Wind Power Electricity – A Viable Alternative To Fossil Fuels?
Wind power electricity is not a new phenomenon. Wind farms have been generating power for public utility companies for nearly three decades. It isn’t until recently, with worldwide economic collapse and a new realization of the finite nature of fossil fuels, that governments world wide are paying closer attention to this energy source.
On shore wind farms already exist around the world in small numbers. The largest of these is in Texas. These wind farms contain 420 wind turbines that enough electricity to power 200,000 homes each year. Energy from the farms is fed into the public grid and sold to the government and power companies at prenegotiated prices. The key to energy independence is incorporating multiple approaches to supplying energy. It is infinitely important to include solar in the alternative energy plan.
The move towards wind powered electricity has been in the works for some time. Australia currently has 42 wind farms. The largest of the 42 produces over 230 MW of energy annually. European nations and those in the United Kingdom are making marked efforts to move toward energy independence through wind. Other countries investing in the new technology are the Philippines, Morocco and Brazil.
The major difference with wind power and gas or coal based power is in the funding and operation of the initiatives. Most wind farms are privately owned by entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. While the wind farm owners receive tax breaks for producing clean energy, the money generally has to come from a private source for start up and maintenance costs.
A sizable amount of the world’s energy can come from wind power electricity. Energy production has been focused on oil for obvious economical and political purposes. With the world in a recession, combining wind energy with other alternative sources is going to save money, the planet and create jobs.
Many are making energy production personal with the use of small wind turbines. Rebates, tax credits and low interest government loans are available in the United States to aid small wind turbine projects. Participants of these projects have been farms, hotels, homes and schools.
The power of wind energy has to be viewed on a micro and macro scale. It is easy to assume that a few massive wind farms would generate all of our electricity, however; that is not at all where the success of wind farms lie. Many smaller organizations are installing wind turbines and generating enough energy to cover their energy needs and selling the excess energy back to the power companies.
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