RAISR4D Suicide

Wind turbine proximity and health: Longitudinal evidence from US households

19/05/2026

AI Summary

Longitudinal analysis of over 120,000 US households (2011-2023) found no detectable adverse mental or physical health effects from typical turbine proximity.
Confidence intervals exclude moderate-to-large impacts, although small effects cannot be ruled out at the population level.
Non-health disamenities such as noise, shadow flicker and visual intrusion may still reduce quality of life despite absent measurable health impacts.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 May 26;123(21):e2525715123. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2525715123. Epub 2026 May 19.

ABSTRACT

Rapid growth of wind energy plays a key role in global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, yet public concerns persist about its potential health effects, particularly through noise exposure. While some studies and media reports suggest that wind turbines may contribute to sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even suicide, existing evidence remains limited and inconclusive. This study combines geolocated data on turbines from the US Wind Turbine Database with longitudinal survey data on over 120,000 households (2011-2023) and consumer purchasing records to assess whether proximity to wind turbines affects mental and physical health. We examine a wide range of outcomes, including depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, headaches, and use of sleep aids and painkillers. Comparing households before and after nearby turbine installations, we find no detectable adverse health effects from turbine exposure at typical exposure distances. While we cannot rule out small effects, our CIs exclude moderate-to-large impacts, suggesting that fears about substantial health impacts are not borne out in population-level data. Other disamenities such as noise, shadow flicker, and visual intrusion may still affect quality of life even absent measurable health impacts.

PMID:42154547 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2525715123

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