About Wind Energy
History of Wind Energy
Wind energy has been used for hundreds of years. Farms in Holland and the United States used windmills for pumping water or grinding grain. Today, the windmill's modern equivalent—a wind turbine— uses plentiful wind energy to generate electricity. Wind energy is generated by extremely efficient wind turbines that are placed in open spaces. The energy that comes from these turbines is then fed into our nation’s power grid.Why Wind Energy
- Clean Energy Production - Wind energy produces clean, renewable energy with no pollutants or hazardous waste. This is a much better solution than convention power plants. Power plants emit millions of tons of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxides every year, and are the largest source of air pollution in the United States. Fossil fuel emissions from power plants are a major cause of global warming, which the maximization of wind energy will help to combat. Every megawatt-hour of electricity generated by a wind turbine offsets the equivalent of 1,100 to 2,200 pounds of carbon dioxide which is currently being pumped into our atmosphere though conventional power generation.
- Energy Independence - National security has been a priority our country has been faced with in recent years. Renewable energy, particularly wind energy, will help us become more energy independent as a nation, and has a large role to play in the movement toward becoming more sustainable as a nation. It is critical that we do everything possible to turn this dream into a reality.
- Helps Local Communities - Wind can provide diversified income for farmers, ranchers, and other local landowners. Each megawatt of wind can provide $2,000-$4,000/year or more in income. This helps to add additional revenue streams to local communities, as well as create additional jobs.
The Future of Wind Energy
Wind power is one of the fastest growing forms of new electricity generation in the world.- Wind energy capacity is expected to double by 2011 worldwide
- The US Department of Energy has set a goal of 20% wind energy in United States by the year 2030. Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply report concludes that wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America's electricity supply over the next three decades. Once we achieve this goal
- It could provide as much power as is used by 75 million U.S. homes. This is about as much as nuclear power is providing today
- It would be producing as much power as almost every other country around the world, excluding only China, Russia, and Japan
- American landowners would be receiving $600 million - $1.2 billion in lease payments
- About 75,000 people in the U.S. would be working in the wind industry
- It would producing as much power as 400 million tons of coal, 35,000 mile-long coal trains, 135 million barrels of oil; and 7,560 Bcf of natural gas could produce each year.
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