| Man has long used the power of the wind to | | | | keep the electricity bills for every home and |
| propel ships, pump water, and power gristmills for | | | | business in town at the current level for 25 years. |
| grinding grains. Now this abundant and free natural | | | | The local landowners who lease the land the |
| energy is being put to another use, producing | | | | windmills are located on are happy for more than |
| electricity. | | | | just the reduction in their power bills. Land owners |
| Green energy from the sun and wind are free, | | | | are paid anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a year |
| renewable energy sources that are being explored | | | | for the half acre of property surrounding each |
| as alternative energy sources all over the world. | | | | turbine. That is more than they could earn |
| But one small town in the United States actually | | | | growing soybeans or corn. |
| runs entirely off of wind power. | | | | The uncertainty of energy prices has more |
| Rural Rock Port, Missouri uses 4 wind turbines to | | | | people across the world becoming more involved |
| produce all of the city's electrical power. The | | | | in using solar and wind power to produce |
| turbines now power every computer, every | | | | electricity. In the future we will have no other |
| appliance and every light in town, even the only | | | | option but to make better use of our natural |
| traffic light on Main Street, making this city of | | | | energy resources. The advantages of using |
| 1,300 the first and only in the nation to run | | | | natural energy as a means of producing clean and |
| completely on wind power. | | | | renewable energy can no longer afford to be |
| The wind turbines are projected to produce 16 | | | | ignored. |
| million kilowatt hours of electricity every year, | | | | Many homeowners are discovering that building a |
| which is actually 3 million kilowatt hours more than | | | | home windmill is an excellent way to reduce their |
| the city expects to need. | | | | energy costs. Clean efficient energy from the |
| The company that contracted with the city to | | | | wind is being used in more homes every year in |
| build and install the turbines expect that the | | | | an effort to lower electricity costs and reduce |
| electrical output they provide will be enough to | | | | dependence on the utility companies. |