I think this issue will be debated forever. From what I've heard, they are also quite noisy due to the gear reduction, akin to the sound of a generator running nearly continuously.
Hey, I'm all in favor of finding new and creative ways to generate electricity. Frankly, I cannot for the life of me understand why people protest placing windmills in an off-shore environment. Note: I'm not so sure that the high transmission cost back to shore is worth it, but........
I'm a big fan of exploring development of nuclear energy too. It obviously works, but it is such a political hot topic that I don't see that happening in my lifetime.
As much as I hate to say it, it doesn't matter what we do to generate electricity, some politician is going to find a way to shoot it down. In some cases, as in proximity to local residents, they are probably right. In most instances, that isn't the issue at all.
