This ain’t easy-Breezy: Wind Energy Giant Vestas Fires workers as challenges mount

Danish wind energy company Vestas has laid off 600 workers, another sign of the sector’s growing trouble, and a stunning development shortly after BP and Shell recently dumped most of their wind projects. 

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“The business said employees at its Newport plant on the [U.K.’s] Isle of Wight have been told at least half of its manufacturing operation will be cut amid changing demand for turbine blades,” reports CityAM. This lower demand is due to several challenges for wind energy, some of which have only surfaced recently. 

Among the issues, wind energy has developed infrastructure problems, including that turbines face extremely high winds in some areas, blades can be damaged by bird strikes and poorly built turbines can fall off and either sink or be washed ashore. 

Residents revolt
Meanwhile, permits for wind farms are often complicated and can involve more than one government approval. In addition, some coastal residents do not want the farms in sight of their homes.

In addition, energy transmission from wind farms to areas that need electricity can require modification to the grid, which is already old and, in most cases, needs to be better designed.

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