wind energy information in essay

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Wind energy.

Scientists and engineers are using energy from the wind to generate electricity. Wind energy, or wind power, is created using a wind turbine.

Earth Science, Climatology

As renewable energy technology continues to advance and grow in popularity, wind farms like this one have become an increasingly common sight along hills, fields, or even offshore in the ocean.

Photograph by inga spence / Alamy Stock Photo

Anything that moves has kinetic energy , and scientists and engineers are using the wind’s kinetic energy to generate electricity. Wind energy , or wind power , is created using a wind turbine , a device that channels the power of the wind to generate electricity.

The wind blows the blades of the turbine , which are attached to a rotor. The rotor then spins a generator to create electricity. There are two types of wind turbines : the horizontal - axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical - axis wind turbines (VAWTs). HAWTs are the most common type of wind turbine . They usually have two or three long, thin blades that look like an airplane propeller. The blades are positioned so that they face directly into the wind. VAWTs have shorter, wider curved blades that resemble the beaters used in an electric mixer.

Small, individual wind turbines can produce 100 kilowatts of power, enough to power a home. Small wind turbines are also used for places like water pumping stations. Slightly larger wind turbines sit on towers that are as tall as 80 meters (260 feet) and have rotor blades that extend approximately 40 meters (130 feet) long. These turbines can generate 1.8 megawatts of power. Even larger wind turbines can be found perched on towers that stand 240 meters (787 feet) tall have rotor blades more than 162 meters (531 feet) long. These large turbines can generate anywhere from 4.8 to 9.5 megawatts of power.

Once the electricity is generated, it can be used, connected to the electrical grid, or stored for future use. The United States Department of Energy is working with the National Laboratories to develop and improve technologies, such as batteries and pumped-storage hydropower so that they can be used to store excess wind energy. Companies like General Electric install batteries along with their wind turbines so that as the electricity is generated from wind energy, it can be stored right away.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are 57,000 wind turbines in the United States, both on land and offshore. Wind turbines can be standalone structures, or they can be clustered together in what is known as a wind farm . While one turbine can generate enough electricity to support the energy needs of a single home, a wind farm can generate far more electricity, enough to power thousands of homes. Wind farms are usually located on top of a mountain or in an otherwise windy place in order to take advantage of natural winds.

The largest offshore wind farm in the world is called the Walney Extension. This wind farm is located in the Irish Sea approximately 19 kilometers (11 miles) west of the northwest coast of England. The Walney Extension covers a massive area of 149 square kilometers (56 square miles), which makes the wind farm bigger than the city of San Francisco, California, or the island of Manhattan in New York. The grid of 87 wind turbines stands 195 meters (640 feet) tall, making these offshore wind turbines some of the largest wind turbines in the world. The Walney Extension has the potential to generate 659 megawatts of power, which is enough to supply 600,000 homes in the United Kingdom with electricity.

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Related Resources

What Is the Future of Wind Energy?

This article was reviewed by a member of Caltech's Faculty .

Humans have used windmills to capture the force of the wind as mechanical energy for more than 1,300 years . Unlike early windmills, however, modern wind turbines use generators and other components to convert energy from the spinning blades into a smooth flow of AC electricity.

In the video below, Resnick Sustainability Institute researcher John Dabiri discusses the future of wind energy technology.

How much of global electricity demand is met by wind energy?

Wind energy is a small but fast-growing fraction of electricity production. It accounts for 5 percent of global electricity production and 8 percent of the U.S. electricity supply.

Globally, wind energy capacity surpasses 743 gigawatts , which is more than is available from grid-connected solar energy and about half as much as hydropower can provide. Nearly three-quarters of that 651 gigawatts comes from wind farms in five countries: China, the U.S., Germany, India, and Spain. Wind energy capacity in the Americas has tripled over the past decade.

In the U.S., wind is now a dominant renewable energy source , with enough wind turbines to generate more than 100 million watts, or megawatts, of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of about 29 million average homes.

The cost of wind energy has plummeted over the past decade. In the U.S., it is cost-competitive with natural gas and solar power.

