Australian Medical Association: No Evidence of Wind Energy Causing Adverse Health Effects
According to an official statement published by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) on March 18th of this year,
"The available Australian and international evidence does not support the view that the infrasound or low frequency sound generated by wind farms, as they are currently regulated in Australia, causes adverse health effects on populations residing in their vicinity. The infrasound and low frequency sound generated by modern wind farms in Australia is well below the level where known health effects occur, and there is no accepted physiological mechanism where sub-audible infrasound could cause health effects."
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ARTICLE: Nine major, statistically reliable studies find that turbines have no impact on property values
We often hear people worry that wind farms may impact the value of their nearby property. It seems a reasonable concern, and we have seen stories on the internet that claim these impacts do exist. However, nearly every scientifically rigorous study that has been conducted to test this question has found that operating wind farms have no negative impact on property values.
This recent article in Clean Technica summarizes nine major, statistically reliable studies, documenting the conclusion that wind farms do not impact property values. It is a great summary of the issue, and it is worth a read for those who are interested in understanding the facts.
Acoustic Engineering group says infrasound released by heartbeat can be higher than wind turbines
As reported by ABC News, the Association of Australian Acoustical Consultants (AAAC) has released the findings of an investigation into the infrasound levels emitted by wind turbines.
According to the Chairman of the AAAC, "People themselves generate infrasound through things like their own heartbeat, through breathing and these levels of infrasound can be substantially higher than an external noise source." Furthermore, he stated, "The levels [of infrasound] generated by windfarms from our point of view are quite low in comparison and they're no higher than what is already out there in the natural environment."
Read the full story here.
More positive developments on wind turbine sound
An article in this week's NewsOK blog highlights new evidence that wind turbine sound does not cause problems for those living around operating wind farms. The article cites five new reports to make its case.
See the full article here.
STUDY: No statistical evidence that wind turbines affect nearby home values
The Department of Energy has just released a new study finding "...no statistical evidence that home values near turbines were affected in the post-construction or post-announcement/ pre-construction periods." These conclusions are supported by data from more than 50,000 homes sales among 27 counties in nine states. The homes were all within 10 miles of 67 different wind facilities, and 1,198 sales were within one mile of a turbine. This sample size is much larger than samples included in previous studies.
The study concludes, "...The core results of our analysis consistently show no sizable statistically significant impact of wind turbines on nearby property values."
The full study is available here.
Quote of the Day: Ben Fowke, Xcel Energy CEO
"[Wind energy] projects will reduce customer costs by providing a valuable hedge to rising and volatile fuel prices well into the future."- Ben Fowke, Chairman, President and CEO, Xcel Energy.
Why do utilities like wind energy? If you ask Xcel Energy, it's the value to consumers. Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electric and natural gas company that operates in 8 states and serves 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers.
Read more here.
STUDY: Wind Farms Produce No More Infrasound than Waves on a Beach
According to a 2010 study conducted by an independent acoustic consulting firm in Australia, the levels of infrasound created by wind turbines are not only well below the internationally recognized Audibility Threshold (the level where infrasound is perceived), but they are no greater than those produced by waves at the beach.
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REPORT: Renewables Produce Energy You Can Count On
In April of this year, the Union of Concerned Scientists put out a report describing how renewable energy is being reliably integrated into America's electric grid. According to this report,
"Renewable energy is providing reliable electricity today in the United States and around the world. From 2007 to 2012, electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar nearly quadrupled nationally. This growth is part of a transition away from dirty, coal-burning power plants—which harm public health and destabilize our climate—toward cleaner, more sustainable sources of electricity. Using existing technologies and smart policy decisions, the United States can continue this clean energy transformation while maintaining a reliable and affordable electricity system."
Read the full report here.
FACT: If the Production Tax Credit is not extended, existing wind farms will be unaffected
The Production Tax Credit is an incentive that rewards a wind energy generation facility for the energy it produces during the first 10 years of its operation. It does this by giving the facility’s owner(s) a break on their taxes for each unit of energy produced (and nothing else) during that period. Once a wind farm qualifies for the PTC, it is guaranteed to receive that tax credit for the first 10 years of its operation.
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