Does Wind Energy Require More Energy to Build, Install and Maintain Than It Produces?

I wrote a post earlier in which I pointed out that solar and wind are valid energy resources even though they are variable.  In response, a reader writes:

Craig, have you ever looked into the CO2 burden that wind has before any blades have turned once?  I mean the CO2 produced when all the steel and concrete is made for wind turbines!   Also, I am talking about the CO2 made putting in roads and the transmission lines too.

I don’t know the answer, but hopefully someday, I hope to know the total CO2 produced related to a wind farm over its life time as compared to other forms of energy.    I mean the total CO2 related to materials, construction, maintenance, operation and disassemble at the end. 

Yes, I’ve considered that.  In fact, I’ve written four books on renewable energy, each of which touches on this at some level.  The subject you’re asking about is called “energy return on energy investment” (EROI).  And there’s no need to wait until “someday”; scientists and economists have been studying this subject for several decades.  Here’s the Wikipedia page, and there are literally millions of other documents on the topic as well that you’ll want to explore.

To summarize, the EROI on wind generally ranges from about 15:1 to about 30:1, and that figure is constantly improving.

You’ll be interested to note that the EROI on oil is falling like a rock, since all the crude that was cheap and easy to reach has long since been sucked dry.