Advantages
There are many advantages to using the wind’s energy to create electricity.
Wind cannot be used up—it occurs naturally, whether we harness it for electricity or not.
Wind is a clean source of fuel. Turbines have no emissions and do not pollute the air. This is globally important as more countries industrialize and increase their demand for electricity for homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools. Many schools in the U.S. state of Iowa, for example, have installed wind turbines. Initial investments in the machinery and equipment have been offset by savings of more than $100,000 a year. The schools also emit millions fewer kilograms of carbon dioxide.
Wind energy is cheap! It is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy sources. In the U.S., it costs between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. That is cheaper than natural gas, although still more expensive than nuclear energy or coal.
Wind is generated all over the planet, and wind turbines can be installed economically almost everywhere. This makes it a key resource in developing economies. Nuclear energy, for instance, demands a workforce with substantial educational and engineering backgrounds, as well as an initial investment for nuclear power plants. Development of fossil fuel power plants relies on even more factors: the presence of coal, oil, or gas; the equipment and technology to refine it; and the finances to import or export the raw or refined goods. Nepal, for example, is a developing country with no fossil fuel resources, but it is rich in windy Himalayan mountain passes. Nepalese leaders are developing a policy to invest in wind farm projects using local materials. This would expand the nation’s power grid and allow for greater industrial development.