5 Reasons Why President Trump Would Be A Disaster For Wind

Billionaire Donald Trump says he is “seriously thinking”about running for US president in 2016. Now, he has talked about this since the 1980s, so the chances look slim.

But the prospect of Trump presidency would both amuse and horrify those working in wind, what with the fact that Trump is arguably the world’s most high profile wind farm NIMBY.

This month, for instance, he renewed his legal action against a proposed 100MW offshore wind farm in Aberdeen Bay in Scotland, which he says would ruin his plans to develop an exclusive golf resort on the Menie estate; and last year saw off a scheme in Ireland.

But what better time to refresh our memories about Trump’s views on the wind industry:

1) “I look forward to…helping Scotland save itself from this madness.”

Trump said this before testifying to the Scottish parliament’s Economy, Energy & Tourism Committee in April 2012, about the impact of wind farms on the Scottish economy. Three years later, has he had any discernible impact on the rollout of wind in Scotland? No.

2) “Wind farms are a disaster for Scotland, like Pan Am 103.”

We know that Trump doesn’t like wind farms, but comparing the wind energy sector to the Lockerbie plane bombing of 1988 —as he did in February 2013 —understandably caused uproar. Wind farms aren’t at all comparable to a terrorist attack where 270 people died.

3) “They make people sick. They’re an abomination. People don’t want them”

In that infamous Lockerbie statement he also peddled some popular untruths: They make people sick with the continuous noise. They’re an abomination and are only sustained with government subsidy. People don’t want them near their homes, ruining property values.”

Research shows turbines don’t make people sick or have much impact on house prices. We have also since seen that more than 70% of people in the UK are in favour of using wind farms as part of a diverse UK energy mix. All debunked time after time.

4) “It is such a negative to tourism.”

Last year, Trump took his wind farm fight to Ireland. Shortly after buying the Doonbeg Golf Club in County Clare he found out about plans for a 27MW wind farm 4km away. In this case, Trump won as Clare County Council rejected the wind farm plan in October.

5) “Had [Alex Salmond] not littered Scotland with these horrible wind turbines…I think he would have done much better.”

In September, Trump told Fortune magazine that Scottish voters rejected independence because of Scottish first minister Salmond’s support of wind farms. He said: “There’s tremendous anger over this subject.”And even more so when Donald’s there…