The waste from solar panels and wind turbines is often overlooked, with much of it ending up in landfills despite claims of sustainability and net zero efforts by green advocates. As more panels and turbines are decommissioned and replaced, the issue of disposal becomes more pressing. The lack of eco-friendly plans for handling this waste raises concerns about the true costs and impact of renewable energy projects. Recycling efforts have been limited, and the recycling industry as a whole has struggled to find profitable solutions for renewable waste. Without significant advancements in recycling technology and profitability, the future of handling worn-out solar and wind equipment remains uncertain. The renewable energy industry faces challenges in becoming profitable, hindering its forward movement. Despite estimates suggesting a potential $2.7 billion industry in solar recycling by 2030, current profitability remains low. This is due to the minimal value of the components in solar panels for recycling, making the process intensive and costly. Additionally, the lack of a cohesive regulatory framework for end-of-life planning in renewable energy projects further complicates the situation. As a result, the industry struggles with issues such as enforcing recycling laws, managing decommissioning costs, and preventing environmental hazards from discarded panels. Despite these challenges, the environmental benefits of renewable energy, such as reduced carbon emissions, are seen as outweighing the concerns raised by critics.
The solid bases made of thousands of tons of concrete are expected to remain in the ground or on the ocean floor for decades, as stated by Mills and other experts.
Offshore turbines now have blades as long as a football field and towering structures equivalent to 10-story buildings, with those situated offshore resting on an ocean floor slab as large as a city block.
“These offshore installations are not environmentally friendly or sustainable – extensive equipment is required to construct and maintain them, and a significant amount will be needed for their removal,” remarked Robin Shaffer of Protect Our Coasts, a grassroots organization that opposed a now-abandoned offshore project in New Jersey.
Furthermore, the renewable wind sector is facing challenges with bankruptcies among European companies, which could continue or intensify due to the Trump administration’s decision to cut off federal funding.
“The government has allowed these companies to evade responsibility by aligning policies with climate advocacy,” Shaffer pointed out. “They are not setting aside funds for decommissioning, and eventually, someone will have to address the removal of these structures, or we will be left with decaying towers in the ocean.”
When decommissioned, the massive blades are typically dismantled into three parts, and the large pieces made of fiberglass, resin, and composite materials end up in landfills or storage facilities.
There are already reports of municipalities struggling with decommissioning issues, such as Sweetwater, Texas, a leading state in wind power, where turbine recycling agreements have been disregarded. Global Fiberglass Solutions, a company handling such contracts, did not respond to requests for comment.
“Turbines cannot be repurposed, and there are now countless blades just languishing in storage facilities,” Isaac noted. “We are facing an environmental catastrophe.”
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