Research & Commentary: CAE Report Details the Environmental, Ecological, and Cost Concerns of Headlong Rush into Increased ‘Renewable’ Energy Generation – heartland.org

Report on the Environmental and Ecological Impacts of Renewable Energy Transition

Introduction: A Critical Assessment of “Green” Energy in the Context of Sustainable Development

A June report by the Center of the American Experiment (CAE), titled Shattered Green Dreams: The Environmental Costs of Wind and Solar, presents a critical analysis of the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. The findings challenge the alignment of current renewable energy strategies with several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), arguing that the environmental and ecological trade-offs are frequently overlooked in policy discussions. The report advocates for a comprehensive assessment of all energy sources, including fossil fuels and nuclear power, to ensure a genuinely sustainable energy future.

Analysis of Renewable Energy in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Lifecycle and Material Concerns

The CAE report highlights significant challenges posed by wind and solar technologies to the principles of SDG 12. The entire lifecycle, from material extraction to disposal, presents substantial environmental issues.

• Material Sourcing: The production of solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage requires large quantities of minerals. A significant portion of these materials is sourced from countries with lower environmental and worker safety standards, undermining global progress towards SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12.
• Waste Management and Disposal: The short lifespans of renewable technologies create a growing waste problem.
  1. Wind turbines are often replaced at a median age of 10 years, with their fiberglass or carbon fiber blades being difficult and uneconomical to recycle. An estimated 2.2 million tons of blades are projected to enter landfills by 2050.
  2. Solar panel recycling is currently cost-prohibitive, with only about 10% of panels being recycled. The U.S. is expected to accumulate between seven and 10 million tons of solar panel waste by 2050.
  3. Improper disposal of turbines, panels, and batteries risks releasing hazardous chemicals such as lithium, lead, cadmium, and selenium into the environment, directly contradicting the aims of responsible production and consumption.

SDG 11 & SDG 15: Sustainable Land Use and Life on Land

The report identifies the low energy density of wind and solar as a primary driver of unsustainable land use, impacting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

• Disproportionate Land Footprint: Renewable energy sources require significantly more land per unit of power compared to conventional sources.
  • Wind and solar facilities need at least 10 times more land than coal or natural gas plants to produce the same amount of power.
  • To match the output of a 1 GW nuclear plant (occupying ~1.3 square miles), a solar project would require 45 to 75 square miles, while a wind project would need 260 to 3,360 square miles.
• Ecological Impact: This extensive land use leads to habitat loss, fragmentation, and displacement of wildlife, creating a direct conflict with the conservation targets of SDG 15.

SDG 14 & SDG 15: Threats to Biodiversity

The growing footprint of renewable energy infrastructure poses documented threats to wildlife, undermining efforts to protect life below water (SDG 14) and on land (SDG 15).

• Marine Life (SDG 14): The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration acknowledges that offshore wind developments pose risks to whales through noise pollution, vessel strikes, and habitat alteration.
• Avian and Terrestrial Life (SDG 15): Both wind and solar installations have detrimental effects on birds and bats, including vulnerable species.
  • Wind turbines cause fatal collisions.
  • Solar panels create a “lake effect,” where their reflective surfaces are mistaken for water bodies, leading to collisions.

Re-evaluating Contributions to SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The Role of Natural Gas in Emissions Reduction

The report posits that progress toward SDG 13 (Climate Action) in the United States has been significantly driven by advancements in the fossil fuel sector, particularly the shift to natural gas.

• According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas is responsible for 61% of the power sector’s CO2 emissions reductions since 2005.
• A study in the journal Energy Economics found that the shale gas boom led to an average annual per capita CO2 emissions reduction of 10.5% between 2007 and 2019.
• The U.S. Department of Energy reported a 32% decrease in the GHG-emission intensity of the nation’s energy profile between 2017 and 2020.

