Wind power is the fastest growing energy resource in the world. Good wind areas, found on 6% of the land in the Western states, could supply more than five times the region’s current electricity consumption.

62. Wind power also indirectly taps Earth's solar energy flux, which causes differences in atmospheric temperatures and pressures that drive winds. Wind turbines directly harness wind power and convert it to electricity. Today wind power generates less than 0.5 percent of the world's electricity supply, but it is growing rapidly and has several times the growth potential of hydropower. The best locations for wind farms thus are areas with consistently high winds where large turbines can be situated. Turbines can be located both on land and in shallow waters offshore.

The Tehachapi Wind Farm, with around 5,000 wind turbines, is the second largest collection of wind generators in California.

Wind Farm in the Ocean

This shows what wind turbines would look like at varying distances from the shore. Wind farms in the oceans do not have to disturb the view.

63. Advances in wind turbine technology, such as larger and more durable towers, are making wind power more efficient and economically competitive relative to fossil-fuel-fired and nuclear- generated electricity. Denmark generates 20 percent of its electricity from wind and is a major supplier of wind turbines around the world

Denmark gets about 20% of its total electrical power from wind.

Researchers found that staggering, instead of aligning, rows of wind turbines have improved performance. Aerial picture of Horns Rev offshore wind farm in Denmark

64. Wind turbines generate electricity without producing air pollutants or greenhouse gases. Concerns about the environmental impacts of wind energy center on finding appropriate sites for wind farms. What are some arguments critics have with wind towers? argue that wind towers mar natural settings, such as ridge lines and coastal areas, argue that wind towers mar natural settings, such as ridge lines and coastal areas, others worry that turbines blades will kill large numbers of birds and bats. others worry that turbines blades will kill large numbers of birds and bats.

The gearbox converts the turning speed of the blades to 15 to 20 rotations per minute.

Transporting turbine components to site is an art in itself, requiring specialist skills, vehicles and careful route planning.

And sometimes things just go wrong.

Wind Turbine in Scotland Bursts Into Flames During Hurricane Force Winds (Dec 2011)