Perspective –
Wind Energy Facts: Honesty is Best Policy

May 10th, 2010 • Filed Under
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By Cheryl Riley/Original Source

Wyoming has a proud history of providing energy that powers our nation. We export the vast majority of our energy resources such as coal, oil and natural gas to customers willing to buy them. In return, we receive good living-wage jobs, numerous tax benefits, and opportunities to work and stay in the state that we love.

Now, wind energy is the newest player on the Wyoming energy stage. And its contributions are no less important. With the nation’s growing thirst for clean energy like that produced by wind turbines, Wyoming has the opportunity to become a leader in exporting renewable energy along with its traditional energy — and to reap additional economic benefits at the same time. Whether an out-of-state utility wants to buy coal power or wind power, a business-savvy state like Wyoming should be prepared and positioned to sell it.

That’s why it is important for Wyoming citizens to know the facts about wind energy and its certain benefits to our state. Unfortunately, it has been popular in these opinion pages and elsewhere to swirl misstatements and half-truths about wind energy. Last week a Benjamin Franklin quote was used in this space about death, taxes and wind energy, but I like this Franklin quote better: “Honesty is the best policy.”

So, let’s start with the money to come to Wyoming thanks to wind. Wind turbines are expensive, multimillion-dollar pieces of equipment, and wind projects are required to pay both industrial-sized property taxes, a new excise tax, and, starting next year, a huge upfront sales tax on that equipment. Those tax streams will provide money to the state of Wyoming, to counties, and to cities and towns. The Wyoming Infrastructure Authority estimates that for every 3,000 MW of installed capacity, we could create $2 billion in direct and employment benefits and tax revenues during construction, $316 million in benefits per year of operation, and 176 long-term, well-paying jobs.

Wind projects provide long-term, well-paying operations and maintenance jobs that are not subject to the boom-and-bust cycle. They will provide local construction jobs and opportunities for Wyoming engineering firms, concrete and gravel companies, transportation companies and others who want to work on expanding Wyoming’s economy. Perhaps most importantly, leasing land for wind power development will give private landowners an opportunity to stay on family farms and ranches. Payments to landowners for a typical 50-tower project can be as much as $5 million to $10 million or more over the 20-plus year life of a project.

Are wind turbines more visible from long distances than oil wells, refineries or mines? Of course. No energy source is perfect. Will wind turbines affect our environment? All man-made structures do. But recall that wind turbines are quiet, clean and need service just twice a year. They generate no pollution or smells. Unlike other forms of electricity production, they require none of our precious water supplies. Cattle, sheep and big game can graze and farmers can cultivate their crops around turbines just as they have before. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the amount of land “permanently” needed for 1 turbine plus associated access roads and equipment would be about 1 acre. Added together, the land required to support 6,000 turbines, for example, would equal about 9.4 square miles — just one-quarter of one township. And wind developers have pledged to site projects wisely to minimize impacts on the land and wildlife resources that we all value.

Wyoming is ranked No. 8 among states for wind power potential, and wind developers, potential suppliers and other businesses are working hard to help build a wind industry to benefit Wyoming economically for years to come. We are collaborating with legislators on good, common-sense legislation like the siting regulations. We will collaborate with legislators again this summer as they review the total tax scheme, currently the least-competitive in the West. We are working to educate communities, partner with wildlife organizations, and support the training of Wyoming people for Wyoming wind jobs.

That said, what will honestly determine if wind will succeed as a Wyoming business is project economics. Wyoming has superb wind resources, but it is markedly disadvantaged by its distance from the markets willing to pay for wind energy. If wind developers can build more viable projects in states that have more favorable development and tax policies and are closer to markets, well, then developers may go there first and come to Wyoming later, if at all.

A non-diversified, non-progressive energy economy? A state closed to new economic and work force opportunities? This is not the Wyoming we want. If we are not careful, this is the Wyoming we may get.

Cheryl Riley, a Casper native and University of Wyoming graduate, lives in Cheyenne and is the executive director of the Wyoming Power Producers Coalition. She may be contacted at cheryl@wyopowerproducers.com.

