has a big part in the system now. As we think about transitions, we have to do that in an orderly way that makes the whole system continue to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 news.yahoo.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

5 Jun 2015 – The colossal oil spill in Southern California last month spurred many to wonder why we have not abandoned fossil fuels for wind and other sources of renewable energy. The fossil fuel industry receives billions in taxpayer subsidies as the wind industry fights to take flight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59250\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}