Friday, July 17, 2009

WIND POWER



Harnessing the wind is one of the cleanest, most sustainable ways to generate electricity. Wind power produces no toxic emissions and none of the heat trapping emissions that contribute to global warming. This, and the fact that wind power is one of the most abundant and increasingly cost-competitive energy resources, makes it a viable alternative to the fossil fuels that harm our health and threaten the environment.
Wind energy is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world. Global installations in 2005 reached more than 11,500 megawatts (MW)–a 40.5 percent increase in annual additions compared with 2004–representing $14 billion in new investments. In the United States, a record 2,431 MW of wind power was installed in 2005, capable of producing enough electricity to power 650,000 typical homes. Despite this rapid growth, wind power is still a relatively small part of our electricity supply–generating less than one percent of both the and global electricity mix. But thanks to its many benefits, and significantly reduced costs, wind power is poised to play a major role as we move toward a sustainable energy future.Wind is a clean, renewable energy technology that is becoming increasingly popular with utility customers and policy makers. In response, utilities are developing new wind power plants consisting of many wind turbines. As additional wind power becomes available, more electricity customers are signing up to invest in clean, sustainable wind power. As concerns about global warming increase, utilities and their customers may support an even more prominent role for wind in meeting the nation's needs for new power generation. Many states are implementing policies such as renewable portfolio standards and net metering to hasten the development of their wind resources.

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