Wind turbines — the towering giants of the clean energy revolution — are at their heart old-fashioned.
The inside of their blades are made of wood.
That’s where things get complicated. Much of the timber used to build the blades is tainted by illegal harvesting in South America, says one environmental group that spent two years investigating the supply chain.
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The allegation, outlined in a report released Wednesday by the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency, raises uncomfortable questions for an industry that’s still trying to establish itself as a mainstream energy source. And the findings could put some wind companies in legal peril with the Lacey Act for trading in illicitly sourced wood products.
