No one has to go to Spain to get a first hand experience with wind mill tech. in fact it should be noted that some of the most intense fossil fuel states and provinces are the ones investing in wind power, Texas in the US and Alberta in Canada. They can see the writing on the wall. As to the carbon footprint it takes the equivalent of 1 barrel of oil to return the energy of 6 to 7 barrels, this is better than oil sands or deep of shore oil. I would also note that this is fossil fuel energy equivalents and much of the energy required can be supplied from sustainable green energy.
As to subsidies, no industry on the planet has been subsidized like the oil industry, from tax breaks on exploration to royalty free pumping. These subsides are so blatant and unchallenged that when they destroy third world counties like Nigeria Canadians don't say anything. AND this is saying nothing to the very real costs that will effect humans for years to come.
The total carbon footprint of a wind turbine is less than that of a fossil fuel burning power plant, but it is not zero. You have to consider the carbon footprint of not just the construction of a wind turbine, but also the carbon footprint of the backups. When all factors are considered, the carbon footprint of wind turbines are much lower than that of of fossil fuel power plants, but more than that of nuclear power.
Of course, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wind turbines could be done using renewable energy and batteries or the production of hydrogen could be a means to back up wind power.
Note: Renewable energy could also be used in the construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants and in the mining and processing of uranium or thorium.
The total carbon footprint for a single wind turbine, itself, including manufacture, transportation, any transportation of parts, transportation to examine etc., is probably less than that of a single day of a coal, oil or gas power plant
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The cost of almost anything boils down to how much energy it takes to bring it to market.
The fact that windmills can't produce enough energy to pay for themselves without subsidy is a clue that their net energy production is negative.
They are subsidized by the power companies that are forced to let them use their grid rent-free and are forced to buy the windmill energy at retail rates, not to mention direct subsidizations by the Federal Government.
Ask the Spanish how those windmills are working out for them.
An average modern on-land wind turbine, compared to, say, a typical current generation fossil fuel burning power plant. Per unit of energy output, does the (say coal-fired) power plant require producing 50% more, twice, five times the CO2?
Assume, for simplicity, all energy INPUTS to the wind turbine and the conventional power plant come from the same kind of coal as the power plant uses for fuel
Rough ballpark estimate is fine.
