At 32 years old, I’ve lasted more than 1.5 times longer than most wind turbines

Today is my 32nd birthday. That means so far, I’ve lasted more than 1.5 times longer than the 20 years useful lifespan of most wind turbines.

The short useful lifetime of wind turbines and solar panels is one of the most important, but least-talked about aspects of energy policy. Many people think that once these sources of energy are built, they will provide “free” electricity indefinitely, but this is not anywhere near the reality that we have observed.

In the real world,  I’ll likely outlive any wind turbine built before the year 2050, which is  the year Governor Walz wants to have 100 percent of Minnesota’s electricity come from carbon-dioxide free resources.

In contrast to wind turbines and solar panels, a nuclear power plant built today would likely last 60 to 80 years, meaning there is a low likelihood that I would outlive it.

If people are truly concerned about the impact that rising carbon dioxide emissions will have on future global temperatures, it makes zero sense for them to advocate for forms of energy that only last 20 to 30 years when we could be building zero-emission nuclear power plants that would last until 2100. Fortunately, more people are beginning to understand the serious shortcomings of wind and solar power.