Wind power gets a bad rap after the Texas blackouts

The Competitive Enterprise Institute‘s Iain Murray warns of the dangers of renewables:

While we’re on the subject of renewables: here’s further proof that wind power is no panacaea for the nation’s looming electricity crisis. The wind dropped in Texas, and caused blackouts.

Indeed, an unexpected demand spike not met by coal-fired power plants wind power caused irreparable harm by unfairly favoring the unwashed masses over “large industrial customers who are paid to reduce power use when emergencies occur” on Tuesday. Tuesday was the very day nuclear, natural gas, and coal power demonstrated their unfailing reliability to 3 million Floridians. More Murray:

Meanwhile, in Denmark, wind turbines are exploding. Dramatic video (provenance uncertain, so may not be genuine) here. This follows the fatal collapse of a wind tower in Oregon last summer. They also come with environmental costs of their own.

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Now, of course, all energy production comes with risks, but wind power has such a positive image that people think of it as completely safe, environmentally-friendly and reliable. That’s not the case.

I, for one, would take mountaintop removal, mercury emissions, and global warming over dangerous wind power any day!