The wind is one of the cleanest sources of energy, and because it is a naturally generated resource, it is also the most abundant energy source on the planet today. Wind power is energy that is created through the conversion of wind into forms that are more practically useful, such as electricity. Wind energy is currently supplying as much as 1% of the world’s electricity use, however the power of wind energy could potentially supply as much as 20% of global electricity.
Wind energy is generated by converting wind currents into other forms of energy using wind turbines. Winds are generated by complex mechanisms involving the rotation of the Earth, the heat capacity of the sun, the cooling effect of the oceans and polar ice caps, temperature gradients between land and sea, and the physical effects of mountains and other obstacles.