Complementary policy: Coal mines, wind turbines in Wyoming Image By EPN Staff Decommissioned wind turbine blades and towers will be buried at Wyoming open-pit coal mines under a state-led plan recently approved by the federal government. The arrangement, which provides coal pit companies with needed material to fill the void left by open pit mining, will generate fee revenue for companies that take the blades, and the state of Wyoming will get 25% of that revenue. Why it matters As the country increases wind energy technology, state and federal agencies and private companies are searching for ways to bury or recycle the estimated 8,000 blades decommissioned each year. Wyoming, which has the largest coal mines in the country, is the top coal-producing state in the U.S. It also relies on wind to generate 21% of the state’s total electricity net generation. The relationship, which balances two of the state’s major energy sources, is a product of House Bill 129, a state law that required the Department of Environmental Quality’s Land Quality Division to establish rules and regulations governing the burial of blades and towers. The agency worked with the federal Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement to develop the rule. The bigger picture The U.S. Geological Survey reports as of 2022, there were more than 70,800 wind turbines in the U.S. But as wind energy grows, so too will the number of blades being retired. The U.S. Department of Energy puts the current number of unprocessed retired blades at 79,000. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimate more than 2 million tons of turbine blades will be retired by 2050. Additional context Wind turbine blades are made primarily of fiberglass and have a usable lifespan of 20 to 30 years. While recycling is technically possible, it is not cost effective. The same durability that makes blades able to withstand high winds makes them difficult to break down. Crushing or shredding blades is energy intensive. Most landfills are not equipped to take large unprocessed blades. According to the Department of Energy, land-based wind turbine blades are generally over 170 feet long while off shore blades are often longer. The largest has 351 foot long blades. What others are doing Spectrum News NY1 reports some companies have found uses for the material. One company, Veolia, uses shredded blades as a component in Portland cement. Carbon Rivers is experimenting with methods to turn fiberglass into sports equipment and vehicle parts. NREL researchers are looking to replace fiberglass with a bio-resin that can be melted down and reused. Another company, Global Fiberglass Solutions recycled the fiberglass into railroad ties, composite panels, and plastic pellets, which could be used to make other products. That company is the target of a lawsuit filed in late 2024 by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who alleged the company violated Iowa solid waste laws.
