The subsidies are for building them. Maintaining them is a cost that is not subsidized. If one quits and it is going to be expensive to fix, they just build another because it is subsidized.
Another reason they don't all run at the same time is there is not sufficient capacity in the power line that takes the power away.
In the Evanston Wyoming area, only about 25% are running at one time. They are a different 25% at different times, but that shows it is not because of mechanical failure.
It would take a fairly major power line to take 4 megawatts, and the power line that is there is not that big, nor is the substation that takes the power and connects it to the line.
....nly about 25% are running at one time.....
That is even worse and means they have negative capital efficiency. If they can’t run they can’t amortize the capitalization and the project has negative return.