Wind Power - Is this our future?

By Jerry C. Dyess, Jr.

There is no question that fossil fuels present many problems both to our environment and our economy. Every day new studies are being done to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of our alternative energy options. Wind power is one of these options. It is free and it is always available. In fact, we have already begun to generate some wind power. It is not yet clear how much this alternative energy source can meet our consumption needs.

Studies are being conducted by the US Department of Energy as they attempt to evaluate the situation. They report that in twenty years as much as 20% of our energy needs could be supplied by wind power. In fact, it has the potential to produce one fifth our electricity by the year 2030.

The Department of Energy has been looking into different possibilities of future energy production and their impact. One such possibility is wind energy having a huge impact by 2030 and another that there is no growth in wind energy. The studies show that wind energy has the ability to produce more than 20 percent of our energy needs by that time.

In order to generate 20 percent of our power from wind energy by the year 2030 the construction of new wind generation stations would have to pick up its pace. If you increase the rate of production to the point where in nine years we could produce 16,000 MW per year then we would then be able to reach the twenty percent mark by 2030.

The wind energy industry has the potential not only to decrease the cost of electricity but to generate new jobs and a new growth industry, something our economy could use in its recovery efforts. The growth potential needed to maintain the level of production thought to be possible would mean as many as 150,000 new jobs in the wind power industry. Adding in peripheral jobs created by the growth of this industry, such as electricians, steel workers, accountants, and lawyers, the new job number would reach a half million.

We all know that wind power is a great improvement over fossil fuels when it comes to our environment. Wind power will also make our country more energy self-sufficient. The more energy we can produce at home the less we need from foreign suppliers.

Another benefit is that wind power and wind generation does not have an impact on the surrounding environment. The stations will need to be located many places throughout the country, but the land that they used can be shared with other purposes, such as farming or grazing livestock. It does not damage the environment the way oil drilling and coal mining does.

Another advantage to wind power is that it does not consume any water. Our water supply is dwindling and it has been projected that by the year 2030 many states will be encountering regular water shortages. Wind power is a very good option for us. It does not use up our natural resources and it does not destroy the area where it is created.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Guides Complete