By Julian Scola, EWEA Communications Director
“EU Plans to Phase Out Solar, Wind-Energy Subsidies” was the headline last weekend in Business Week – echoing a similar story in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The article claimed that a strategy paper Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will present next month in Brussels would include plans to phase out solar and wind-power subsidies as soon as possible.
EWEA Research Officer Angeliki Koulouri
A new study, published by the Bavarian Environment Agency in Germany, has found that wind turbines do not generate infrasound at a level that would damage human health, backing-up previous studies with similar conclusions.
Wind energy structures generate infrasound which is far below normal human hearing and perception, which is why it cannot cause any damage to people, the study – ‘Wind turbines: does infrasound affect health?’ concludes. Angeliki Koulouri, Research Officer at EWEA, said: “so far, research indicated that infrasound and low frequency sounds from modern wind turbines are well below the level where known health effects occur.”
In today’s Guardian, Simon Jenkins takes issue with the UK government’s support of wind energy. Yet his arguments are one-sided to say the least. He writes that “Meeting the current EU renewables directive, largely from wind, would cost some £15bn a year, or £670 a household”.
Currently, each EU citizen pays considerably more than that – over €700 a year – to import oil and gas from the likes of Russia and Algeria. And the price of imports is constantly changing, mostly in an upwards direction. Wind energy is a domestic European resource which is free once the turbines are up, and which saves money on fuel imports – €5.7 billion were saved thanks to wind energy last year.
Wind energy can create economic activity and jobs, while saving money – that’s one of the conclusions Christian Kjaer, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), reaches in an opinion article published today in advance of the beginning of the European Council informal growth summit.
Kjaer also said in the Windpower Monthly article that wind energy could be the ideal catalyst to create jobs while reducing Europe’s energy imports.
Noting that European leaders will bring their differences to the table 23 May to discuss how to achieve growth while addressing massive budgetary challenges, Kjaer said every EU citizen is currently paying more than €700 for energy imports.
Austrian comedian Gerald Fleischhacker abseiled from a wind turbine for GWD 2011
In just under one month wind power fans across the globe will be taking part in Global Wind Day. From wind farm open days to street entertainment, if you’d like to find out what’s going on near you, visit www.globalwindday.org. Here, in this guest post, Lukas Pawek, Global Wind Day Coordinator in Austria, tells the EWEA blog about the importance of GWD in his country….
Austrians love wind turbines: this could be the slogan of Global Wind Day 2012 in Austria. Too often people talk about wind turbines like they are an eyesore. Yes, wind turbines don’t grow naturally like trees do, but this also applies to swimming pools, cars, bridges and silos (which you can see everywhere in Austria). But in Austria the majority of people like wind farms – a recent survey found that 77% of Austrians are in favour of wind power – and we’re proud of that. continue reading »
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