AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released a new video that reveals a side of the debate over wind energy that rarely receives any attention – the downside.

“Like any energy source, wind energy comes with tradeoffs,” said Bill Peacock, TPPF’s vice president for research. “The reality is that wind energy comes at a great cost, particularly to nearby homeowners. One of the great drawbacks of wind turbines is the noise.”

TPPF interviewed Comanche County residents who live near wind farms.

“Some people describe it as a jet plane that never lands,” said one resident.

Another added, “For us, if the wind is out of the north, they roar.”

“I’m exhausted,” said another resident. “You stay that way. You don’t rest good at night and you work hard during the day, and that’s strictly because of the turbines.”

The video also explains the tax subsidies upon which these wind farms rely.

As one resident explains, “They’re not making money off the electricity, they’re making money off what the government is giving them.”

She went on, “My hope is that all the subsidies (will be) gone. Because if the subsidies go away, these will not be profitable, and the wind turbines will go away.”

The video can be viewed here:
The Human Cost of Subsidising Wind Energy

Last week, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released the paper “Texas Wind Power Story: Part 1 – How Subsidies Drive Texas Wind Power Development,” which shows that the growth of the wind industry in Texas is spurred by – and only viable because of – subsidies such as the production tax credit, along with tax breaks at the state and local level.

To view or download the report, click here:
Texas Wind Power Story: Part 1 – How Subsidies Drive Texas Wind Power Development

For more information, please contact Sarah Silberstein at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.    

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin that aims to foster human flourishing by protecting and promoting liberty, opportunity, and personal responsibility.

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