François Rollet is the spokesperson for Action Écologie.
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Wind turbines have become the symbol of renewable energies and the energy transition. The Ministry of Ecology gives them an important place
: "A significant development of wind energy in France is expected to meet the objectives set by the law on energy transition for green growth and by the European Energy Directive. Renewable.
". The Pluriannual Energy Programming (PPE) adopted by decree on April 21, 2020 plans to double the number of wind turbines by 2028, bringing their number to 20,000, against just over 8,000 in 2020. Presented as energy clean and sustainable, they have hidden costs that make them an aberration from an environmental and economic point of view.
While it is true that the energy produced by wind turbines is not in itself polluting, it indirectly produces a great deal of pollution. Their intermittence linked to the dependence of the wind means that they can only operate with a small part of their capacity (35% maximum for wind turbines at sea in windy regions). In doing so, it is necessary to compensate for this low productivity by using other energies such as coal or gas. The example of Germany is well known: with a greater share of wind energy in its energy mix than in France, 29.4% of German production is based on coal and 15% on natural gas. Thus, the development of “clean” energy, which is wind power, must be accompanied byan increase in polluting energies. An illogical situation from an ecological point of view.
In Wyoming, 1,000 fiberglass turbine blades were buried. A situation which constitutes a time bomb for France and the European countries.
To make matters worse, the construction and dismantling of wind turbines at the end of their life are also sources of pollution. Some components essential to wind turbines require "rare earths". The problem is that in 2017 China was in a virtual monopoly situation with 80% of world production. The extraction of such materials is destructive for the environment but is tolerated by the promoters of wind turbines because it does not take place in the West. In addition, this situation makes us dependent on China for the construction of our plants. At a time when tensions are mounting between the EU and Beijing due to the latter's authoritarian policy, wind power poses a geopolitical risk. It is also incompatible with the much vaunted European sovereignty. As for the dismantling,the blades are made of composite materials and mainly plastic which are very difficult to recycle. This situation has resulted in "windmill cemeteries" in the United States. In Wyoming, for example, 1,000 fiberglass turbine blades were buried. A situation which constitutes a time bomb for France and the European countries.
Germany, which was nevertheless a country favorable to wind power, is gradually changing its mind.
But the cost of wind turbines is not just green. It is also economical and fiscal. One of the main economic problems of wind power is that the purchase price of this energy is not subject to market rules because it is guaranteed by the State. The additional cost of this purchase is paid by end consumers through the contribution to the public electricity service (CSPE), a tax paid by individuals, businesses and communities. The development of an “ecological” tax system targeting carbon emissions, such as the TIPCE (Internal Consumption Tax on Energy Products), is moreover part of the promotion of these green energies: both a tool to dissuade behaviors but also bring in recipes in order tounofficially allocating part of it to environmental policies. This tax system is a source of social instability. The yellow vests movement is a response to the increase in the TIPCE.
Germany, which was nevertheless a country favorable to wind power, is gradually changing its mind. The reduction in subsidies for wind turbines, decided in Germany in 2016, with bipartisan support from the CDU and the Social Democrats, moreover shows the will of the German government to put an end to overinvestment in energy that does not is not productive enough. It is time for France to open its eyes to wind power.