There Is 1 Response So Far. »

  1. Comment by Dan Smith on 28 August 2010:

    Regarding the latest decision the Governor made to expand the already very large sage grouse core areas, it is my opinion that the Governor should be impeached. When he was elected it was with the understanding he would do what was best for Wyoming—not what was best for sage grouse. His latest stand on protecting sage grouse and the removal of nearly 400,000 acres of viable land that could have been used for wind development is definitely NOT in the best interests of Wyoming, nor its citizens. Do sage grouse only live in Wyoming? Why should this state throw itself on the sword for the sage grouse, when it lives perfectly well in other states, and other states are taking little protective action on its behalf?
    Our Governor seems to be single-handedly doing everything he can to discourage wind industry development, and stifle the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue as well as the thousands of jobs that could be shared by the entire state of Wyoming. Doesn’t anyone else wonder why? Why would he throw that away—and why just BEFORE he gets out of office? He has already taxed the devil out of the wind developers, significantly more, than they are taxed in Colorado. Would this not encourage wind industry to strongly consider the placement of their multi-billion dollar development projects somewhere/anywhere other than Wyoming? I will further point out that his latest decision does not impact the coal and gas industry as much as it impacts wind development. He allows those, with a few restrictions, but states, “Wind development is not recommended in sage-grouse core areas.” In other words–NOT ALLOWED AT ALL. He then expands the area to include 400,000 more acres! Think of the millions and millions of dollars of wind revenues blowing by us every day. Is there nothing in this state we could be spending that money on?
    While I understand the coal mining industry contributes significantly to the economic well-being of this state, I believe it is perfectly clear that the environmental impact of the wind industry on sage grouse is far less than that of coal mining, oil drilling or related energy activities. Our Governor seems to be in favor of other activities which are environmentally destructive as opposed to the renewable energy of wind. I believe coal mining and oil and gas drilling ravage the terrain much more than the placement of wind turbines. I believe that digging or drilling holes in the ground and using earth-gouging machines (bulldozers, road graders, dump trucks) and all the heavy industrial activity that is required to support the ground operation of such mining and drilling is far more disruptive of sage grouse territory. Grouse have much more to fear from smoke-belching earth moving machinery than slowly spinning wind turbines rotors 200 feet above the ground. Does anyone else find this absurd? I would also point out that the railroads own most of the mineral rights in this state. They do not, however, own the wind rights–Interesting. Does that tell you anything?
    While I understand that the coal mining industry contributes significantly to the economic well-being of this state, I believe it is perfectly clear that the environmental impact of the wind industry on sage grouse is far less that the impact from coal mining, oil drilling or related energy activities. I personally think that restricting wind development to this extent, for sage grouse “core” areas, is an inadequate reason. I have not found Montana, Colorado, or any other western state restricting hundreds of thousands of acres from wind development solely due to the presence of the sage grouse–correct me if I am wrong. Why restrict these areas to this extent unless someone makes you? Wyoming has some of the most consistent and high-grade wind fields in the U.S. and our state hemorrhages millions of potential dollars and turns its back on thousands of jobs every day that wind is not tapped.
    If you dislike the wind industry so much, Governor, why don’t you just outlaw it? Make them remove ALL the turbines, instead of nickel and diming them to death. We don’t need those jobs; we don’t need the hundreds of millions of dollars it would bring to this state; we don’t need education, healthcare, senior care, medicine assistance, infrastructure repair and maintenance, or anything else in this state! We have plenty of money to do just what we want.
    Governor, you are making decisions that are negatively impacting your constituents and our best interests. I would like to think that ALL of your decisions as an elected official are based on what is best for the citizens and well as the State of Wyoming. Can you honestly say from this recent decision that we, the citizens of Wyoming, have gained more than we’ve lost? I am not convinced. Wyoming could be the leader in wind industry in the United States; but only if the politicians SUPPORT it, instead of doing everything they can to fight it. For the remainder of your term, I would challenge you to improve the economy of Wyoming to a greater degree than your recent decision has damaged our prospects–Give wind a chance.

    Daniel Smith

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