Forbes Mag: ‘America’s Decaying Wind Turbine Infrastructure’ – ‘Hidden Costs, Rusting Relics: Decommissioning Wind Turbines In The US’
By Marc Morano
January 1, 2025
https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2024/12/23/hidden-costs-rusting-relics-decommissioning-wind-turbines-in-the-us/By Ariel Cohen
The U.S. Wind Turbine Database contains more than 74,695 wind turbines built since 1980, spread between 1,699 wind power projects in 45 states. However, thousands of wind turbines are reaching the end of their operational lifespan and need to be either repowered to make way for updated (often larger) turbines or entirely decommissioned to allow for new uses of the land they occupy. Unfortunately, there is no uniform legal framework to regulate the steps involved, nor is there an accepted industry-wide set of best practices, and the environmental costs are considerable.
America’s Decaying Wind Turbine Infrastructure
Many first- and second-generation turbines with capacities between 0.5 and 1 MW are being retired and decommissioned as newer models—some with capacities of up to 3.5 MW—take their place. Complete decommissioning can include felling or dismantling the turbines, partially or wholly removing the turbine foundations and underground cables, removing the ground-level facilities, and restoring the land to a usable state.
https://www.climatedepot.com/2025/01/01/forbes-mag-americas-decaying-wind-turbine-infrastructure-hidden-costs-rusting-relics-decommissioning-wind-turbines-in-the-us/
