← Back to “Energy” main page

Page Outline:

1. Basic Facts
2. Wind Turbine Basics
3. Enormous Potential
4. What Is Washington Doing?
5. Sources

Basic Facts

• Wind power is a renewable energy source that will never run out.¹
• Wind turbines can benefit rural farmers and ranchers who can rent small portions of their land for wind harvesting.²
• According to the Department of Energy, energy generated by the wind cost between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.³ In comparison, the current national average cost of residential electricity is 10.4 cents per kilowatt-hour.⁴
• At present, wind turbines have a greater setup cost than traditional fossil fuel generators.⁵
• A downside to wind energy is that it cannot be collected and stored for use at a later time.⁶
• When the wind does not blow, the wind turbines do not produce electricity.⁷
• Smaller wind turbines have the potential to kill birds that fly too close.⁸
• According to the Department of Energy, by “coupling wind turbines to hydrogen-generating electrolyzers” wind power can be used to generate low cost hyrdogen.⁹

Wind Turbine Basics

On the U.S. Department of Energy’s website, there are a plethora of PDF publications that detail the costs, benefits, and consumer practicality of wind power. Below is an animation which depicts how a wind turbine works.

Animation Source: “How Does A Wind Turbine Work?”[10. "How Does A Wind Turbine Work?." Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program. 14 Sept. 2005. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 26 June 2008.]

Watch This Animation To Learn How A Wind Turbine Works

Enormous Potential

On their Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program website, the US Department of Energy states, “Good wind areas, which cover 6% of the contiguous U.S. land area, have the potential to supply more than one and a half times the current electricity consumption of the United States”¹⁰ The two images below reveal which regions of the United States have the greatest potential to generate the most wind energy. The higher the number on the “power class” color scale is, the greater the energy potential is.

Wind Graph 1

Image Source: “Wind Energy Resource Potential”¹¹

Wind Graph 2

Image Source: “Wind Energy Resource Potential” ¹²

Wind To Hydrogen Project

Overview of WindPower 2008, the Largest National Wind Convention

What Is Washington Doing?

U.S. Dept. of Energy Finds that Wind Could Produce 20% of America’s Energy by 2030

According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Energy, the US is capable of generating up to 20% of its energy using wind turbines by the year 2030. The following are a few facts from the USDE’s report.¹³

• 7.6 cumulative gigatons of CO2 could be kept from being released into the atmosphere by 2030, “saving 825 million metric tons in 2030 and every year thereafter if wind energy achieves 20 percent of the nation’s electricity mix.”
• In 2007, the United States, “cumulative wind energy capacity reached 16,818 megawatts.” Over 5,000 of the total MW were installed in 2007 alone.
• “Wind contributed to more than 30 percent of the new U.S. generation capacity in 2007, making it the second largest source of new power generation in the nation — surpassed only by natural gas”
• “The U.S. wind energy industry invested approximately $9 billion in new generating capacity in 2007, and has experienced a 30 percent annual growth rate in the last 5 years”
• “Reaching 20 percent wind energy will require enhanced transmission infrastructure, streamlined siting and permitting regimes, improved reliability and operability of wind systems, and increased U.S. wind manufacturing capacity”

To read the full report click here.

Wind Energy Production Tax Credit

Created by Congress several years ago, “The credits are available for systems placed in service from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2016. The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the system, up to $500 for each half kilowatt of capacity with an overall maximum of $4,000″¹⁴

Included in the 2008 financial rescue/bailout plan are clauses which extend the wind energy tax credit for one additional year, to the end of 2009.¹⁵

← Back to “Energy” main page

Sources