A map of slicers and dicers in the United States. (It may be a problem to load; it loaded the second time I tried.)
This map contains nearly 1,000 total wind farm locations, including: in service, under construction, proposed and decommissioned locations. All locations (excluding decommissioned sites) have a combined wind power capacity with potential for generating up to 53,700 MW.Compare those 1,000 wind farms with what one nuclear power plant can do, and do it more cheaply than wind, from the EIA:
In 2011, the "average" nuclear power plant in the United States generated about 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). There were 65 nuclear power plants with 104 operating nuclear reactors that generated a total of 790 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or slightly more than 19% of the nation's electricity.This about sums it up:
U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., favors extending the production tax credit, known as PTC. But he struggles to find a scenario in which a majority of his colleagues in the Republican-controlled House will agree.
"Wind energy is way down the list of priorities [of tax breaks] for extensions," Peterson said. "I just don't see how this gets done."
Among those who don't support the extension is Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline. His spokesman, Troy Young, said that while the original intent of the program was to increase renewable energy production, Kline is concerned about extending programs that artificially drive up demand.
After 20 years of federal support, Young said, wind should be able to stand on its own.Data points:
- twenty years of federal support
- expedited approval; environmental concerns blown away
- "everyone" loves 'em
- full immunity from liability regarding slicing and dicing eagles, hawks, whooping cranes, bats
- will increase use of fossil fuel
- increases utility rates in a most regressive manner
- tax credits; less revenue for schools and other government funded programs
- wind farms generally preclude dual use of land
- will be there forever (theoretically; that's why they are called renewable)
Senator Harry Reid knows that. It's a little bit hard to tell on the map, but there appear to be none, nada, zilch, nil wind farms in Nevada.
