Wind Watch: May 2026

Overview of Wind Turbines with Reference to CFRP Materials #DEU

Übersicht WIndkraftanlagen mit Hinweisen auf CFK Materialien List of specs for wind turbine from Acciona, Areva, Dewind, Enercon, ENO, Gamesa, GE, NEG Micon, Nordex, Nordtank, Siemens, Gamesa, and Vestas. Rotor blade materials are highlighted for each, including carbon fiber–reinforced plastics and glass fiber–reinforced plastics. Download original document: “Übersicht WIndkraftanlagen mit Hinweisen auf CFK Materialien”

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/overview-of-wind-turbines-with-reference-to-cfrp-materials/

For Our Rights #NOR

Gumppe Guvlui Mer Enn Bare Fjell The Norwegian Supreme Court ruled that a wind farm in a reindeer grazing area violates the Sámi people’s rights; however, the wind turbines remain in place. In response, young Sámi activists protest to compel the government to take action. Vindturbinene står høyt over Fosenhalvøya. Høyesterett er klar i sin dom – konsesjonen var ugyldig, men regjeringen følger ikke etter. Unge samer føler seg tvunget til å sette til side sine hverdagsliv for å kjempe . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/alerts/2026/05/30/for-our-rights/

“The irreparable ecological damage, loss of amenity and distressing divisions within communities caused by industrial wind turbines far outweigh any benefit of their insignificant and unreliable contribution to our energy needs. Their tiny, intermittent output of electricity and negligible CO₂ savings cannot possibly justify the sacrifice of our most potent national symbol and finite resource — the magnificent landscapes of Wales.” —Angela Kelly, Country Guardian, U.K.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=141

“Overall, it is anticipated that there would be no collective impact on global warming as a result of offshore wind projects.” —Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=148

“It is a waste of money because it is ineffective. And because it is ineffective its negative impacts are unacceptable.” —Eric Rosenbloom

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=202

“What industrial wind represents should be obvious to everyone: this is business-as-usual disguised as concern for the Earth. Far from genuine “environmentalism”, it is the same profit- and growth-driven destruction that is at the root of every ecological crisis we face.” —Suzanna Jones, Vt., The Eagle, Feb. 6, 2013

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=35

“It’s like taking up smoking because you drink too much. And now you’re a smoker as well as a drinker.” —Frida Payle

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=108

Infraschall aus technischen Anlagen – Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen für eine Bewertung gesundheitlicher Risiken

Infrasound from technical installations: Scientific basis for an assessment of health risks Hintergrund: Das pathogene Potenzial von Infraschall aus technischen Quellen wird in der Öffentlichkeit und Politik erheblich unterschätzt. Die häufigsten Emittenten sind Windenergieanlagen, deren rascher Ausbau eine zunehmende Zahl von Anwohnern mit Druckimpulsen großer Reichweite konfrontiert. Methoden: Es werden Forschungsergebnisse mit Bezug zu kausalen Wirkmechanismen von Infraschall zusammengestellt und nach Hinweisen auf gesundheitliche Beeinträchtigung untersucht. Ergebnisse: Infraschall wird als Stressor empfunden und mit Anpassungs- und Abwehrreaktionen beantwortet. Angriffspunkte für . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/infraschall-aus-technischen-anlagen-wissenschaftliche-grundlagen-fur-eine-bewertung-gesundheitlicher-risiken/

“... a very expensive way to generate quite unreliable electricity.” —Tom Adams, Globe and Mail (Canada), December 27, 2007

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=136

Behavioral responses to offshore windfarms during migration of a declining shorebird species revealed by GPS-telemetry

Up to 15.8% of the individuals migrated at elevated risk without showing avoidance reactions. Abstract: EU member countries and the UK are currently installing numerous offshore windfarms (OWFs) in the Baltic and North Seas to achieve decarbonization of their energy systems. OWFs may have adverse effects on birds; however, estimates of collision risks and barrier effects for migratory species are notably lacking, but are essential to inform marine spatial planning. We therefore compiled an international dataset consisting of 259 migration . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/behavioral-responses-to-offshore-windfarms-during-migration-of-a-declining-shorebird-species-revealed-by-gps-telemetry/

“Turbines are getting so big and overpowering as to be outrageous in any rural context. Their impact on the landscapes and lives of people is totally disproportionate to the minuscule contribution they make in providing renewable energy and the pitiful savings they offer in CO₂ reductions. ” —Peter Ogden, Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales, Western Mail, 5 Dec., 2006

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=246

“My issue isn’t with development and industry that help humanity live better lives. My issue is with pointless virtue-signaling technologies that don’t do what they claim to do but instead destroy natural wildlife so that bureaucrats can pat themselves on the back.” —Lucy Biggers, March 2, 2026

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=9

“Wind power is an idea that is appealing to the imagination. It sounds like a ‘free’ source of energy that would be non-polluting and stable in cost. I am an optimist, and I love technology. If I thought for one moment that windmills would be a source of low cost energy, I would be building them. The reality is quite the contrary — wind power is wasteful of human and natural resources.” —Fergus Smith, Vt.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=199

