Wind Farms in the United States

Wind energy is a 100% renewable resource that is increasingly popular in the United States. As the country looks for viable alternatives to traditional power sources wind farms are often the first choice. For every unit of energy generated by a wind turbine there is an equal amount of energy saved that would otherwise have been generated with the use of fossil fuels. When fewer fossil fuels are used greenhouse gasses and pollutants in the air are reduced.

Are these large groups of turbines as beneficial as they seem to be? Some environmental groups are skeptical.

Exactly What Is a Wind Farm?

A group of turbines meant to produce electricity for an area is called a wind farm. Wind farms can be any size from just a few turbines that produce energy for small towns to hundreds of acres of whirring machinery that produces enough energy for an entire region.

Land Use

The acreage used for these clean energy producers is not lost when turbines are built on it. The land can still be used for grazing livestock or growing crops. In fact many farmers and ranchers welcome the wind farms on their property. According to SECO a farmer can make from $3,000 to $5,000 per turbine per year in lease payments and still run cattle or plant crops on the same land.

This is good news for farmers, many of who have been struggling to hang on to property that has been in the family for over a century.

Some of the largest wind farms in the world are in the United States. They are often located around mountainous areas to take full advantage of the action of the ridges on the wind. As wind moves over a ridge it becomes faster and therefore generates more energy. Wind farms in the United States contributed 2.3 percent of the total energy used in homes and businesses nationwide.

37 out of the 50 states are using some wind power. Texas has the most installed capacity of any state and boasts the largest wind farm. In fact 25% of the energy in the state is generated by wind turbines.

Iowa comes in second followed by California, Minnesota and Illinois

Some of the Major Wind Farms in the US

The Buffalo Mountain Wind Energy Facility is located in Tennessee. Consisting of 18 turbines this wind farm has the ability to create enough power for nearly 4,000 homes.

The Roscoe Wind Farm in west Texas is currently Texas's largest wind farm with 627 turbines. It produces enough power for 60,000 homes.

Tehachapi Wind Farm in California boasts 5,000 wind turbines operated by at least a dozen private companies. The farm creates enough electricity to meet the needs of 350,000 residences yearly.

Buffalo Ridge Wind Farm in Minnesota is located on private farmland and is the biggest wind farm in Minnesota.

Companies are working on the development of large wind farms in the ocean. While none have been finished yet there are plans for offshore development of wind farms in the following areas:

• Massachusetts
• Rhode Island
• New Jersey

Offshore wind farms are believed to create even more jobs and generate more economic activity than the wind farms located onshore.Like rural farming areas, many coastal towns have experienced depressed growth and high unemployment because of the number of abandoned ports and shipyards.

Offshore farms solve some basic complaints that residents near onshore farms may have. The turbines can be noisy and may disturb local residents onshore but when built offshore there is no one around for miles. They don't interfere with the beauty of the landscape, either.

The average wind speed is higher over open water and therefore the offshore turbines produce more electricity at a more consistant rate.

There are both positive and negative aspects to wind farms and these are argued with passion by both sides.

Pros

• Clean energy source
• Little negative impact on the environment overall
• Does not pollute
• Does not lead to global warming/ the greenhouse effect
• According to the California Energy Commission energy can be produced for $.07 KWh or less.
• It does not require another source of fuel to create it.
• The farms can be located off shore in unusable areas
• The wind farms stimulate local economies
• The bases of offshore turbines act as artificial reefs, providing habitat for local fish and shellfish

Cons

• Turbines can disturb people who live nearby
• According to the American Wind Energy Association turbines that are located in common migratory paths will kill thousands of birds
• The beauty of the landscape is ruined
• Because of the noise and lack of aesthetic beauty many people believe that property values will drop significantly.
• The amount of energy produced may not be consistent because of the changes and unpredictability of the wind
• Daniel Kirk-Davidoff, a professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland, believes that the action of many turbines over a relatively small area will change the microclimates.
• Offshore wind farms may disturb recreational fishing and boating pursuits

The future of wind farms in America looks promising as the government creates tax credits, funding and other compensation to companies interested in developing wind farms. With research and improved technology the U.S. Department of Energy believes that wind energy could supply at least 20% of the country's electricity by 2030.

Wind farms may help to create a cleaner, more economically stable United States moving forward into the future.

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