2025 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Jean Park

Critics of wind energy suddenly become wildlife advocates, complaining about animal deaths caused by wind turbines, along with the “ruined” aesthetics of the landscape and inefficiency of the turbines when the wind stops. Expecting perfection for renewable energy like wind, while excusing fossil fuel destroying the environment through climate change, is laughable at best and malicious feigned incompetence at worst. Wind power is a highly efficient, sustainable, and adaptable energy source, benefitting both the environment and society as a whole.

To start, wind is a renewable resource harnessed using turbines to generate energy. The transformation of wind power into electricity has impressively reached efficiency levels of 40-50%, exceeding the 20-24% of solar and 10-13% of geothermal. Although wind farms seemingly take too much space, the actual portion of land used is small, allowing other uses, like agriculture. Additionally, windmills can be placed in the ocean, meaning visual and noise concerns wouldn’t be an issue. These qualities make wind power both a practical solution for the ever increasing demand for energy and a sustainable alternative to burning fossil fuels.

Furthermore, wind power is one of the most affordable types of green energy as the cheapest source of new electricity in the U.S. for over a decade. It enables U.S. economic growth, with new wind projects in 2022 adding $20 billion to the U.S. economy. Wind turbine service technicians are the fastest-growing job sector, with hundreds of thousands of more jobs expected by 2050. This untapped resource for both environmental and economical benefits for society already outweigh the flaws of occasional animal fatality and reduced property value, and future innovations may eliminate these weaknesses altogether. Which is why an immediate redirect of energy production to wind is the perfect decision, even if the technology itself is not yet perfect.