Wind Energy and the environment

External environmental impacts of energy production

Environmental pollution and the emission of CO2 due to the use of fossil fuels constitute a threat to health, the environment and sustainable economic growth. As the United Nations IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Fourth Assessment Report confirms, the most serious danger comes from accelerating climate change, the effects of which are already being seen around the world in the form of rising temperatures, melting ice caps and volatile weather patterns. In addition, emissions of SO2, NOx and other pollutants from energy conversion processes in conventional electricity generation cause substantial regional damage to human health and the environment.

However, as environmental and health costs caused by energy conversion processes are not taken into account when establishing energy prices, they create an externality, which distorts economic decisions to the detriment of renewable energy sources. The existence of such externalities explains, to a certain extent, the support systems that have been created for RES, including wind.

The European Commission-funded project ExternE estimates that the cost of producing electricity from coal or oil would double and the cost of electricity production from gas would increase by 30%, if external costs, in the form of damage to the environment and health, were taken into account. If those environmental costs were levied on electricity generation according to their impact, many renewables, including wind power, would not need any support. If, at the same time, direct and indirect subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power were removed, the need to support renewable electricity generation would seriously diminish or cease completely.

The above table illustrates that wind energy results in substantial additional environmental benefits compared to traditional fossil fuel fired generation. Wind generation is not only produced at very low emissions levels (zero during the generation phase), it also eliminates emissions of toxic pollutants (e.g. mercury), conventional air pollutants (e.g. smog-forming nitrogen dioxide and acid-rain forming sulphur dioxide) and prevents serious water pollution.

Wind turbines cause no emissions during their operation and very little during their manufacture, installation, maintenance and removal. It takes a wind turbine 2-3 months to produce the amount of energy that goes into its manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning after its 20-year lifetime. In other words, a wind turbine produces 80-120 more energy than it consumes. Because the fuel is free, wind-generated kilowatts should be used as often as possible in the electricity system to replace intermediate power loads, mainly from coal and gas.

The European Wind Energy Association sees the internalisation of the environmental impacts of different energy technologies as being the best guide to rationalise investment decisions. For that to happen, existing precedents (such as ExternE and many other national and regional studies) are invaluable. They need to be discussed and agreed upon by different governments, with the ultimate goal of reaching a commonly-accepted set of studies to be incorporated into decision-making regarding the true costs and prices of the various technology options. In the meantime, other tools, such as “green taxes” and pollution control systems need to be strengthened.

Climate change

The EU has been at the forefront of climate change initiatives. The European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007 endorsed a unilateral EU objective of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and of keeping the rise of global average temperatures to less than 2° above pre-industrial levels. The EU heads of government also agreed to increase the 20% target to 30% if other developed countries made “comparable efforts” and leading developing countries made “adequate commitments”.

As part of the EU’s strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the European Council invited the Commission to review the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) directive. To this end, the Commission has set up a working group in the context of the second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) in which EWEA took part.

EWEA supports the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a potentially powerful tool in meeting the agreed targets for GHG emissions, but acknowledges its limitations. In particular, its current design does not guarantee per se the leveling of the playing field between polluting and clean technology; it cannot substitute environmental taxes / CO2 taxes and does not secure the internalisation of the majority of external costs.

EWEA believes that the success of the EU ETS as a climate policy instrument hinges on a more credible, transparent and non-distorting market design. ETS should include additional sectors in its third trading period starting in 2013, such as aviation and road transport, and other greenhouse gases. Binding measures for sectors not included in the Directive need to be shaped. Even more importantly, free allocation of CO2 allowances in the EU ETS must be replaced by a system based on 100% auctioning of allowances, in order to remove the current distortions in the EU carbon market, which result from the National Allocation Plans. Free allocation is not compatible with the polluter-pays principle established by Article 174 of the Treaty. The most polluting companies are likely to earn most emission reduction allowances, so those who have polluted most in the past are allowed to continue to do so in the future.

Furthermore, free allocation distorts competition. Entities that have taken early action to reduce emissions are not rewarded – in fact they are penalised, because they are likely to be allocated fewer allowances. Free allocation also discriminates against new entrants, as they have to buy emission allowances from existing polluters. Finally, free allocation further distorts the competition between renewable electricity producers and producers of fossil fuel- based electricity, as no free allowances are allocated to producers of zero-emission electricity.

