Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
potential of the wind power sector ofsets some of the economic advantages
of coal-ired power. In 1998 when wind power began its ascent, approxi-
mately 15,600 people were employed in the industry; by 2002, installed
capacity had grown fourfold and the number of jobs had increased at a simi-
lar pace to 53,200.
79
According to a study in 2009, renewable energy was
responsible for 157,000 jobs, with wind providing the bulk of employment.
he same study quotes a representative from German wind power manufac-
turer Enercon as estimating that by 2030, renewable energy will be respon-
sible for 710,000 jobs in Germany.
80
he other economic element that signiicantly inluenced wind power
development policy in the early days of commercial development was the
inancial beneit that such projects provided to rural communities. Many of
the early wind power projects were small-scale enterprises owned by indi-
vidual farmers or farming cooperatives. Wind power projects helped rural
communities to bolster income levels; and consequently, garnered high
levels of local acceptance.
81
As larger wind farms came online and project
investors broadened, community support waned. his taught the German
government a valuable lesson about how to attenuate public opposition to
wind power projects—encourage local involvement.
5.5.3 Technological
→
Political
Technological advances in wind power systems have muted the concerns
that have historically underpinned both utility and civic opposition to the
technology. In regard to utility opposition, the common criticism has been
that heavy contributions by wind power systems destabilize the electric-
ity grid due to the stochastic nature of wind power lows. In most nations,
such criticism can still be heard from wind power opponents. However,
in the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, wind power satisies more than 40% of total
electricity consumption. It is diicult for utilities in other German states
to put forth opposition to wind power out of concerns of destabilizing the
grid when such precedents exist. In regard to civic opposition, concerns
over aesthetic impairment, noise, bird mortality, impact on biodiversity,
and shadow licker have dominated the agenda.
82
However, improved site
planning, noise-dampening features on modern turbines, and improved
tower and blade designs have gone a long way to alleviating these con-
cerns. It is for this reason that members of communities that host wind
power farms tend to hold more positive impressions of such installations
compared to members of communities that have no experience with wind