“Once these units are up and running ... the citizens of Bruce County will be left to look at a wind park of industrial proportions for the rest of their lives.” —Robert Emerson, Bruce County Federation of Agriculture, Ontario

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=249

Reindeer habitat selection and movement changes with cumulative impacts from mining and wind power development #NOR #SWE

Abstract: Industrial expansion often occurs in landscapes already affected by multiple disturbances, leading to cumulative impacts on biodiversity and local communities. With the societal pressure for an rapid ‘green transition’, land-use changes intensifies, yet most impact assessments remain local and project-based, disregarding cumulative impacts. We conceptualized and disentangled key dimensions of cumulative impacts and integrated them within habitat selection, calving site selection, and movement analyses in a case study of reindeer and Sámi reindeer husbandry in Scandinavia. Using GPS data . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/reindeer-habitat-selection-and-movement-changes-with-cumulative-impacts-from-mining-and-wind-power-development/

(pic) Fire, Wayne Co., Pennsylvania, March 9, 2026

Wind turbine fire in Wayne Co., Pennsylvania, March 9, 2026 - photo by Kenneth David Cottrell

https://www.wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=1049

“Because wind turbines cannot be counted on to produce when electricity demand reaches its highest levels, they have virtually no “capacity value” to grid managers. Therefore, areas experiencing significant electricity demand growth will have to add reliable, dispatchable generating units whether or not they add wind turbines.” —Glenn Schleede, Va.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=164

“We refuse to accept that our coasts and uplands should be sacrificed in this way, either as a penance for past failure to safeguard the environment or as a token contribution towards reducing atmospheric pollution or addressing possible shortages of fossil fuels. We believe that the costs of such a policy to a civilised society far exceed the perceived benefits.” —Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=231

Bird and bat mortality at wind farms in South America: Lessons from monitoring and mitigation practices in Chile #CHL

Abstract: Wind energy can help mitigate global CO2 emissions; however, it also has adverse effects on biodiversity, particularly through collision-related mortality among flying vertebrates. While these impacts have been extensively studied in North America and Europe, information from South America remain limited. In this study, we assessed bird and bat mortality, along with monitoring and mitigation practices at wind farms in Chile, one of the leading countries in wind energy development in South America. We analyzed 15 years of post-operational . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/bird-and-bat-mortality-at-wind-farms-in-south-america-lessons-from-monitoring-and-mitigation-practices-in-chile-2/

“Among man-made sources, wind turbine-generated infrasound is distinctive for its rhythmic, repetitive pattern, setting it apart from most other environmental low-frequency sources and drawing particular attention in both public discourse and scientific investigation.” —Maryam Dastan et al., “Infrasound and Human Health: Mechanisms, Effects, and Applications,” Applied Sciences 2026;16(3):1553

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=177

Global assessment of the risks to biodiversity and Indigenous people’s lands from solar and wind farms

Abstract: The share of wind and solar energy in global energy mix is rising rapidly. Despite their great potential for reducing carbon emissions, poorly planned wind and solar farms may encroach on socio-ecologically sensitive areas, threatening biodiversity and Indigenous people’s traditional land uses. However, these potential risks associated with wind and solar farm development worldwide are poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the potential biodiversity and Indigenous risks from wind and solar energy development by examining the extent to which global . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/global-assessment-of-the-risks-to-biodiversity-and-indigenous-peoples-lands-from-solar-and-wind-farms/

“We finally urge the environmentally conscious public and especially these who share our concern for the need to produce energy responsibly by non-polluting means, to recognise that wind turbines are industrial machines for which there should be no place in our finest landscapes.” —Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=230

Impact of wind turbines on bird biodiversity #CHN

Abstract: We quantitatively assess the impacts of onshore wind turbines on bird diversity using citizen science data in China. Results show that a one-standard-deviation increase in wind turbines reduces bird abundance by 9.75% and leads to a 12.2% reduction in bird species richness at the county level. The negative impacts are more significant in migrant birds, birds in forests, urban and farmlands than others. Biodiversity protection helps to safeguard bird abundance against wind turbines. We also find that habitat loss . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/impact-of-wind-turbines-on-bird-biodiversity/

“I recently traveled through the Carbondale section of Pennsylvania. Wind turbines have been allowed to flourish there. They are not simply part of the landscape. They are the landscape. Pure and simple, the wind turbines clearly, eerily dominate everything in that area. ” —Editorial, Catskill Mountain News, Oct. 25, 2006

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=244

“Wind turbines kill a lot of birds, particularly eagles and other raptors.” —Emily Waltz, IEEE Spectrum, May 28, 2025

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=130

Infrasonic acoustic energy produced by offshore wind turbine energy generation may interfere with bird and cetacean navigation cues

