From Texas Standard.
Global warming and climate change are two oft-used phrases in the conversation about energy production. Much of the time, scientists and reporters present the remedy as “green” energy, such as solar or wind. But there’s a lot we still don’t know about the climate effects of these energy sources.
Texas leads the nation in wind energy production, so it makes sense that researchers from New York would turn to the Lone Star State to study how wind power affects local climates.
Dr. Jeffrey Freedman, a scientist with the State University of New York at Albany’s Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, conducted research on wind forecasting with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The team worked in the areas of Texas where the Electric Reliability Council of Texas oversees production and distribution of electricity.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
- It might seem like the wind turbines are creating local warming, but they aren’t.
- They’re moving around heat that’s already in the atmosphere.
- The small temperature effects don’t have a significant local impact.
For more about what Freedman’s team uncovered, listen to the full interview in the audio player above.
Written by Christopher De Los Santos.
Copyright 2020 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit KUT 90.5. 9(MDAwMTM1NDgzMDEyMzg2MDcwMzJjODJiYQ004))
