That’s because they were the oldest, smaller ones installed that never did make economic sense, and since the laywers hadn’t remembered to put removal clauses in the contracts, it was cheaper for developers to just abandon them in place than to remove them.
Not much different than why we have so many abandoned gas stations with leaking underground tanks that now must be removed at public expense.
I am not pro-wind in all aspects, “small wind” that you see at homes and farms for example, makes absolutely no sense and will never have a payback, and should not be subsidized. It is through incentives like PTC that the GEs, Suzlons, Simeens, Mitsubishis, et al had access to a large enough market that made them willing to invest in the R&D needed to scale up and find the right cost point. Just as airline subsidies helped Boeing and Airbus create the most fuel-efficient aircraft and the airlines design the best route system rather than trying to fly puddle-jumpers into tiny airports. Economy of scale.
I espcially like the part where governors mandate that utilies provide “10% of their energy from renewable sources”.
Which means that whent the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, they must back it up with gas fired facilities, but bookkeep it to the “renewable” column.....