Why are wind power plants in good locations scrapped first?
The most common reason for scrapping a wind turbine in Denmark is to make room for a newer turbine. The decision to scrap a wind turbine is then highly dependent on an opportunity cost that comes from the interaction of scarce land resources, technological change and changes in subsidy policy. This research paper shows that turbines located in areas with better wind resources are at a higher risk of being scrapped. Policies put in place to encourage the scrapping of older, poorly placed turbines actually have a larger effect on well-placed turbines.