Wind Energy - USA

As oil prices continue to explode, alternative energy isUS Department of Energy has a goal of obtaining 6
getting a close look in the United States. Here is apercent of the country's electricity needs from wind
guide to wind energy in the USA.energy by the year 2020, which is a fair goal judging
Wind Energy - USAby the current rate of growth seen in the wind
One of the world's fastest growing types ofenergy industry. California is the state in the US that
renewable energy sources is wind energy. While mostproduces the most wind energy, with 2,096 MW of
of the Earth is still reliant on different types of fossilwind generating capacity per year.
fuels (such as oil, natural gas and coal) for theirAs one MW is enough energy to supply energy to
energy supply, many countries are trying to come up240 to 300 average US homes, the amount of wind
with alternative methods of obtaining energy. Muchenergy USA currently produces is enough to energy
of Europe has begun to build and use wind farms,500,000 to 620,000 homes per year. The United
which are groupings of wind turbines that harness theStates is currently ranked as the third highest wind
energy of the wind in order to create energy andenergy producing country in the world, behind
electricity. Also involved in using wind energy, USAGermany and Spain. The business of wind energy in
has started to build their own wind farms.the US is also monetarily significant - it costs about
Wind turbines are the individual components of wind$1,000 per kilowatt (KW) of installed wind energy
farms, and they are machinery composed of severalcapacity. When multiplied by the US's capacity of
main parts. The first part is the rotor, also known as6,740 KW, this makes wind energy a $7 billion
the blades or the propeller, and this is the part of theindustry.
turbine that actually collects the wind energy andWind energy is a growing energy source in the
converts it into drive energy, which then turns aUnited States for many reasons. Wind energy is
shaft. This shaft actually creates the energy that iscleaner, cheaper and more renewable than many of
then stored or converted into electricity. Wind farmsthe current sources of energy used in this country.
are groupings of many of these turbines, usually 10Additionally, the capacity for expansion of wind farms
or more.and ways to harness wind energy means that as the
The wind energy USA had capacity for in the yearUS's energy needs grow, there will continue to be
2004 was 6,740 MW, with a prediction that the windenough energy to provide for all of our energy
energy capabilities of the United States will beneeds.
increased by 5,000 MW in the next five years. The