Denmark - Wind power is cheaper after pollution is weighed into fossil fuel costs

A Danish study, published on the heals of a European energy report, says wind power is cheaper after pollution is weighed into fossil fuel costs. Wind turbines may be able to produce cheaper electricity than coal and natural gas, according to a recent study by Emerging Energy Research. Peter Brun, vice president of governmental relations for Vestas, a Danish wind turbine production company, said the company commissioned the study to try and expose the hidden costs involved in energy production. Next year, when carbon dioxide caps from the Kyoto Treaty take effect, the study showed wind energy will be looked at instead of fossil fuel sources, the Copenhagen Post reports. Vestas published the study's findings in conjunction with the release of the European Commission's future energy strategy.

A lot of numbers are in circulation and typically the conditions for calculating them are not included, Brun said. We hope that with this study, we can promote a more qualified debate and discuss the costs involved in alternative energy. Wind energy is increasingly competitive. The study found that if the cost of removing one ton of carbon dioxide was included in the price of energy production, land-based wind turbines could produce a megawatt-hour for about $64 while one megawatt of natural gas would cost more than $68. We would like to emphasize that this is not an either-or, because wind energy cannot stand alone. But wind energy is here to stay and is an important part of the national energy picture, Brun said.