Conclusion and Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Energy Future

A Call for Holistic and Fact-Based Energy Policy

The CAE report concludes that energy policy must be based on a comprehensive accounting of the environmental impacts of all energy forms. To truly align with the Sustainable Development Goals, policymakers must acknowledge the material intensity, land use demands, and lifecycle challenges of wind and solar energy. The report recommends that the scalability, reliability, and smaller land footprints of natural gas, oil, and nuclear power be recognized as substantial benefits in the pursuit of a sustainable and reliable energy infrastructure that supports economic growth and environmental protection.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 15: Life on Land

Specific Targets Identified

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article critically examines this target by highlighting the environmental and land-use costs associated with wind and solar energy, questioning their viability as the primary path to a “clean” energy future. It contrasts them with fossil fuels, suggesting the push for renewables overlooks significant downsides.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers. The article touches on this by stating that minerals for renewable technologies are often sourced from “foreign countries that do not adhere to modern environmental or worker health and safety standards,” implying that the push for renewables can inadvertently support unsafe working conditions abroad.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle. The article directly addresses this by pointing out that wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries must be disposed of correctly to avoid exposure to hazardous chemicals like “lithium, silicon tetrafluoride, selenium, sulfur hexafluoride, lead, and cadmium.”
  • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. This target is central to the article’s critique of renewables. It highlights the massive waste problem, noting that wind turbine blades are “challenging and uneconomic to recycle” and that solar panel recycling is minimal due to cost, leading to millions of tons of waste destined for landfills.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article engages with this target by questioning the effectiveness of policies that promote wind and solar. It presents evidence that “natural gas is responsible for 61 percent of the power sector’s emissions reductions since 2005” and that the shale gas boom led to significant CO2 and GHG emission reductions, suggesting alternative strategies for climate action.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. The article connects to this target by citing a NOAA acknowledgment that “offshore wind poses risks to whales through exposure to noise, strikes from vessels, entanglement in marine debris, and changes to habitat.”

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services. The article highlights the “disproportionally large” land use footprint of wind and solar, which directly impacts terrestrial ecosystems. It states that these technologies “need at least 10 times as much land per unit of power produced as coal- or natural gas-fired power plants.”
  • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. This is addressed through the article’s discussion of the detrimental impact on wildlife. It mentions that “Birds and bats, including some vulnerable species, are susceptible to collision with wind turbine blades as well as habitat loss, fragmentation, and displacement.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• For Target 12.5 (Waste Reduction)

  • Recycling Rate of Solar Panels: The article states, “Only about 10 percent of solar panels are recycled today,” providing a direct, though negative, indicator of recycling performance.
  • Projected Waste Volume: The article provides specific figures that can be used as baseline indicators for waste management challenges: “U.S. solar panel waste expected to reach between seven and 10 million tons by 2050” and “2.2 million tons [of wind turbine blades] likely to enter landfills by 2050.”

• For Target 13.2 (Climate Action Integration)

  • Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and CO2 Emissions Reduction: The article provides several quantitative indicators of progress in emissions reduction, attributing them to fossil fuels:
    • Percentage of emissions reductions from a specific source: “natural gas is responsible for 61 percent of the power sector’s emissions reductions since 2005.”
    • Annual per capita reduction in CO2 emissions: “an average annual per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the United States of 10.5 percent” between 2007 and 2019 due to the shale boom.
    • Reduction in total GHG emissions: “a 7.5 percent reduction in annual total GHG emissions” from the shale boom.
    • Change in GHG-emission intensity: “decreased by 32 percent between 2017 and 2020.”

• For Target 15.1 (Conservation of Terrestrial Ecosystems)

  • Land Use Footprint per Unit of Power: The article provides a comparative indicator: “wind turbines and solar panels need at least 10 times as much land per unit of power produced as coal- or natural gas-fired power plants.”
  • Total Land Area Required for Energy Generation: Specific land area estimates are given as indicators of ecosystem impact: “To generate the same amount of electricity as a 1 GW nuclear plant… one would need between 45 and 75 square miles of solar panels or between 260 and 3,360 square miles of wind turbines.”

Summary of Findings

Source: heartland.org