Wind energy and solar energy complement each other, because wind is often strongest after the sun has heated the ground for a time. Warm air rises from the most heated areas, leaving a void where other air can rush in, which produces horizontal wind currents . We can draw on solar energy during the earlier parts of the day and turn to wind energy in the evening and night. Wind energy has added value in areas that are too cloudy or dark for strong solar energy production, especially at higher latitudes.

How big are wind turbines and how much electricity can they generate?

Typical utility-scale land-based wind turbines are about 250 feet tall and have an average capacity of 2.55 megawatts, each producing enough electricity for hundreds of homes. While land-based wind farms may be remote, most are easy to access and connect to existing power grids.

Smaller turbines, often used in distributed systems that generate power for local use rather than for sale, average about 100 feet tall and produce between 5 and 100 kilowatts.

One type of offshore wind turbine currently in development stands 853 feet tall, four-fifths the height of the Eiffel Tower, and can produce 13 megawatts of power. Adjusted for variations in wind, that is enough to consistently power thousands of homes. While tall offshore turbines lack some of the advantages of land-based wind farms, use of them is burgeoning because they can capture the energy of powerful, reliable winds high in the air near coastlines, where most of the largest cities in the world are located.

What are some potential future wind technologies other than turbines?

Engineers are in the early stages of creating airborne wind turbines , in which the components are either floated by a gas like helium or use their own aerodynamics to stay high in the air, where wind is stronger. These systems are being considered for offshore use, where it is expensive and difficult to install conventional wind turbines on tall towers.

Trees, which can withstand gale forces and yet move in response to breezes from any direction, also are inspiring new ideas for wind energy technology. Engineers speculate about making artificial wind-harvesting trees . That would require new materials and devices that could convert energy from a tree's complex movements into the steady rotation that traditional generators need. The prize is wind energy harvested closer to the ground with smaller, less obtrusive technologies and in places with complex airflows, such as cities.

What are the challenges of using wind energy?

Extreme winds challenge turbine designers. Engineers have to create systems that will start generating energy at relatively low wind speeds and also can survive extremely strong winds. A strong gale contains 1,000 times more power than a light breeze, and engineers don't yet know how to design electrical generators or turbine blades that can efficiently capture such a broad range of input wind power. To be safe, turbines may be overbuilt to withstand winds they will not experience at many sites, driving up costs and material use. One potential solution is the use of long-term weather forecasting and AI to better predict the wind resources at individual locations and inform designs for turbines that suit those sites.

Climate change will bring more incidents of unusual weather, including potential changes in wind patterns . Wind farms may help mitigate some of the harmful effects of climate change. For example, turbines in cold regions are routinely winterized to keep working in icy weather when other systems may fail, and studies have demonstrated that offshore wind farms may reduce the damage caused by hurricanes . A more challenging situation will arise if wind patterns shift significantly. The financing for wind energy projects depends critically on the ability to predict wind resources at specific sites decades into the future. One potential way to mitigate unexpected, climate-change-related losses or gains of wind is to flexibly add and remove groups of smaller turbines, such as vertical-axis wind turbines , within existing large-scale wind farms.

Wind farms do have environmental impacts . The most well-known is harm to wildlife, including birds and bats . Studies are informing wind farm siting and management practices that minimize harm to wildlife , and Audubon, a bird conservation group, now supports well-planned wind farms. The construction and maintenance of wind farms involves energy-intensive activities such as trucking, road-building, concrete production, and steel construction. Also, while towers can be recycled, turbine blades are not easily recyclable. In hopes of developing low-to-zero-waste wind farms, scientists aim to design new reuse and disposal strategies , and recyclable plastic turbine blades. Studies show that wind energy's carbon footprint is quickly offset by the electricity it generates and is among the lowest of any energy source .

Dive Deeper

Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States

Caltech Energy 10 to Develop the Roadmap for 50% Reduction in Emissions by 2030

Tweaking Turbine Angles Squeezes More Power Out of Wind Farms

New to Climate Change?

Wind energy.

