Mar 27, 2024 2 min read

The letter from Barbara Wendeborn Brandon, “Weaver ignored pitfalls of natural gas,” which appeared in the March 17 edition of the Observer-Reporter, unfortunately ignored the pitfalls of wind and solar power. Neither wind nor solar power can be counted on as dependable sources of energy, especially in extremely cold weather.

Did Wendeborn Brandon forget how frozen wind turbines in Texas in February 2021 cut wind-generated energy almost in half and left many homes without power? Can sufficient energy be produced by solar panels in the Pittsburgh area, which lacks the sunshine of other locations?

I don’t want to experience an electric grid failure in frigid weather. I don’t want to suffer hypothermia because of a cold home. I like my perishable food preserved in my refrigerator. I want a stove on which to cook my food. I don’t want to deal with frozen pipes.

Both wind turbines and solar panels also have a life expectancy of about 25 years and need to be replaced. Energy must be used to produce them. Neither is easily recycled, and worn-out blades and solar panels have been buried in landfills. That doesn’t sound environmentally friendly.

Let’s not kid ourselves that wind and solar power can replace energy from fossil fuels. Let’s not become a Third World country. Green energy is not the remedy that some imagine.

Rick Kauffman

Canonsburg