Turning to the global framework, the Kyoto Protocol is only a first step in addressing the serious threat of climate change. Further action must be taken after 2012, the end of the Kyoto Protocol's 'first commitment period'. The negotiating roadmap agreed at the UN climate conference in Bali in December 2007 should lead to an ambitious new global climate policy Treaty. The new proposals need to aim high, otherwise the battle against climate change will be lost. EWEA proposes the adoption of more ambitious and binding GHG reduction targets for 2020 (40%) and 2050 (80%).

Wind energy can make an important contribution towards fighting climate change. Wind power currently installed in Europe (end 2006) avoids the emission of some 80 million tones of CO2 every year. By 2010 wind energy is expected to save around 144 million tonnes annually, the equivalent of more than 35% of the EU’s total Kyoto Protocol obligation.

The environmental impact of wind energy

On the other hand, according to all studies that have been undertaken in this area, wind power plants, like all other energy technologies, have negative environmental impacts, which are mainly local and low in intensity. This makes them easier for local communities to monitor and, if necessary, mitigate.

The wind energy industry, while predominantly positive in its impacts on biodiversity, relative to conventional technologies, has worked hard over the past decade to minimise any negative, local impacts that wind turbines might have on biodiversity, particularly on birds. In addition, the sector supports more research in order to better understand the extent of possible negative habitat or wildlife impacts in designated areas. However, such impacts must be balanced against the consequences of continued reliance on conventional, polluting technologies and the consequent aggravation of global warming and pollution pressure on wildlife and habitats on a larger scale.

Some impacts, such as those on birds and flickering can be measured quantitatively. Others, such as visual intrusion and noise, require more subjective and qualitative criteria.

The following paragraphs tackle the main “myths” that still persist in relation to the environmental impact of wind farms. More information can be found in the myths section.

 

  • Noise: The dominant issue is aerodynamic noise from turbines. The mechanical noise is no longer a problem in modern wind turbines, which is rarely heard at distances further away than 300m, since the background noise from wind in trees, for example, will be greater.
  • Visual intrusion of turbines and associated equipment on the landscape: Since the beginning of the 1980s, planners have become much more sophisticated. Today's wind power plants are erected in designated areas, thus further limiting the number of affected areas.
  • Indirect atmospheric emissions: This refers to the impacts of global warming and acid deposits, due to emissions from materials processing and component manufacturing. Experience shows that these effects are in the range of less than 2% of the emissions avoided if fossil fuels are substituted. What is more, they decline as the share of clean renewable energy in the system increases.
  • Accidents: This refers to accidents affecting workers in manufacturing, construction and operation as well as those to the general public, due to turbine operation and road travel by workers. So far, most accidents have involved workers installing and maintaining wind turbines and can by no means be compared to levels reached in other energy-related activities (such as mining and fuel transport).
  • Impacts of construction on terrestrial ecosystems: There is a loss of land where turbines are placed and impacts related to erection activities, as well as electrical connections, buildings and access tracks. However, it should be noted that only the access roads and a very small area around the tower of a wind turbine could be feasibly used for other activities. The Danish and German examples show that agriculture goes on in wind parks, which are often used for grazing cattle.
  • Electromagnetic interference: The moving blades can affect radio waves and microwaves used for communication purposes, although this has proven to be less of an issue.
  • Impacts on birds: The impact on birds is very site-specific and involves collision or migration interference, rather than habitat or ecosystem impacts and disturbance. Worldwide, 99% of the threat to bird life is related to human activities, the most serious being habitat loss. Wind farms developed 15 - 20 years ago, which were poorly sited caused a greater number of bird deaths than today, but there is still a need to continue research on modern turbines. Careful turbine placement can prevent the majority of fatalities.

 

EWEA’s environment and wind energy activities

The European Wind Energy Association works extensively on the analysis of the environmental costs and benefits of wind energy compared to other energy technologies. It has prepared a position paper on EU ETS and a research article explaining in detail how the European carbon market should be designed to allow the EU to comply with 20% CO2 emission reduction targets while at the same time promoting wind energy investments.

The Association also participates in different working groups that are set up at international level, such as the ECCP working group, the ad-hoc group on biodiversity launched by DG Environment, the ETAP Programme on Environmental Technologies and different EEA consultation processes.

The European Wind Energy Association is preparing an environmental impact information tool that enables EWEA and its members to respond to the increasing generic, transnational and more organised concerns about wind energy and its impacts on the environment. The purpose of the information tool is to collect and organise information, extract and analyse key findings in order to respond to the concerns of the various audiences (including the media, policy makers, politicians and NGOs).