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy , typically powered by the movement of wind across enormous fan-shaped structures called wind turbines. Once built, these turbines create no climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions , making this a “carbon-free” energy source that can provide electricity without making climate change worse. Wind energy is the third-largest source of carbon-free electricity in the world (after hydropower and nuclear ) 1 and the second-fastest-growing (after solar ). 2

Cheap, clean energy

The major reason for wind energy’s success is that it’s cheap. In fact, the International Energy Agency estimates that an onshore wind farm built today will make electricity at a lower average cost than any other form of new-built energy. 3   We can thank recent advances in wind turbine technology, and economies of scale from its rapid growth, for this ultra-cheap energy. 4 Wind turbines aren’t “pushed” like sails catching the wind: they actually work more like airplane wings, with blades shaped so that wind flows unequally fast above and below them. This creates an area of high pressure on one side and low pressure on the other, which “lifts” the blades toward the low-pressure area and makes them turn, powering a generator that makes electricity.   Over the past 40 years, turbine blades have become longer and lighter, letting them turn faster with less wind. Modern turbines also pivot automatically to catch the wind at the best angle. These and other advances have led the price of wind energy to fall almost 95% since 1980. 5   Wind energy is also remarkably clean, even compared to other types of carbon-free energy like solar and hydropower. Building new wind turbines does create some greenhouse gas emissions—from making the steel for their towers and fiberglass for their blades, and mining the rarer minerals sometimes used in their generators. But even factoring that in, a wind turbine creates only around a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions of a solar panel for every kilowatt of electricity, and only a little over 1% the greenhouse gas emissions of a coal-fired power plant. 6   And future innovations could make wind energy even cheaper and cleaner. Researchers are experimenting with new materials and construction techniques, as well as designs very different from the familiar “horizontal axis turbine” with its three blades rotating like a pinwheel. “Vertical axis turbines” spin instead like a carousel, while “airborne wind energy” looks more like a kite or plane tethered to a generator on the ground­.

Wind power in the larger energy system

Wind energy is “variable”: how much electricity it produces depends on how much wind is blowing. In any energy system that relies partly on wind, other energy sources have to be ramped up when winds are low. Energy storage (saving some energy for later when wind turbines are over-producing) and long-distance transmission (moving electricity from places with lots of wind to places with lots of demand) can help the energy system rely more heavily on wind power around the clock.   Wind energy also needs wide stretches of open space. The average wind turbine in the U.S. is around 300 feet tall, and its blades span a circle over 400 feet wide—longer than a football field. 7 These turbines are spaced far apart, sometimes by half a mile or more, so they won’t compete for wind. If you include the entire area of a wind farm in its land footprint, wind farms can take up tens of thousands of acres and make less electricity per acre than any other energy source except bioenergy . 8   However, if you only include the land directly affected by the footprint of each turbine, wind power consumes much less land. Wind energy is unique in how easily it can share land with other uses. In the U.S., around 90% of wind turbines are built on cropland or rangeland for grazing animals, most of it actively used. 9 In this sense, wind energy “takes up” hardly any land at all.   Wind turbines can also be built offshore, sharing space with fishing and shipping. Offshore wind is more expensive than onshore wind, but it takes advantage of stronger, more consistent wind to provide reliable electricity, and is less visible to people living nearby. 10 For built-up coastal regions like the northeastern U.S., where energy demand is high and open land is scarce, offshore wind may be the best way to make clean, renewable energy at a large scale.

Published May 22, 2023.

1 International Energy Agency: Electricity . (Updated February 16, 2023.)

2 International Energy Agency: Renewables 2021: Executive Summary .

3 International Energy Agency: Projected Costs of Generating Electricity 2020 .

4 Wiser, Ryan, et al . " Expert elicitation survey predicts 37% to 49% declines in wind energy costs by 2050 ." Nature Energy 6, 2021, doi:10.1038/s41560-021-00810-z.

5 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: " U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office—Lasting Impressions ." January 2021.

6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ." Annex III: Technology-Specific Cost and Performance Parameters . 2014.

7 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: " Wind Turbines: The Bigger, the Better ." August 16, 2022.

8 Lovering, Jessica, et al. " Land-use intensity of electricity production and tomorrow's energy landscape ." PLoS One 17(7), July 2022, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270155.

9 U.S. Department of Agriculture: " Wind Energy Land Distribution in the United States of America ." July 2017.

10 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Renewable Energy on the Outer Continental Shelf . Accessed May 22, 2023.

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Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources Essay

Introduction, energy and climate change, renewable and free source, diminishing resources.

