Big Wind: For Dummies, Chumps, and Greens

...in periods of intense cold, when coal- and gas-fired power stations are relied upon the most, analysis of the weather has shown little to no wind available to generate power....even on “normal windy days” in the Netherlands use of wind turbines actually increased fossil fuel consumption and therefore increased CO2 emissions. _Hidden Costs of Wind

In order to produce any serious amount of electrical energy from wind plants, the turbines need to be spread out over a large area. Also, the turbines cannot just be placed close to each other because each of the turbines needs a significant amount of space to work properly due to turbulence factors. Multiple acres of land must therefore be bought along with the turbines and all other necessary equipments. As one can imagine, this would not only cost money, but would also require large amounts of free land in order to expand, which is why it is quite hard to expand them without destroying entire forests. The wind power projects would still be somewhat feasible if they had the potential to produce enough power to compensate for the costs associated with setting them up, unfortunately that is seldom the case because of the inconsistent nature of wind itself.

...Wind turbine towers are tall, slender constructions that are particularly susceptible to lightning, and since windy places often experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, the result could be very expensive. What this means is that not only will it require frequent investments in order to repair or change the damaged parts, but money must also be spent in order to safely dispose of the invalid machineries in an environmentally friendly way. This would be another reason as to why wind energy plants turn out to be too expensive, even in the long run. _Disadvantages of Big Wind

January 2012 Civitas Report: Electricity Costs: The Folly of Wind Power (PDF)

Destructive Effects of Big Wind on Economies

Basic Primer on Wind Power Basics and Shortcomings

Al Fin was once an advocate of big wind energy. But once an honest and intelligent person opens himself to the facts, it becomes very difficult to support big wind power on any basis whatsoever. Unless, of course, you are a big developer or investor in government subsidised wind farms. In that case, there are $billions to be made, without the need to provide any useful power to the public, whatsoever. A neat scam, if you can live with yourself. Just ask Warren Buffett.

Update: 7Feb12_ More on this topic in a long and informative article from Watts Up With That?!?!?