WIND FUELS GAS

Many Europeans think that a major part of their future energy security might come from wind turbines. But this renewable push is probably just a very clever short-term business strategy that will not improve Europe's geopolitical situation.

Wind turbines generate electricity irregularly, because the wind is inconsistent. Therefore, wind turbines always need backup power from fossil fuels to keep the electricity grid in balance, and gas turbines are the best way to do this:

• The peak load of the Spanish power grid is in the summer when there usually isn't much wind, so more and more gas turbines are being installed.
• Natural gas is still the main source of electricity with 99.8 percent of it imported.
• Germany's gas consumption for power generation more than doubled between 1990 and 2007, with the country importing 83 percent of its supply.
• However, part of the wind power backup is still done by coal-fired plants.

Most European countries force consumers to subsidize electricity from wind power making it a safe investment compared with other energy businesses, but wind power is clearly not reducing the dependence on imported fuel.

In fact, it is increasing the dependence of imported natural gas - and that's not energy security, says the Journal.

['forced to subsidized', hence the 'clever business strategy'. Translation: another scam on the public.]

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