The development of any economy heavily depends on energy supply. However, it creates problems due to the impact of energy production on climate change (Lucian, n.d.). Wind is an essential source of sustainable energy and it does not emit pollutants.

Most governments are aware of the impact of global climate changes on humans, animals, vegetation and the environment. Thus, they have opted to support renewable energy. In fact, frameworks to support the initiative have been developed in different locations. These frameworks require commitment by governments and all other stakeholders.

Wind energy is one of the various forms of sustainable energy sources. It affords security and sustainability at the local, national and regional consumer energy market. When a country taps wind energy, the dependency on foreign fossil fuels including coal and natural gases is significantly reduced.

Increase in fuel prices and other unforeseen sources of disruptions in supply of fossil fuel minimally impact on national economy (Gipe, 1993). This essay explores wind energy to identify various aspects of this energy source. These aspects include the advantages, disadvantages and the general view of energy from academic and professional perspectives.

The power of wind can be converted into electrical and mechanical energy. It can be used to pump water when the correct combination of equipment is used, propel ships or generate electricity for use in homes and industries. Big wind farms comprise of many wind turbines. The turbines are then linked to the transmission network. The energy produced here is sufficient to run a big manufacturing plant. However, smaller turbines can produce sufficient electricity for domestic use (Archer & Jacobson, 2007).

The earliest use of wind energy was in Persia where it was used to power a machine. The windmill would be used for pumping sea water for making salt. They were also useful in grinding cereals. In the United States, water-pumping windmill permitted animal farming and irrigation in areas where water was not freely available. Other conventional sources are destructive to the environment. Additionally, these sources are decreasing and will be exhausted over years.

As a renewable energy resource, wind power guarantees the human race a stable source of electricity for centuries. In consideration that most conventional resources will be exhausted over time, it is essential for humankind to develop technology that enables maximum utilization of this inexhaustible resource.

Fossil fuel resources such as gas and coal will at some point be exhausted no matter how many generations it will take. In fact, before the discovery of storing electrical energy in cells, wind energy was used for thousands of years to steer sailboats and sail ships. Modernly, with technological application wind energy can still be used to drive large ships. Turbines can be fixed atop the ship and the same concept used in wind farms applied to produce electricity in the ship (Fthenakis & Kim, 2009).

Contemporarily, there are more than 155,000 wind turbines erected globally in more than 95 countries. The renewable source of energy presents the opportunity to conserve the ecosystem while preserving conventional energies for technologies that must use these conventional energies.

The power of fast moving air creates a form of viable energy. Naturally, the sun does not heat the earth surface equally. The equator tends to receive more heat energy than the poles due to the proximity to the sun. Similarly, dry earth surfaces absorb and release sun heat faster than water bodies and vegetated areas (Niciporuc, 2012). The differences in temperatures lead to the flow of air from cold areas to fill warm or hot areas.

The moving air can be tapped to rotate turbines proficient in the generation of electricity. The most apt locations for erecting turbines for tapping wind are the high altitude areas that are open including surroundings that are devoid of buildings or trees. Areas close to large water bodies are also appropriate as wind usually blows with more force.

Most of the traditional sources of energy pollute the environment contributing to global climate change. In contrast to these sources particularly fossil fuel energies, wind energy does not emit toxic wastes. It does not account for even the smallest amount of pollutants and carbon dioxide emissions. That is, it is friendly to the ecosystem. Other conventional energies emit substantial amounts of carbon dioxides that have far-reaching negative impacts on the ecosystem.

Wind energy is renewable and practically inexhaustible. All renewable energies will be in existence so long as the sun shines. Scientists project this to about five billion years. Besides, if this is to happen then the earth will be dilapidated long before that time. In addition, this source of energy is virtually free of charge. T

he only costs to be met in producing wind energy is the cost of equipment for harnessing wind, wind turbines for converting the energy and photovoltaic panels for storing energy. Contemporary technologies are making the production cost of wind energy cheaper. The advantage is effectively passed to the consumer. The plants once established present employment opportunities to the community.

Moreover, individuals’ lifestyle is improved and national economy is boosted. The cost of wind energy compared to conventional energies is comparatively stable. This owes to the fact that wind energy does not involve the increasingly fluctuating cost of fuel. Most oil and gas-fired power generation plants encounter huge operating costs.

