Thank you for asking.
The below link presents a concise argument for why wind is a boondoggle. (I hope it posts ok.)
http://www.gardnermountain.org/Schleede%27s%20best%206_04.PDF
WRT energy policy, I am referring to the combination of federal tax credits for wind (expired December 2003 and re instituted this month and retroactive) and State renewable energy laws (renewable portfolio standard) that mandate a specific percentage of electricity sold into the state come from renewables.
On the federal side, the tax credits encourage wind investment companies to build their plants, write the costs off within 5 years through accelerated depreciation plans. They then sell the plants to the power companies who, thanks to State mandates, are guaranteed a market.
No one stops to think about the impacts of these renewables as everyone rushes to satisfy the mandates. The link I provided addresses how ineffective current renewables are in terms of addressing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Colorado has on the November ballot, a constitutional amendment to require that 10% of all electricity in the state come from renewables (wind) by 2015. Establishing fixed numbers like this is not smart policy.
I hope this helps.
--Lisa
Thanks for the link. Many of the arguments are obviously biased against renewables (use of the word "insidious" several times), rely on several "if/then" arguments and assume the initial "if" is true, don't take into account that current sources of fossil fuels are finite (and have costs to deliver and/dispose of), and production tax credits received by wind farms are based on energy generated which requires wind farms to work as efficiently as possible (if the wind don't blow or the turbines are prone to problems, nobody will invest in it and it won't get built).
Another thing is the bonus depreciation are "losses" the investor applies against tax liabilities over the life of the wind farm investment, generally 20 years. I have never heard of an investor who takes the tax benefits (5 year depreciation or 10 year production tax credits) and then abandons the project. That happened in the 1980s when wind farms paid the tax credit up front, regardless of performance, but doesn't apply now.
Plus the link ignores recent charades in the US energy market with "traditional" sources of electricity, unlike wind which has long-term purchase agreements at agreed prices (regardless of market shenanagins, and sometimes inflation).
Offshore wind generally has stonger and steadier winds, resulting in higher capacity factors, and much lower costs of energy to the purchasing utility (3~4 cents per kWh), despite the higher offshore capital costs.