Learn About Wind Energy

Wind power is renewable energy. As portions of the earth are heated by the sun, air rushes to fill the low pressure areas, creating wind power. Wind can be slowed dramatically by friction as it brushes the ground and vegetation. Often, it may not feel very windy at ground level, but at the height of a 40-story building (the height of the blade tip on a large, modern wind turbine) wind-speeds can be 5 to 7 times greater. Wind is often accelerated by major land forms such as mountains with the result being entire areas of the country may be very windy while other areas are relatively calm. For unknown reasons, America’s founders tended to build our cities and towns where the wind doesn’t blow strongly and consequently the vast majority of Americans don’t live in windy areas. Today, wind power is predominantly a rural phenomenon, with electricity generated by wind turbines sent over the nation’s electrical grid to homes and businesses in urban centers.