|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Pros & Cons for Wind Turbines in Wisconsin

Wind farms, which consist of numerous towering wind turbines, are cropping up in rural areas in Wisconsin and elsewhere across the U.S. These giant machines are visible on farms and near small towns throughout the Badger State. The nation's search for alternative energy has helped create this phenomenon. Wind turbines can help supplement energy needs for communities, but some Wisconsin residents have concerns about their potential effects.

  1. Non-Polluting

    • Energy used by wind turbines is clean and self-renewing. There are no noxious emissions from the turbines themselves. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with wind energy are the result of energy-storage systems such as batteries. However, the greenhouse gas emissions from wind-storage systems is significantly less than those from fossil fuel. Even fewer emissions result from wind energy that doesn't use a storage system.

    Renewable Energy

    • The use of wind turbines to supplement energy needs in Wisconsin has decreased the state's dependence on imported fossil fuels. According to the Energy Center of Wisconsin, each turbine reduces the need for 954 tons of coal annually. As of 2011, more than 300 wind turbines have been installed or are being built in Wisconsin.

      In 2004, when the state had 55 turbines, the machines eliminated the need to burn 52,470 tons of coal. Wisconsin produces no fossil fuels and must import more than $6 billion in nonrenewable fuels every year. Wind turbines help reduce the amount of money Wisconsin pays to import fuels.

    Property Values

    • Wind turbines are typically 20 stories tall, with blades reaching up to 90 feet long, making them a dominant feature in suburban neighborhoods. According to a 2009 study conducted by the real estate appraisal company Appraisal Group One, the proximity of wind turbines to homes in three Wisconsin counties negatively affected the resale value of the homes.

      The company surveyed realtors in Calumet, Dodge and Fond du Lack counties. It found 91 percent of realtors surveyed agreed that a wind turbine bordering on a 1.5 acre improved residential lot had a negative impact on the property value. The researchers found the average decline ranged from 30 percent to 40 percent.

    Land Use

    • According to the advocacy organization Renew Wisconsin, wind turbines operate in 10 of the state's counties as of 2011. The turbines function at less than 30 percent capacity because of variable winds; they account for only 2 percent of the state's energy use.

      One wind turbine requires at least 1/2 acre of land, but the huge machines must be placed about five acres apart. Therefore, many turbines, placed over hundreds of acres, are required to produce a small percentage of Wisconsin's electricity needs.

Environmental Health - Related Articles