The space required for the construction of facilities used for the production of conventional energies is huge compared to that required for establishing a wind energy production plant. Despite the fact that wind farms occupy big chunks of land, the turbine towers only take a small space which in most cases entails a few meters for the base. Considerable space is left for utilization in other methods around the turbines. The area can be used for cultivation or animal farming (Alina-Florentina, 2012).

Despite the many advantages of wind energy with regard to costs and prevention of climate change, there are several drawbacks that create inconveniences. One hindrance is the fluctuating speed of wind. In fact, the speed of wind is determined by a number of factors including the intensity of sun. This means that there may be limited supply of wind energy when the speed of wind is low which may impact on the activities in the manufacturing plants and lighting in homes.

In addition, there are few suitable locations where huge turbines can be erected to produce electricity sufficient to run a national economy. Ecologically, wind energy production plants can be destructive to the ecological system. Typically, the blades that harness wind have sharp edges. These edges are lethal for birds and bats during migration. Migratory birds may find their trajectory to such plants (Subramanian, 2012).

The turbines used for producing wind energy produce irritating noise and vibrations. When erected near residential areas they affect the occupants. In the United States, there have been court cases against wind energy producers. The complainants claim that noise pollution leads to the devaluation of their property thus effectively driving away potential investors.

The equipment used for generating electricity is simple. Wind rotates blades attached to a pivot in the turbine. A rotating shaft is connected to the pivot while the shaft is passed through a gear box to increase the rotating speed. The high speed shaft is then connected to a generator that produces electricity. In order to mitigate the damaging of blades when the speed of wind is very high, the turbine is fixed with a braking system (Goldstein, 2013).

Wind power is an efficient, viable and reliable source of electricity for domestic and industrial use. The energy is ecosystem-friendly. In the production of this form of energy, no carbon dioxide is produced. It is among the cleanest means of producing electricity. Depending on the speed of wind in a specific region, the power generated can run a huge manufacturing plant.

Wind energy is an appropriate alternative to the reduction and destructive fossil fuel energies. Extensive use of wind energy will reduce the impact of conventional energy on climate change. Thus, to minimize pollution through greenhouse emissions, protect environment and prevent climate change, it is essential for the stakeholders to invest in wind energy.

Alina-Florentina, C. (2012). Social and economic impacts of wind power in correlation with the financial crises. JEL, 28(4), 62-68.

Archer, C. & Jacobson, Z. (2007). Supplying base-load power and reducing transmission requirements by interconnecting wind farms. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 46(11), 1701–1717.

Fthenakis, V & Kim, C. (2009). Land use and electricity generation: A life-cycle analysis. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13(7), 1465-1467.

Gipe, P. (1993). The wind industry’s experience with aesthetic criticism. Leonardo, 26(3), 243–248.

Goldstein, L. (2013). Theoretical analysis of an airborne wind energy conversion system with a ground generator and fast motion transfer. Energy, 55(1), 987–995.

Lucian, P. (n.d). Energy for Romania from renewable resources. Studies in Business and Economics, 1(1), 111-113.

Niciporuc, T. (2012). Developing the wind energy sector in dobrogea. Economics, Management, and Financial Market s, 7(4), 544-549.

Subramanian, M. (2012). The trouble with turbines: An ill wind”. Nature, 486(7403), 310–311.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 5). Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources. https://ivypanda.com/essays/wind-energy/

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IvyPanda . 2023. "Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources." December 5, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/wind-energy/.

1. IvyPanda . "Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources." December 5, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/wind-energy/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources." December 5, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/wind-energy/.

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What Is Wind Energy? Definition and How It Works

• Columbia University
• Syracuse University

• University of Tennessee

Treehugger / Hilary Allison

• Renewable Energy
• Fossil Fuels

Wind Energy Basics

How does wind energy work, what is a wind farm.

• Pros and Cons

Wind energy is electricity created from the naturally flowing air in the Earth's atmosphere. As a renewable resource that won't get depleted through use, its impact on the environment and climate crisis is significantly smaller than burning fossil fuels.

