WIND POWER: A Clean, Efficient, Sustainable Alternative

Our current president, although not the most reliable person when speaking in environmentally friendly terms, has stated that wind power can provide as much as 20% of the required electrity to our nation. The fact that this statement was even made signifies that wind energy technologies are at least being explored by the government and we can hope that the powers that be will accelerate the industries development.

Unfortunately, due to the shear density of urban areas, wind power is not feasible for meeting electrical needs but harnessing the wind can be especially beneficial in rural areas that are often far from the urban locations where their power is produced. If the price of turbines continues to drop and interest continues to increase they may become the most efficient way of powering rural areas, especially in the U.S. central planes where wind can be easily harvested. I think expanding suburban areas should also take more interest in the matter and plan ahead for their growing energy needs, establishing turbine farms on the still untouched farmlands outside their current city limits.

Amongst the most beneficial aspects of wind power are that it's turbines, one installed, produce no pollution or greenhouse gasses and use no natural resources. According to the American Wind Energy Association, more than 2400 megawatts of wind generation was installed in 2005 alone, enough to power 650,000 homes. There is no reason for this pace of installation to slow if people are educated of its benefits.

All in all, wind power seems to be of the most promising alternatives to nuclear power, burning coal and consuming massive quantities of oil in order to meet our nations electrical needs. Whereas the silicon in solar panels must be grown and can at times have a shortage in availability and hydroelectric power requires the water from our rivers, many of which are being sucked dry by overdevelopment, wind power requires the only wind, a resource I do not see us having a shortage of anytime soon. Finally, some might argue otherwise, but I believe wind farms are very attractive and in no way spoil the natural beauty of mountaintop ridges or the open plains and in some areas serve to make the landscape even more aesthetically pleasing.