…AWEA Misinformation…
A representative of the American Wind Energy Association wrote what amounted to an op-ed in Power Magazine, claiming that building more transmission lines would make the grid more efficient.
While there was a grain of truth in the proposal, it masked the truth.
The core of her argument was that more transmission lines would bring wind from distant parts of the country to where it could be used.
She said:
“Now is the time to expand the nation’s network of transmission lines to bring electricity from the country’s most renewable-rich sites to the cities.”
What this would mean, in real terms, is to spend billions of dollars unnecessarily on new transmission lines.
While new transmission lines can improve efficiencies in certain areas where existing lines need to be expanded or interconnected with other transmission lines, building new lines to transport electricity thousands of miles is merely expensive.
Here is the basic question:
Is it better to build a natural gas power plant close to where it’s needed or build a wind farm a thousand miles from where the electricity can be used, and in each case build a new transmission line to carry the electricity from either the new wind farm or a new NGCC power plant?
In each instance, the plant would generate 6 billion kWh per year of electricity.
The cost of building an 800 MW natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant would be $800 million (800,000 KW * $1,000 per KW) and have a capacity factor of 85%.
The cost of building a comparable wind farm would be $3,800 Million (1,900,000 KW * $2,000 per KW). The larger capacity is needed because the capacity factor of the wind farm would only be 36%. However, the costs are calculated so that the total generation of 6 billion kWh is the same for both the wind farm and NGCC power plant.
The distance between Billings, Montana, near where excellent wind conditions are found, to Chicago is 1,245 mils. Or alternatively from Casper, Wyoming, is 1,092 miles.
The cost of constructing a new 230 KV transmission line is approximately $1 million per mile.
The table compares the cost of the two alternatives: A new wind farm where renewable wind is plentiful, with an NGCC power plant near where the electricity can be used.
| Wind Farm | NGCC | |
| Cost of plant | $3,800,000,000 | $800,000,000 |
| Cost of Transmission Line | $1,100,000,000 | $100,000,000 |
| Total | $4,900,000,000 | $900,000,000 |
These costs ignore some other factors. Line losses, for example, will be about 11 times worse for the wind farm than for the NGCC alternative.
In addition, wind is unreliable and may not be available when it’s needed. And the winters where the wind farm is built are severe. See, Wind Power Warning
Obviously, the AWEA proposal is vey expensive and amounts to spending $4 trillion unnecessarily.
No matter how rosy a picture the American Wind Energy Association paints, wind is always less reliable and more expensive.
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Donn,
Your numbers and analysis are right on. Unfortunately, the politicians who are leading this scam will never accept reality until the federal subsidies are eliminated. I suggest we press a political movement to end the subsidies.
Thanks. I agree, the subsidies for wind and solar should be cancelled. It’s wasting tax payer money.
COMMON SENSE, please .. “rosy pictures” and promises are the AWEA and wind turbine agenda supporters sales pitch, reality is a rude awakening ..
Thanks for your comment. Facts are stubborn things, and they lead to reality.
Donn,
Great points. Unfortunately, while the Don Quixote’s of wind energy are tilting at their windmills of cost savings, you are presenting real facts that dispute their claims.
Keep up the great research and facts to keep us educated on energy options.
Thanks. I appreciate your comments.