Fact check: Energy costs of wind turbine manufacturing recouped in months

The claim: A wind turbine must spin continuously for seven years to replace energy required to manufacture it 

Wind power is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S., and it now accounts for more than 9% of electricity generated in the country, according to the Energy Information Administration.

As this supply of energy has expanded, critics have questioned its use. Recently, social media posts have alleged that wind power is inefficient and unnecessarily expensive.  

"The turbine has to spin continually for 7 plus years just to replace the energy it took to manufacture the turbine," reads part of the caption of an April 16 Facebook post.  

The post garnered nearly 800 interactions. Versions of the claim also spread on Twitter. 

However, the post is wrong. Wind turbines recoup the energy required to build them within a year of normal operation, according to researchers.