Responsibility and Wind Turbines

From the Oklahomawatchdog.org


The responsibility of operating wind turbines
By Andrew Griffin on January 26, 2010
Print This Article OKLAHOMA CITY — Despite the “air” being taken out of the recent wind power craze as America struggles in the midst of a recession, companies across America see wind power as a safe, clean alternative to dirtier methods of generating power.

In fact, for many years now, particuarly in the western United States, wind turbines have sprouted across the landscape. During a recent drive from Oklahoma City to Big Bend National Park in Texas, an area of west Texas near Abilene, was awash in massive wind turbines and wind farms. Most were spinning in the wind. Some were not. So, what happens when a wind farm stops generating electricity and is effectively abandoned by its owner?

Here in Oklahoma, wind farms are appearing in many areas of the western portion of the state. While most are operating, there are undoubtedly some wind turbines that are no longer operating. In Oklahoma, interestingly enough, Ted H. Smith, a columnist writing for Red Dirt Report, Oklahoma Watchdog’s sister website, wrote a column this week addressing this issue titled “Why no plugging bonds for wind turbines?”

Smith notes that while oil wells drilled in Oklahoma, a “plugging bond” or “decommissioning bond” is not required for builders who abandon wind turbines. Writes Smith: “If we know that someday wind turbines will wear out and need to be taken down, why don’t we require the builders of these towers to post a decommissioning bond with the state for every tower they build?”

A good question indeed.