| Wind energy is a viable source of electricity generation | | | | Boone Pickens efforts to build a giant wind-harvesting |
| in a time of soaring demand and environmental | | | | farm in western Texas in 2009. Still, the industry does |
| sensitivity. | | | | require subsidies to help make its productive |
| But limitations on capital, distance from production to | | | | competitive in the marketplace and consumers have |
| use sites and other factors all act to limit its growth. | | | | to pay a bit extra to buy renewable energy (like wind) |
| Drive across the Plains states, especially Iowa and | | | | than they pay for conventionally-produced electricity. |
| Minnesota and you may just be amazed at how many | | | | Another problem (and one that will become even |
| windmills you see. The same holds true for portions of | | | | more significant as wind farm technology is driven to |
| southern California (e.g., Palm Springs and the | | | | offshore locations) is transmission from production site |
| Tehachapi Mountain passes) | | | | to use site. Often built in more remote locales (due to |
| Environmental Factors | | | | wind availability), the cost of building transmission lines |
| These are not the small individual windmills that typify | | | | (and factoring in energy loss for longer distance |
| many western style scenes, but rather enormous wind | | | | transportation) has to be considered. |
| turbines that soar hundreds of feet above fruited plains | | | | Is It Really "Green" |
| or dot the tops of ridges or small hills. And it is the | | | | Even with its "greenness" and ability to offset |
| collective output of these wind turbines that is finally | | | | demands for imported fossils fuels, wind turbines are |
| starting to make a dent in the U.S. energy mix. | | | | viewed by some as unsightly and by others are |
| Nonetheless, when compared to king petroleum, natural | | | | harming wild bird populations. Wind is also not a |
| gas and coal (40%, 23% and 22%, respectively), wind | | | | constant. In some places it blows more reliably, but in |
| energy is still at the 0.35% level. But its production is | | | | others, it is more seasonal. Fortunately, this often |
| growing rapidly, more than doubling between 2007 and | | | | works in our favor. |
| 2008. | | | | In the deserts of Southern California, wind speeds are |
| In other parts of the world, especially parts of western | | | | higher in summer, when air conditioning needs are |
| and northern Europe, energy from the wind far | | | | greatest. In the Pacific Northwest, winter is windier, |
| outpaces the percentage of the energy mix in the U.S. | | | | when heating needs are greater. Nonetheless, experts |
| This form of energy comes from the unequal heating | | | | agree that within the U.S. and around the world this |
| of the earth's surface; creation and movement of | | | | natural source of power will be a force to be |
| atmospheric high and low pressure systems; and other | | | | reckoned with. There are simply too many places that |
| parts of weather all driven by the Sun. This means | | | | have reliable wind speeds and too many people that |
| that other than the harvesting and transmission | | | | need electricity for this not to happen. |
| aspects, the energy itself is currently and will continue | | | | So, the next time you drive the nation's highways, keep |
| to be free. | | | | an eye to the farm area or ridge line nearby. You may |
| Fiscal Factors | | | | just see scores of white propeller blades atop large |
| Wind energy would grow even more rapidly if it didn't | | | | poles just waiting to capture the wind that passes by |
| have some significant hurdles to overcome. First there | | | | or spinning madly as they power for you and your |
| is the fiscal piece. And it was financing that nixed T. | | | | neighbors. |