Feb 28, 2008

Winds of Change Favor Wind Power

They're controversial in Cape Cod, a welcome sight in Seattle, and growing in number across the Unites States. What are they? Wind farms. And new ones are being built almost daily in response to skyrocketing energy costs and pollution concerns.

Opponents argue that the colossal size of wind turbines (about 250 feet tall) results in ugly vistas and dangerous flight paths for birds that can be taken down by the whirling blades. Supporters note the environmental benefits of wind power -- clean, emission-free and renewable energy. Companies that produce the wind-power technology, like Siemens, are admittedly enjoying the boom. So are the various ports that now receive shipments of wind-related energy equipment, most of which is built overseas. Farmers, whose land wind companies rent, say harvesting the wind above their fields is a bumper crop amidst agricultural uncertainties.

Currently, more than 30 states boast wind farms, and those installations provide enough energy to power around 2.5 million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Regardless of how wind farms are viewed, they are expected to play an increasingly important role in the coming years. In fact, the Department of Energy hopes the U.S. will obtain six percent of its electricity from wind by 2020.