Wind energy is going to play a key role in transitioning the world of fossil fuels, but what are the perceptions surrounding the wind industry and why has the transition been so slow?
Part of what is slowing the transition is misinformation about wind energy, which is causing people to oppose wind turbines being built in their area. With the internet so easily accessible for anyone who wishes to share their opinions, the spread of false information has never been easier, including about wind power.
The landscape of misinformation about wind energy is vast. Those who are against wind energy developments have created Facebook pages and groups and rallied neighbors to join them online. The claims against wind turbines range from unlikely to ridiculous. One site warns that wind turbine noise can cause birth defects in Portuguese horses. Another warns that low-frequency “infrasound” turbines cause the so-called “wind turbine syndrome” (which isn’t a real disease).
Such absurd claims circulated by anti-wind turbine groups have scared some people into believing that wind turbines can negatively affect animal and human health. This matters, because these arguments contribute to the opposition that can lead to wind farm projects being delayed or never happening.
Another theme in the misinformation campaigns is that wind farms decrease property values. Because of the negative attitude towards having wind turbines near residential areas, the logic is that residential areas would not be worth as much after a wind farm is built there, however, this is also not true. Ben Hoen, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has researched this topic for over 15 years and says that wind turbines have little to no impact on property nearby.
A study conducted by Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory in 2013 collected data from more than 50,000 homes across 27 counties in 9 different states. These homes were all within 10 miles of wind farms and data was collected for post-announcement, pre-construction, and during operation periods. The results from the study showed evidence that there was no effect on the prices of homes near wind turbines.
As the journalist Robert Bryce explains, many companies like NextEra Energy, Invenergy, Avangrid, and Copenhagen Energy Partners are facing backlash from coastal communities against offshore wind farms. In 2021, according to Bryce’s analysis, 31 communities have rejected proposed wind projects. Since 2015, 323 wind farm projects have been blocked across the US, including Hawaii. Bryce has compiled data about rejected wind farms into a Renewable Rejection Database.
Not only does misinformation delay the development of individual wind farms, but the anti-wind farm groups also affect policies surrounding wind farm developments. For example, in Boone County Missouri, a policy was adopted that mandated a minimum distance between property lines and a wind farm of 1750 ft, That requirement has made building wind farms nearly impossible in the county.
Even though 70% of the people in the US support renewable energy, which includes wind energy, no one wants the wind turbines built in their community, causing substantial backlash, in part, driven by the misinformation surrounding the topic. Wind farms provide benefits, such as clean energy, and opportunities, including new jobs. But the spread of misinformation surrounding wind farms has blinded some people to their benefits. More reliable sources of information about wind farms and educating communities about the facts about wind farms are going to be essential to advancing the transition to wind energy.