FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Wealthy investors, such as Warren Buffett, state the contrary… “on wind energy, we get a tax credit… that’s the only reason to build them. They don’t make sense without the tax credit” (Pfotenhauer, 2014).

Wind companies like to include such statements in their marketing scripts; however,
the truth can be seen if you visit any wind turbine site… You will find little to no
economic development around these communities. Pace Energy and Climate Center
reported that most wind projects are built by imported workers, who require housing
and accommodations (PECC, 2011). The increased traffic and movement of heavy
equipment typically necessitate significant road improvements at taxpayer expense.
Pace indicates that any minor “economic boom” experienced by local businesses due
to the presence of project workers is only temporary. However, the negative impact on
area tourism is permanent. (PECC, 2011)

Energy produced by Douglas County wind turbines will be transmitted out-of-state.

The U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy reported that wind farms require 360 times more land area to produce the same amount of electricity as a typical U.S. nuclear plant (3
Reasons…, 2021).

Health issues linked to sustained exposure to wind turbines can include sleep disorders, motion sickness, vomiting, migraine headaches, heart rate irregularities, blurry vision, anxiety, and neurological disorders (Jeffery et al, 2013; Sherman, 2019; Schrag, 2019).

Wind company reps deny that turbines have an impact on wildlife. However, the
American Bird Conservancy has utilized data from the U.S. Wind Turbine database to
determine that approximately 538,000 wind turbine-caused bird deaths occur each
year (Merriman, 2021). The US Geological Survey website states that “A key challenge
facing the wind industry is the potential for turbines to adversely affect wild animals both directly, via collisions, as well as indirectly due to noise pollution, habitat loss, and reduced survival or reproduction. Among the most impacted wildlife are birds and
bats, which by eating destructive insects provide billions of dollars of economic
benefits to the country’s agricultural sector each year” (USGS, 2022).

In 2019, the Rural Messenger indicated that Kansans should expect wind turbines to reduce their home values by as much as 40% (Schrag).

Wind farms are given a 10-yr tax abatement. No tax is collected from the wind farm until the turbines have substantially depreciated in value. Less valuation means less tax money paid by the wind company. In western Kansas, tax abatements on wind turbines have continued in perpetuity, meaning taxes may never be collected.

No. Most of the signed contracts to lease Douglas County land for wind turbines provide the wind companies with a right to use it for 30 to 50 yrs. Most also include the option to renew the lease for another 20 yrs. There is no turning back and the impact will last for generations to come.

Sources

Jeffery, R. D., Krogh, C., & Horner, B. (2013, May). Adverse Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines.
Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23673580/

Kite, A. (2022, February 14). ‘This is Punitive’: Kansas Senate Committee considers poison pill wind energy bills.
Retrieved fromhttps://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/13/this-is-punitive-kansas-senate-committeeconsiders-
poison-pill-wind-wind-energy-bills/

Lowe, J. (2021, April 1). How many birds are killed by wind turbines?
Retrieved from https://abcbirds.org/blog21/wind-turbine mortality/#:~:text=Adjusting%20for%20this
%20industr%20growth,in%20addition%20to%20their %20numbers.

Pace Energy and Climate Center (PECC). (2011). Wind Energy Toolkit: Socioeconomic Impacts.
Retrieved from https://law.pace.edu/sites/default/files/PECC/Wind_ToolKit_Updates_Chap8_
TOP_12JULY2011_ TOP_19OCT2011.pdf

Pfotenhauer, N. (2014, May 12). Big Wind’s Bogus Subsidies.
Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/nancy-pfotenhauer/2014/05/12/evenwarren-
buffet-admits-wind-energy-is-a-bad-investment

Schrag, D. (2019, April 2). Wind farms: Health issues, ‘gag orders,’ property values?
Retrieved from https://www.ruralmessenger.com/kansas-news/wind-farms-health-issues-gag-ordersproperty-
values/

Sherman, L. (2019, December 3). In the Shadow of Wind Farms.
Retrieved from https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/windfarms/home/

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (2022). Can wind turbines harm wildlife?
Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-wind-turbines-harm-wildlife

U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy. (2021, March 31). 3 Reasons Why Nuclear is Clean and Sustainable.
Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/3-reasons-why-nuclear-clean-and-sustainable