Contextualising the Wind Power Debate

Abstract

Wind power has become an emblematic topic in debates on energy sourc-ing, climate change and sustainable development. The three-bladed ‘Danish concept’ of wind turbine has come to represent innovative and sustainable energy sourcing. It has become a symbol of hope and an affirmation of belief in a cleaner future. However, wind power’s status as a green icon can obscure its material reality. Wind farms have impacts on the countryside, on rural communities, on grid management and configuration, and on the electricity industry. Wind turbines are the largest structures to be found in the rural landscape, and each generation grows larger. A 2.5 MW turbine has a 60 metre diameter rotor placed on a 100 metre tower, producing a total height from ground to blade tip of some 130 metres. In comparison, the major architectural reference point of the village church spire is dwarfed. In addition, the blades of the wind turbine move, and the human eye is attracted to any movement. The steady, symmetrical rotation of turbine blades is unique. The combination of size and movement produces a major visual impact, whilst the infrastructure required to build, cable and grid connect a wind farm has a significant landscape impact. Reactions to these impacts vary enormously. Compare for example Jonathan Porritt’s description of wind turbines as ‘objects of compelling beauty’ with Bernard Ingham’s statement that ‘steel bog brushes in the sky (…) are not sustainable’.¹