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Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline.
Do wind turbines utilize land for electricity generation more efficiently than fossil fuels?
Wind turbines require less land use for the same amount of energy generated by oil or natural gas, and land between turbines is available for agriculture and wildlife habitats.
Some sources report larger footprints by ignoring space between turbines, or expanding the area of a wind farm based on whether turbines are visible in the distance. In reality, according to Princeton University, land occupied by wind in a U.S. net-zero emissions plan would have a footprint between 10-30% of the 8 million acres currently occupied by natural gas and oil operations.
Cultivated and wild plant life can safely grow, and terrestrial animals safely roam, up to a turbine’s base. Turbines on farmland take up only 5% of the project area, with the remaining land available for other purposes.
Compared to the widespread spills, soil and water contamination, and warming impacts of fossil fuels, wind produces significantly less environmental disruption.
Go to full rebuttal on Skeptical Science or to the fact brief on Gigafact
This fact brief is responsive to quotes such as this one.
Sources
Princeton University Net-Zero America
Bloomberg The U.S. Will Need a Lot of Land for a Zero-Carbon Economy
The Electricity Journal Renewable Energy's ‘Footprint’ Myth
ScienceDaily Clearing the air: Wind farms more land efficient than previously thought
World Resources Institute How Wind Turbines Are Providing a Safety Net for Rural Farmers
U.S. Department of Energy WindVision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States
EESI Fact Sheet | Climate, Environmental, and Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels (2021)
Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer "yes/no" answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.
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