Wind energy is a clean, cost-effective option from an abundant, domestic resource. Even with increased energy efficiency, our society continues to demand a steadily growing appetite for electricity. Wind energy is helping meet this demand.

Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing forms of electricity generation in the world. The United States can currently generate more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity from wind, or enough to power 2.5 million average American homes. Industry experts predict that, with proper development, wind energy could provide 20% of the nation’s energy needs. Wind power is much more than the calming breeze that causes lake surfaces to ripple or palms to sway. Magnified, wind power can also be a destructive force.
But wind power can also be harnessed and converted into an emissions-free, inexhaustible source of energy to satisfy the world’s growing appetite for electricity.
Along with sun, wind, water and plants, wind is a renewable energy source that is replenished daily. As the sun heats Earth, air rushes to fill the low-pressure areas, creating wind power. But the wind energy that people can detect at ground level is deceptive. It may not feel very windy on the ground, but the power in the wind may be five times greater at the height of a 40-story building. This is the typical height of a modern wind turbine. Major land forms accelerate wind, so some areas may be windy while others are calm. Most people don’t live in high-wind areas. But when wind power is converted to electricity, it can be transmitted to serve populous areas.
And wind energy is also accessible in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates. Sold separately from electricity at an economical price, they each represent the environmental benefits of generating 1 megawatt-hour of this clean energy. They are available everywhere, to every U.S. home, business or organization.

What is wind energy?
Wind energy is a form of solar energy, created by circulation patterns in the Earth’s atmosphere that are driven by heat from the sun. People have made use of wind energy for thousands of years, designing sails for boat travel or windmills to grind grain. Energy from the wind can either be used directly, as in these examples, or converted into electricity.

What is a wind turbine and how does it work?
The simplest way to describe a wind turbine is to compare it with a hydroelectric generator. At hydropower stations, the energy in falling or flowing water is used to spin the rotor of a turbine, which resembles a household fan. The turbine then drives a generator’s shaft to make electricity. Wind energy works similarly. With wind, the “river” is the invisible movement of air. As the air flows past the rotor of a wind turbine, the rotor spins and drives the shaft of an electric generator.

There are two basic designs of wind electric turbines: vertical-axis, or “egg-beater” style, and horizontal-axis (propeller-style) machines. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are most common today, constituting nearly all of the “utility-scale” (100 kilowatts, kW, capacity and larger) turbines in the global market.

How much electricity can one wind turbine generate?
The output of a wind turbine depends on the turbine’s size and the wind’s speed through the rotor. Wind turbines being manufactured now have power ratings ranging from 250 watts to 5 megawatts (MW). A 5-MW turbine can produce more than 15 million kWh in a year, enough to power more than 1,400 households. The average U.S. household uses about 11,400 kWh of electricity yearly.

How much energy can wind realistically supply?

Wind energy could supply about 20% of the nation’s electricity. Wind energy resources useful for generating electricity can be found in nearly every state. North Dakota alone is theoretically capable (if there were enough transmission capacity) of producing enough wind generated power to meet more than 25% of U.S. demand for electricity.

Top 10 States for Wind Energy Potential:
1. North Dakota
2. Texas
3. Kansas
4. South Dakota
5. Montana
6. Nebraska
7. Wyoming
8. Oklahoma
9. Minnesota
10. Iowa

What are the environmental benefits of wind power?
Wind turbines do not generate air or water emissions or produce hazardous waste. They do not deplete natural resources such as coal, oil or gas. They do not cause environmental damage through resource extraction and transportation, or require significant amounts of water during operation.

How does wind energy benefit the economy?
Wind farms can revitalize the economy of rural communities, providing steady income through lease or royalty payments to farmers and other landowners. Although leasing arrangements vary widely, a reasonable estimate for income to a landowner from a single utility-scale turbine is about $3,000 a year. For a 250-acre farm, with income from wind at about $55 an acre, the annual income from a wind lease could be $14,000, with no more than 2-3 acres removed from production. Such a sum can significantly increase the net income from farming. Farmers can grow crops or raise cattle next to the towers.
Wind farms may extend over a large geographical area, but their actual “footprint” covers only a very small portion of the land, making wind development an ideal way for farmers to earn additional income. In west Texas, for example, farmers are welcoming wind, as lease payments from this new clean energy source replace declining payments from oil wells that have been depleted. Farmers are not the only ones in rural communities to find that wind power can bring in income. In Spirit Lake, Iowa, the local school is earning savings and income from the electricity generated by a turbine. In Forest City, Iowa, a turbine erected as a school project is expected to save $1.6 million in electricity costs over its lifetime. Additional income is generated from one-time payments to construction contractors and suppliers during installation, and from payments to turbine maintenance personnel on a long-term basis. Wind farms also expand the local tax base and keep energy dollars in the local community, instead of spending them to pay for coal or gas that is produced elsewhere. Finally, wind also benefits the economy by reducing “hidden costs” resulting from air pollution and health care. Several studies have estimated that 50,000 Americans die prematurely each year because of air pollution.

What are America’s current sources of electricity?
The current average mix of energy sources supplying U.S. electricity includes: 49.7% coal, 19.3% nuclear, 3% oil, 18.7% natural gas, 7.5% large hydroelectric and 2.3% renewable energy sources. The prevalent form of renewable energy is biomass, with a small but growing share from wind energy

What are RECs?
Purchasing RECs is an effective way to green up electricity and avoid carbon dioxide emissions. RECs, also known as Green Tags, are tradable environmental commodities that represent proof that one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from wind and other renewable energy sources. Renewable power projects generate more than electricity.