Wind Energy

What Is Wind Energy?

Wind energy has been harnessed as power for more than 4,000 years. Today a high-tech industry, wind energy has become the fastest growing energy source in the world. Using state-of-the-art wind turbine technology to power homes and businesses, wind is becoming an increasingly cost-effective source of clean energy.

The U. S. has the wind energy potential to power more than 20 percent of the nation by 2020. Currently, 6,374 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity, or less than one percent of the nation’s electrical generation mix, is available.
Modern turbines are about 350 feet tall, about as tall as a giant Redwood, from base to the blade tip and are usually located on farmland or ridgelines where wind speeds average 15 to 18 miles per hour. Each turbine produces approximately 4 million kWh of electricity per year, enough electricity to power 600 average homes.
While wind energy prices have dropped considerably in the last 20 years due to increased customer demand and improvements in technology, wind energy still costs more to produce today than conventional energy. The additional cost represents the difference between the lower cost of conventionally generated electricity and the higher cost of wind generated electricity.

How It Works

Imagine the electric grid is a giant bathtub being filled with electricity from many different faucets. Each faucet is a different generation source, like nuclear, coal, and wind. Every time you turn on a light switch, you drain a little electricity from the tub. 
Although buying wind does not mean that electricity is being delivered straight from the windmill to our business, it does mean that more of the electricity being put into the grid comes from wind, rather than other generation sources. By purchasing wind energy, we are reducing the need to generate electricity from other sources.
The wind energy we support is delivered directly into the electric grid, reducing the need for energy from fossil fuel sources like oil and coal. As more customers sign up, more wind farms will be built.

The Benefits Of Wind Energy

Wind energy is a pure, endless and homegrown resource, and there are many environmental, public health, and economic benefits to purchasing clean energy:

• Clean energy is completely pollution-free and creates electricity with no combustion, no smoke, and no waste.
• Poor air quality, regional haze, smog, acid rain, nuclear waste disposal, and global warming are the well-documented side effects of traditional fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. Health risks attributed to fossil fuel power plants include respiratory and pulmonary problems. Coal-fired power plants contribute to ground-level ozone or smog, and generate fine particulates that can be linked to premature deaths from heart and lung disease, including cancer.
• Building and maintaining wind farms creates jobs and revenue for landowners and local communities.

Interested In Learning More?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_energy
www.njwind.com
http://www.awea.org/faq/
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/