| Is wind turbine electricity the future of renewable | | | | implement wind generated electricity? |
| energy? Of course you have heard the buzz about | | | | The government, despite what both presidential |
| renewable energy resources. No matter where you | | | | candidates promised in the past elections, has not |
| stand on politics, left right or in the middle, the fact is | | | | made this a major priority. |
| we must move away from using fossil fuels to make | | | | On a commercial basis it takes a large amount of |
| our electricity. | | | | capital to set up wind farms. The banking crisis has |
| Currently, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, | | | | made borrowing money quite difficult as bankers just |
| 90 percent of 2008 energy production came from | | | | are not lending money at the rate they once did. |
| nonrenewable sources. Think about that. | | | | Another factor is the "not in my neighborhood" |
| Nonrenewable means it will run out at some point in | | | | syndrome. People complain about the high cost of |
| the future. As supply diminishes prices will go up, | | | | electricity, but when a solution is presented they often |
| perhaps way up. We must begin now to switch to | | | | complain about the solution. Witness the fuss the Cape |
| renewable power sources. With all of the talk | | | | Wind project has created. This proposed wind farm, to |
| surrounding wind energy you may wonder if it is a | | | | be built in Nantucket Sound, has met with vigorous |
| viable green energy solution or just hype. Lets take a | | | | opposition from the New England area. An area that |
| look at 3 reasons why wind turbine electricity is a | | | | pays well above the national average cost for their |
| major part of our energy future. | | | | electricity. |
| 1. Wind turbine electricity can be utilized in most areas | | | | So what can you do? Take matters into your own |
| of the country. Wind blows everywhere and every | | | | hands and install your own wind generation system. A |
| day. Most areas receive enough wind to economically | | | | commercially installed system capable of replacing the |
| generate electricity based on today's cost of | | | | electricity you now buy will run in the $8,000-15,000 |
| production. | | | | price range. If that seems high, consider building your |
| 2. Cost control into the future. As we burn through our | | | | wind turbine, which is the most expensive part of a |
| existing nonrenewable energy supplies the cost of | | | | wind power system. Due to advances in design and |
| those supplies will rise. This will make wind energy an | | | | technology you can purchase the parts necessary for |
| even greater bargain 20 to 30 years from now. An | | | | a few hundred dollars and just a few hours of |
| investment into wind turbine electricity today secures | | | | construction time. Do it yourself wind turbine electricity |
| tomorrows energy independence. | | | | is definitely a worthwhile investment. |
| 3. Wind turbine electricity is good for the environment | | | | If you go the route of building your own wind power |
| and our health. Wind generated electricity does not | | | | system, you must make sure you have clear, detailed |
| pollute the atmosphere like a coal fired electric | | | | plans. Be careful, much of what is available online has |
| generating plant. Nor does it have the risks, both | | | | been written by part time hobbyists and they leave out |
| operating and future storage of waste materials, that | | | | many crucial details. Search for plans written by folks |
| nuclear power plants do. | | | | that actually work in the wind power industry. |
| So whats the rub? Why are we not moving faster to | | | | |