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A vast and well-organized campaign is actively underway to suspend global wind energy discourse. The Financial Times calls it the US president’s “crusade against renewable energy.” WindEurope, who describe themselves as “the voice of the wind energy industry,” say attacks on wind power pose a “systemic risk to Europe’s security.”
Wind energy already accounts for about 10% of US electricity use, is frequently less expensive to produce than fossil fuels, and helps to achieve domestic net zero emissions goals. Renewable energy is the way to energy independence, WindEurope researchers argue, and Europe is forging ahead with wind. Europe now has 304 GW of wind power capacity: 265 GW onshore and 39 GW offshore. Wind as part of a renewables‑based energy system could save Europe around €1.6 trillion, the researchers have concluded.
While the world has been harvesting energy from wind for several decades, it is only in the last few years — as citizens have become more concerned about global climate change — that increased installation of wind turbines has occurred and taken on the role of a valued contributor to the global energy mix. However, its full potential as an energy source is fragile due to attacks on wind. Facts we know about wind from thousands of scientific studies now are being challenged by widely disseminated social media platforms that question long-respected peer-reviewed findings.
