Great article! The same kind of dis/misinformation is happening with the industrial solar industry in Michigan, too. Local anti-solar activists start closed Facebook groups, share crazy conspiracy theories and disinformation, and block anyone who disagrees with them. It feels like it is being funded from outside, but I have no proof of that. Unfortunately, they have been effective in blocking industrial solar at the local township level, where these decisions are currently made. Our state legislature is looking to pass a statewide renewable energy citing law this fall that would allow agricultural land to be used for solar and wind.
There's a lot to unpack here. But first, how 'bout this for a meme. "Although 60,000 wind turbines were installed in the U.S. over the last 15 years, the bald eagle population has increased by a factor of four."
Progressives, enviros and "climate activists" in particular need to fight FOR renewable power, to displace and replace fossil fuels, not just "stop" "end" "divest" etc. Many of the ones I meet can recite all the anti-wind/solar talking points, but don't know the actual impacts, improvements and mitigation measures. Though at a certain point, the social media fueled opposition won't listen and just keeps throwing out ever-more implausible or irrelevant objections. The Dems or Independents I meet who question wind tend towards the RFK Jr. camp.
One way to get some more local support, though it doesn't work in most of our utility territories, is to offer huge discounts on power to wind farm locals when the wind is blowing.
The industry itself needs its own PR to get its act together to say the least. Subsuming the wind power lobby into the American Clean Power Assoc seems to have diluted its voice.
Great article! The same kind of dis/misinformation is happening with the industrial solar industry in Michigan, too. Local anti-solar activists start closed Facebook groups, share crazy conspiracy theories and disinformation, and block anyone who disagrees with them. It feels like it is being funded from outside, but I have no proof of that. Unfortunately, they have been effective in blocking industrial solar at the local township level, where these decisions are currently made. Our state legislature is looking to pass a statewide renewable energy citing law this fall that would allow agricultural land to be used for solar and wind.
There's a lot to unpack here. But first, how 'bout this for a meme. "Although 60,000 wind turbines were installed in the U.S. over the last 15 years, the bald eagle population has increased by a factor of four."
Progressives, enviros and "climate activists" in particular need to fight FOR renewable power, to displace and replace fossil fuels, not just "stop" "end" "divest" etc. Many of the ones I meet can recite all the anti-wind/solar talking points, but don't know the actual impacts, improvements and mitigation measures. Though at a certain point, the social media fueled opposition won't listen and just keeps throwing out ever-more implausible or irrelevant objections. The Dems or Independents I meet who question wind tend towards the RFK Jr. camp.
One way to get some more local support, though it doesn't work in most of our utility territories, is to offer huge discounts on power to wind farm locals when the wind is blowing.
https://octopusenergy.com/fanclub which is available in TX, and its political results in UK
https://octopus.energy/build/
The industry itself needs its own PR to get its act together to say the least. Subsuming the wind power lobby into the American Clean Power Assoc seems to have diluted its voice.