To Wind or Not To Wind - a very negative wind energy decision

I find that we, the United States, are at cross roads and cross currents.  On Sunday, the New York Times reported, that Duke Energy has agreed to pay $1 million in fines as part of the Justice Department’s first criminal case against a wind power company for the deaths of protected birds.  That’s right a criminal case for the death of birds, golden eagles in this case, which is a tragedy.  But how is Duke Energy Renewables or any other utility to comply with the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandate of increasing the percentage of electricity produced from wind, solar, geothermal or other, when they can be found criminally guilty of avian deaths. 

Birds are killed by everything from cars, trains, planes, stationary meteorological towers, cell phone towers, trees, windows of homes (we have had two in 14 years), other birds, chemicals, hunters, and on and on.  The $1 million fined was paid to several conservation groups, including the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.  These are the very groups that have pushed for the RPS.

The company must now put into place a plan to prevent the deaths of the birds.  Duke Energy said that it had been working with federal officials to limit the bird deaths.  “The company is installing new radar technology to detect birds and using field biologists to look for eagles and determine when turbines need to be shut down.”  This clearly is a negative for wind power and will be more expensive and interruptible. 

How is a country supposed to grow?  If the aim is to reduce energy consumed, then say so and provide the incentives that make sense (not the passing of a compact fluorescence lights law with no appropriate way of disposing them because the contain mercury and no competitive substitute).  This is why rate hikes are being proposed by the energy companies and the rate payers are being forced to foot the bills. 

This country needs an energy plan and what we have, is a terribly impractical one.  We deserve better.