Wind energy can be created by something as simple as a set of 8-foot sails positioned to capture prevailing winds that then turn a stone and grind grain (a gristmill). Or it can be as complex as a 150-foot vane turning a generator that produces electricity to be stored in a battery or deployed over a power distribution system. There are even bladeless wind turbines .

As of 2021, there are over 67,000 wind turbines running in the United States, found in 44 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Wind generated about 8.4% of the electricity in the U.S. in 2020. Worldwide, it provides about 6% of the world's electricity needs. Wind energy is growing year-over-year by about 10% and is a key part of most climate change reduction and sustainable growth plans in a variety of countries, including China, India, Germany, and the United States.

Wind Energy Definition

Human beings use wind energy in a variety of ways, from the simple (it's still used to pump water for livestock in more remote locations) to the increasingly complex—think of the thousands of turbines that dominate the hills that cut through highway 580 in California (pictured above).

The basic components of any wind energy system are fairly similar. There are blades of some size and shape that are connected to a drive shaft, and then a pump or generator that either uses or collects the wind energy. If the wind energy is used directly as a mechanical force, like milling grain or pumping water, it's a called a windmill; if it converts wind energy to electricity, it's known as a wind turbine. A turbine system requires additional components, such as a battery for electricity storage, or it may be connected to a power distribution system like power lines.

Nobody really knows when the wind was first harnessed by a human being, but wind was definitely being utilized as a way to move boats on Egypt's Nile River around the year 5,000 BC. By 200 BC people in China were using the wind to power simple water pumps, and windmills with hand-woven blades were used to grind grain in the Middle East. Over time, wind pumps and mills were used in all kinds of food production there, and the concept then spread to Europe, where the Dutch built large wind pumps to drain wetlands—and from there the idea traveled to the Americas.

Wind is produced naturally when the sun heats the atmosphere, from variations in the surface of the Earth, and from the planet's rotation. Wind can then increase or decrease as a result of the influence of bodies of water, forests, meadows and other vegetation, and elevation changes. Wind patterns and speeds vary significantly across terrain, as well as seasonally, but some of those patterns are predictable enough to plan around.

Site Selection

The best locations to place a wind turbine are the tops of rounded hills, on open plains (or open water for offshore wind), and mountain passes where wind is naturally funneled through (producing regular high wind speeds). Generally, the higher the elevation the better, since higher elevations usually have more wind.

Wind energy forecasting is an important tool for siting a wind turbine. There are a variety of wind speed maps and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the U.S. that provide these details.

Then, a site-specific survey should be done to assess the local wind conditions and to determine the best direction to place the wind turbines for maximum efficiency. For at least a year, projects on land track wind speed, turbulence, and direction, as well as air temperatures and humidity. Once that information is determined, turbines that will deliver predictable results can be built.

Wind isn't the only factor for siting turbines. Developers for a wind farm must consider how close the farm is to transmission lines (and cities that can utilize the power); possible interference to local airports and plane traffic; underlying rock and faults; flight patterns of birds and bats ; and local community impact (noise and other possible effects).

Most larger wind projects are designed to last at least 20 years, if not more, so these factors must be considered over the long term.

Types of Wind Energy

Utility scale wind energy.

These are large-scale wind projects designed to be used as a source of energy for a utility company. They are similar in scope to a coal-fired or natural gas power plant, which they sometimes replace or supplement. Turbines exceed 100 kilowatts of power in size and are usually installed in groups to provide significant power—currently these types of systems provide about 8.4% of all energy in the United States.

Offshore Wind Energy

These are generally utility-scale wind energy projects that are planned in the waters off coastal areas. They can generate tremendous power near larger cities (which tend to cluster closer to shore in much of the United States). Wind blows more consistently and strongly in offshore areas than in land, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Based on the organization's data and calculations, the potential for offshore wind energy in the U.S. is more than 2,000 gigawatts of power, which is two times the generating capacity of all U.S. electric power plants. Worldwide, wind energy could provide more than 18 times what the world currently uses, according to the International Energy Agency.

