When talking about wind energy, attention is usually focused on electricity production.
But the impact of a well-planned wind farm can be much broader.
In addition to contributing to energy security, wind energy development can bring to a region:
New investments, jobs, income for local communities, income for landowners, infrastructure development and new opportunities for local businesses.
International experience shows that, especially in rural and less industrialized areas, energy projects can become part of a broader regional development model.
West Texas: When Wind Becomes a Local Economy
One well-studied example is the West Texas.
A study published in Energy Policy analyzed about 1,398 MW of wind capacity in four counties in West Texas.
During the four-year construction phase, the projects supported approximately 4,100 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs within the state's economy. About 680 of those were direct jobs at construction sites. ScienceDirect
But the impact doesn't end with construction.
The study estimates the total economic activity for the state over the life of the projects at more than $1.8 billion, and for local communities – to nearly $730 million over the 20-year period under consideration. National Laboratory of the Rockies
This includes not only jobs, but also orders from local companies, transportation, construction, services, maintenance, and other economic activities.
Additional income for farmers
Wind farms can also create an additional cash flow for agricultural landowners.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) lists among the typical economic benefits of onshore wind energy:
land lease payments, local tax revenues, temporary construction jobs, and permanent operations and maintenance jobs. NREL
For the specific Rush Creek project in Colorado, NREL estimates future payments to landowners at about $45 million over 25 years, as well as approximately $62.5 million in property taxes over the same period. NREL
This is especially important for agricultural areas.
Wind energy revenue should not replace farming. It can be an additional and more predictable source of income while the main part of the land remains in cultivation.
Northern Scotland: energy as a basis for new development
A similar idea is also being developed in Northern Scotland.
The regional initiative Focus North aims to turn Caithness and Sutherland into a hub for green energy, innovation and new economic growth.
The region faces problems that are familiar to many other peripheral European regions: a declining population, limited infrastructure and the need for new economic activities. justtransition.scot
At the same time, the region already produces approximately 12.5 times more electricity from renewable sources than it consumes, and the development of wind power, hydrogen, energy storage and related technologies is seen as an opportunity for economic transformation. ideas.gov.scot
The Scottish Green Industry Strategy also places wind energy among the main areas for the development of new industries, infrastructure and supply chains.
What would this mean for Dobrudja?
This international experience is also interesting for Northeastern Bulgaria.
According to Prof. Pavel Zehtindzhiev from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the development of wind energy in the Dobrich region could give an economic boost to municipalities facing a declining population and limited development opportunities.
The new projects could create demand of:
construction services, transportation, technical support, electrical specialists, engineers, security, logistics, hotel management, restaurant management and a number of other local services.
Not all jobs are permanent and not all income automatically remains in the region.
That is why it is important to seek maximum local participation in the planning process - local companies, local specialists, professional training and long-term maintenance contracts.
Energy as a magnet for new investments
There is another factor that is becoming increasingly important.
Access to sufficient electricity and a well-developed electricity grid increasingly influences decisions on where to build new industrial and technological facilities.
This is particularly clear in data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that global electricity consumption by data centers could approximately double by 2030, and the shortage of network capacity is already becoming a constraint for new projects. IEA
The IEA explicitly points out that a possible solution is to locate new data centers in areas with good electricity availability and free network capacity. IEA
This shows something important:
Energy is no longer just a product. It becomes part of the infrastructure that determines where new industries will develop.
Wind energy alone is not enough
Of course, a wind farm cannot automatically turn a region into an industrial center.
This requires more:
a strong electricity grid, qualified people, roads, digital infrastructure, an appropriate regulatory environment and an active policy of local municipalities to attract investment.
But the presence of a significant local energy resource can be one of the important competitive advantages.
Especially when this resource is combined with a modern grid and the possibility of long-term supply of low-carbon electricity.
From wind farm to regional economy
This is the bigger question for Dobrudja.
Not only: How much electricity can wind turbines produce?
And: What part of the economic value can remain in the region itself?
If the projects are well structured, the benefits can be much broader than the megawatt hours produced:
income for landowners,
jobs,
local orders,
infrastructure,
new companies,
new technologies
and additional income for the local economy.
In this sense, wind energy can be more than just a means of producing electricity.
It can be part of a larger strategy for the economic development of Northeastern Bulgaria.
And it is here that one of the most important questions:
Can the wind of Dobrudja produce not only energy, but also a future for the region?
This article is part of the series for the upcoming documentary:
„WIND - MORE THAN ENERGY“
Director: Neddy John Cross