The Current Situation and Perspectives on the Use of Wind Energy for Electricity Generation:Wind Energy and the Impact on the Environment

Wind Energy and the Impact on the Environment

According to Morales Pedraza (2008), besides the positive effects of wind energy on the environment, especially in the replacing of fossil fuels and consequent reduction in CO2 and other emissions, wind energy potentially has negative environmental impacts. These can be divided into impact on ecology, and visual and other sense impacts. Into the first category fall the following:

• Potential impacts on the populations, for example, collision, diversion, habitat disturbance, and impact on migration routes;

• Effects on benthic organisms and fish, as well as on sea mammals for offshore

applications.

The second category includes the following:

• Acoustic sound emissions;

• Visual impact;

• Shadow effects and “flicker”;

• Safety.