While the economics of wind farms are not directly of interest to the Amherst Island project, the topic is often used by one camp or the other to balance (or not) any harmful effects on the locals with a sense of the greater good. I had the training (in a prior life) to try to make sense of these arguments one way or the other, but I don't have the interest. Economics is the dull science, after all. As a summary, all the promises of the economic benefits of renewable energy have yet to be demonstrated - except the benefits to the proponents themselves. Like with many of the other issues surrounding wind energy, proponents are quick to make assertions, but never quite manage to come up with convincing studies. If you know of any additional papers that should be included here, please let me know.

• Mad Max Monbiot provides some interesting commentary on UK foolishness.
• A nice article from the American Thinker. Unfortunately the commentary leans to hate-the-liberals, which just confuses the main issues.
• German Econmonic Impacts (0.5mb), a critical look at the German experience with their renewable energy subsidies.
• CEPOS Report (2.7mb), on Denmark and how the money flows, among other topics.
• London Economics (0.1mb), an summary analysis of the Green Act's costs and benefits.
• Peter Huber, a well-thought-out analysis of the futility of our pursuit of green energy.
• Spanish study of the effects of public subsidies in renewable energy on jobs.
• Lodge Paper, 0.5mb, a major report from England.
• Moriss Paper, 0.2mb, a study by 4 professors that challenges many of the rosey projections of green jobs.
• Too Good To Be True, 0.1mb, by David White, it presents an analysis of Denmark's operations.
• Schleede Paper, a good paper on the "True Cost of Electricity from Wind Power".
• Berkeley Cost 2006 Paper, 2.9mb
• REPP Subsidy Paper, 1.6mb
• Suzuki Energy Paper, 2.4mb
• Utility Wind Integration Group Report, 0.1mb
• CANwea Task Force Report, 1.0mb
• Stelling report, 0.3mb, covers many issues, including costs
• Schleede link on aweo.org