The Whirling World of Alternative Energy
- Katrina Hoesly
- Mar 18, 2021
- 2 min read
The alternative energy industry is booming! The business of renewable power sources is rapidly spreading across the United States as this revolution continues to expand internationally. Across the world, we can see clean energy becoming integrated into daily life. For example, in The Netherlands, electric trains are now 100% powered by wind energy. In most places, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. These examples are just a taste of what’s to come in the future.
We can see alternative energy in many forms, such as solar power, hydropower, and wind power. Here in Wisconsin, we are home to 10 wind projects that generate electricity for utility use. Combined these projects include 437 wind turbines!
Speaking of Wisconsin wind projects, I have fond memories of driving through southwest Wisconsin with my family. While driving through the small town of Monfort, you can see a row of wind turbines on the horizon. When I was younger, I tried to count how many turbines were lined in a row, but I could never reach the same number. While I counted the wind turbines, I had no idea what their purpose was, I simply thought they were life-size pinwheels, not up and coming renewable power sources.
Wind power is enjoying strong growth as a renewable energy source, and its capacity will increase in the coming years as large-scale wind farms come online. In the last decade, the United States has seen a 15% annual increase in wind power capacity, making it the largest renewable energy source in the country.
All in all, alternative energy, in whatever form, is pretty cool. To put into perspective how awesome green energy is, below are five fun facts about wind energy.
1. Wind energy provides more than 10% of total electricity generation in 14 states, and more than 30% in Kansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma!
2. The United States’ wind power capacity was 105.591 megawatts at the end of 2019, making it the largest renewable energy source in the United States! That’s enough electricity to offset the consumption of 29.5 million average American homes.
3. Wind energy is affordable. Wind prices for power contracts signed in the last few years and the price the utility pays to buy power from a wind farm are only 2–4 cents per kilowatt-hour!
4. Today’s wind turbines are much more complicated machines than the traditional prairie windmill. A wind turbine has as many as 8,000 different components to ensure its efficiency!
5. Wind power has been used for thousands of years. Early forms of windmills used the wind to crush grain or pump water. Now, modern wind turbines use the wind to create electricity.
The future depends on us. In order to form a sustainable future, we need to focus on what we can do now. For more resources, check out the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. link Below!
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