Abstract: Offshore wind turbine farms are being planned and installed throughout the coastal areas of the global ocean. Noise concerns from these activities are typically framed within frequency bands of concern defined by governmental regulatory agencies (NMFS-OPR-59, 2018). A less considered noise source are the various infrasonic noises generated by large rotating blades in a pressure-dynamic medium. These noises include the infrasonic “thumps” generated by the motion of the turbine blades as they intersect the “stagnate wind area” on the . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/infrasonic-acoustic-energy-produced-by-offshore-wind-turbine-energy-generation-may-interfere-with-bird-and-cetacean-navigation-cues/

“Comparing 425 ft. tall wind turbines to power line poles demonstrates the utter stupidity and arrogance of the speaker. I have never seen a power pole move. They just stand there. The turbines have blades that look like knives slashing at the sky (and at whatever hapless creature that may be in the air space). A video with several in motion in the same scene gives the impression of violent chaos. They are not like serene, graceful ballerinas. At the very least, your eye is naturally drawn to them by their motion that resembles something waving its arms to get your attention. We don’t want to see them. We don’t want to look at them; but it is impossible to ignore them.” —Joan Kalso, Mich.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=203

Sediment transport pathways and organic carbon burial impacted by offshore wind farms in shelf seas #DEU

Abstract: The rapid expansion of offshore wind farms increasingly impacts ocean environments. Little is known concerning synergistic effects of wind farms on large-scale sediment transport and seabed ecosystem functioning. Here, by using a three-dimensional hydro-morphodynamic model integrating wake effects, we assessed wind farm impacts on regional-scale sediment transport and organic carbon sedimentation in the North Sea. Results suggest that wind farms can alter net sediment transport fluxes by up to 30% locally, reduce mud accumulation in established depocenters and create . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/sediment-transport-pathways-and-organic-carbon-burial-impacted-by-offshore-wind-farms-in-shelf-seas/

“It is time to give serious consideration to the possibility that the “greater good” to be had from grid-connected wind farms is not only minimal, but that it is indeed likely to be non-existent.” —Paul Miskelly, Acoustics Australia, August 2013

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=53

Infraschall aus technischen Anlagen – Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen für eine Bewertung gesundheitlicher Risiken

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“I have not even started on the environmental drawbacks of wind farms. They need huge quantities of concrete and steel, both made with coal; they kill rare birds of prey, especially eagles; they slaughter bats; they obtrude on scenic landscapes; their magnets require rare earth minerals mined in China in hugely polluting ways. Wind is a very low-density form of energy, so you need a very large number of wind farms to make any significant contribution to UK generation capacity: hundreds of square miles per gigawatt of capacity.” —Matt Ridley, “The Tories’ wind power delusion”, The Spectator, December 3, 2022

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=16

Behavioral responses to offshore windfarms during migration of a declining shorebird species revealed by GPS-telemetry

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“Had I known then what I know now, I would’ve fought it.” —Kevin Hickey, Dekalb County, Ill.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=17

Infraschall aus technischen Anlagen – Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen für eine Bewertung gesundheitlicher Risiken

Impact of Wind Farms on Moorland Birds in the UK #GBR

KEY TAKEAWAY: Moorland turbines displace birds and harm breeding success. Global lessons In general, there are several ways in which birds can be affected by wind farms. These include: direct impacts through collision with the rotor blades. indirect impacts through habitat loss, disturbance displacement, or barrier effects. Most papers agree that wind farms can have negative effects on bird species, with different risks to different groups – for example, high-flying, larger, less manoeuvrable species are at greater risk of collision . . .

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/impact-of-wind-farms-on-moorland-birds-in-the-uk/

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“The (U.K.) government’s thesis that the countryside of upland and coastal Britain is ‘worth sacrificing to save the planet’ is an insult to science, economics and politics. But the greatest insult is to aesthetics. The trouble is that aesthetics has no way of answering back.” —Simon Jenkins, London Times, Oct. 24, 2003

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=225

Behavioral responses to offshore windfarms during migration of a declining shorebird species revealed by GPS-telemetry

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“Noise pollution is the most significant negative aspect of wind farms and is often cited in opposition to proposed new farms.” —Rey Chin, University of Adelaide, Smart Cities Tech, September 5, 2024

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=74

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“The lack of wind generation during summer peak demand means energy planners must ensure flexible natural gas generation is available to meet the reserve margin.” —Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller, Sept. 23, 2014

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=96

Reindeer habitat selection and movement changes with cumulative impacts from mining and wind power development #NOR #SWE

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.” —William H. Stewart (U.S. Surgeon General 1965-1969), 1978

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=82

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“You really don’t count on wind energy as capacity. It is different from other technologies because it can’t be dispatched.” —Christine Real de Azua, Assistant Director of Communications, American Wind Energy Association

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=236

Reindeer habitat selection and movement changes with cumulative impacts from mining and wind power development #NOR #SWE

Industrial Wind Energy Quote

“There should be a presumption against wind farms in the countryside where their scale, siting or cumulative effect would have a significant adverse impact on landscape quality and recreational enjoyment thereof.” —Countryside Commission, U.K.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php?t=228