In recent years there have been many discussions and efforts to switch away from fossil-fuel based methods to alternative and renewable sources of energy. One such example of renewable energy that has become a topic of discussion among others, is wind energy. There is hope for wind energy to become a main form of energy use in the near and somewhat distant future. Based on the EPA’s Wind Vision Report, wind can become a viable source of energy in every state in America by 2050. Wind energy is already available in nationwide and this infrastructure makes it possible to dramatically expand the usage of wind energy in the coming years. In 2013, wind energy already reduced the emission of air pollutants by 250,000 metric tons and if widespread wind energy systems are used throughout the country, the Wind Vision Report estimates that greenhouse gases could be reduced by 12.3 gigatonnes by 2050. This wind energy format is not only great for the environment but for the public as well, with local communities estimated to be able to collect additional tax revenue totally 3.2 billion annually from land lease and property tax payments by 2050. The switch however would not be cheap with job losses expected to occur and infrastructure needing creation. The Wall Street Journal estimates that it would cost 7.8 to 13.9 trillion over the course of the next 30 years. This isn’t just for wind but for all forms of renewable energy. The upside however is immense, with the change to renewable energy, our forms of energy will no longer depend on finite reserves of fossil-fuels. The price of renewable energy is also slowly decreasing as they become more widespread. Wind energy is roughly $20/MWh compared to coal’s $102/MWh and renewable energy sources can only help the economy with increased jobs in renewable energy sectors and lower prices for goods and energy in the future. Renewable energy and wind energy in particular will take time to switch to of course, but the benefits of doing so far outweigh the negatives during the process of the switch or not switching at all.
Works Cited:
https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-vision#:~:text=The%20Wind%20Vision%20Report%20shows,and%20supporting%20services%20by%202050.
https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/clean-energy-101/cost-of-renewable-energy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-s-is-turning-green-what-will-this-climate-plan-cost-and-who-will-pay-11634997601#:~:text=The%20biggest%20and%20most%20measurable,energy%20researchers%20at%20Princeton%20University.
I like how you mentioned a lot of statistics and I found it interesting that you brought up the impact that wind energy would have on job loss.
I had never thought about how switching to renewable energy could lead to job losses before, so that part of your post really stood out to me. The fact that the price of wind power is decreasing is definitely a positive though, as we aim to increase usage of renewable energy.
I too have never considered the implications of renewable energy in terms of job loss. But it is clear that newer technologies tend to replace jobs.
I feel like I only ever heard about renewable energy producing jobs, not losing them so that was interesting to hear. The stat about the cost of wind versus coal was really shocking since its such a huge difference