Biden’s Green “No” Deal Exposes Virtue-Signaling Americans’ NIMBY Views On Wind Power

The Biden administration’s infrastructure proposal layouts 100% carbon-free or clean electricity by 2035. Such an ambitious goal will require a massive new workforce, hundreds of billions of dollars in funding, and community support.

But all is not kosher as wind turbine projects across the country have hit turbulence among local officials and residents. 

President Biden’s proposed Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard calls for tens of thousands of wind turbines. These massive windmill-looking machines destroy any beautiful landscape and are noisy.

WSJ explains since 2015, about 300 government entities across the US have rejected wind farm projects. In Scituate, Massachusetts, people complained to local officials that a wind turbine in the coastal town was noisy and prevented them from sleeping. Officials restricted the operation of the wind turbine to only daytime use. 

On April 7, a proposed wind farm in Foster, Road Island, was rejected by the planning board. Residents heard horror stories from the people of Portsmouth who had turbines installed near their homes resulting in noise disturbances, vibrations, and loss in home values.

With Gallup survey data showing 70% of Americans want “more emphasis” on clean energy such as wind, one would think wind farms would be very receptive in towns and communities. 

What’s shocking, as WSJ outlines, “the fiercest fights against Big Wind are happening in the bluest states.” These virtue-signaling liberals who oppose wind farms can be characterized as “NIMBY,” an acronym for the phrase “not in my back yard,” or would rather see green energy developments, not in their community but elsewhere. 

John Riggi, a town councilman in Yates, New York, has been fighting a proposed wind farm project for seven years. He said, “we are fighting to keep our lands free from environmentally destructive, culture-killing, and unwanted industrial renewable-energy projects.”

The common theme among municipalities and residents rejecting wind farms is the same. They complain about noise pollution, falling property values, ruined views, and the potential loss of tourism dollars. To fight Big Wind, local officials are implementing noise and height limits, setting zoning setbacks, and even building heliports, preventing the construction of wind turbines within a 1-mile radius of landing pads.

In December, Madison County, Iowa, outright banned new wind turbines. Conflicts among towns and Big Wind bring into question how the Biden administration will install tens of thousands of wind turbines and other green energy systems to fulfill their 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. 

What’s even more mindboggling are blue states filled with virtue-signaling liberals are opposing wind farms the most because they don’t want these monstrous turbines in their backyard that create noise pollution, destroy views, and damaged property values.