Do wind farms really reduce greenhouse emissions?
Yes. For example, a 10-megawatt wind farm in Victoria would displace about 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, according to Victoria’s Sustainable Energy Authority. That is equivalent to taking 9200 cars off the road. At the same time this wind farm would supply enough energy for 5700 average households. The exact quantity of greenhouse emissions prevented by wind farms would vary from place to place, because it depends on the energy used in a given area. Gas and bioenergy generation can be quickly “turned on and off”. These energy sources can be used to complement and even out the variable power from wind farms.
