Sometimes ideas that seem to be good in theory face challenges in the implementation. From the Wall Street Journal (subscriber link):
The race to build new sources of alternative energy from the wind is running into a formidable obstacle: not enough windmills.
In recent years, improved technology has made it possible to build bigger, more efficient windmills. That, combined with surging political support for renewable energy, has driven up demand. Now, makers can’t keep up — mostly because they can’t get the parts they need fast enough.
Numerous wind-power projects from Virginia to California have been stalled due to the shortage. But for some renewable-energy companies in Europe, where wind power has been in vogue for almost two decades, the logjam is a lucrative opportunity. These firms anticipated a shortage of turbines and locked in orders with makers. They’re now using their considerable buying power to gobble up smaller utilities in the U.S. that couldn’t otherwise get their hands on turbines.
The article includes the tale of one U.S. based small alternative-energy provider that was facing a three year delay on getting equipped for its third wind farm, and which decided to be bought out by a Spanish company that had contracts negotiated for future turbine deliveries.
As a capitalist, I respect the foresight that is apparently enabling large alternative power companies to buy smaller ones as demand for renewable power is proven. However, you’d think that in an environment where “energy independence” is a political buzzword, a responsible leadership would take steps to facilitate a ramp-up in domestic production of the necessary parts.