Small Scale or Distributed Wind Energy

This type of wind energy is the opposite of the examples above. These are wind turbines that are smaller in physical size and are used to meet the energy demands of a specific site or local area. Sometimes, these turbines are connected to the larger energy distribution grid, and sometimes they are off-grid. You'll see these smaller installations (5 kilowatt size) in residential settings, where they might provide some or most of a home's needs, depending on weather, and medium-sized versions (20 kilowatts or so) at industrial or community sites, where they might be part of a renewable energy system that also includes solar power, geothermal, or other energy sources.

The function of a wind turbine is to use blades of some shape (which can vary) to catch the wind's kinetic energy. As the wind flows over the blades, it lifts them, just like it lifts a sail to push a boat. That push from the wind makes the blades turn, moving the drive shaft that they're connected to. That shaft then turns a pump of some kind—whether directly moving a piece of stone over grain (windmill), or pushing that energy into a generator that creates electricity that can be used right away or stored in a battery.

The process for an electricity-generating system (wind turbine) includes the following steps:

Wind Pushes Blades

Ideally, a windmill or wind turbine is located in a place with regular and consistent winds. That air movement pushes specially designed blades that allow the wind to push them as easily as possible. Blades can be designed so they are pushed upwind or downwind of their location.

Kinetic Energy Is Transformed

Kinetic energy is the free energy that comes from the wind. For us to be able to use or store that energy, it needs to be changed into a usable form of power. Kinetic energy is transformed into mechanical energy when the wind meets the windmill blades and pushes them. The movement of the blades then turns a drive shaft.

Electricity Is Generated

In a wind turbine, a spinning drive shaft is connected to a gearbox that increases the speed of the rotation by a factor of 100—which in turn spins a generator. Therefore, the gears end up spinning much faster than the blades being pushed by the wind. Once these gears reach a fast enough speed, they can power a generator that produces electricity.

The gearbox is the most expensive and heavy part of the turbine, and engineers are working on direct drive generators that can operate at lower speeds (so they don't need a gear box).

Transformer Converts Electricity

The electricity produced by the generator is 60-cycle AC (alternating current) electricity. A transformer may be needed to convert that to another type of electricity, depending on local needs.

Electricity Is Used or Stored

Electricity produced by a wind turbine might be used on site (more likely to be true in small or medium-sized wind projects), it could be delivered to transmission lines for use right away, or it could be stored in a battery.

More efficient battery storage is key for advancements in wind energy in the future. Increased storage capacity means that on days when the wind blows less, stored electricity from windier days could supplement it. Wind variability would then become less of an obstacle for reliable electricity from wind.

A wind farm is a collection of wind turbines that form a type of power plant, producing electricity from wind. There's no official number requirement for an installation to be considered a wind farm, so it could include a few or hundreds of wind turbines working in the same area, whether on land or offshore.

• Wind Energy Pros and Cons
• When properly placed, wind energy can produce low-cost and nonpolluting electricity about 90% of the time.
• There is minimal waste generated by a wind farm—nothing needs to be carted away and dumped, no water supply is needed to cool machinery, and there's no effluent to scrub or clean.
• Once installed, wind turbines have a low operating cost, as wind is free.
• It's space flexible: You can use a small turbine to power a home or farm building, a large turbine for industrial energy needs, or a field of giant turbines to create a power plant-level source of energy for a city.
• Wind reliability can vary. In addition, weak or strong winds will shut down a turbine and electricity won't be produced at all.
• Turbines can be noisy depending on where they are placed, and some people don't like the way they look. Home wind turbines might offend neighbors.
• Wind turbines have been found to harm wildlife, especially birds and bats.
• They have a high initial cost, though they pay for themselves relatively quickly.

" How Many Turbines Are Contained in the U.S. Wind Turbine Database? " United States Geological Survey .

“ Electricity Explained: Electricity in the United States .” U.S. Energy Information Agency, 2021.

“ International Energy Outlook 2019 With Projections to 2050 .” U.S. Energy Information Agency, 2019, pp. 90-91.

“ Global Wind Report 2019 .” Global Wind Energy Council.

“ Wind Explained History of Wind Power .” U.S. Energy Information Agency.

“ Offshore Wind Research and Development .” U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

" Offshore Wind Outlook 2019 ." International Energy Agency .

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A worker looks at a wind turbine used to generate electricity, at a wind farm in Guazhou, China. China is the world's biggest producer of CO2 emissions, but is also the world's leading generator of renewable electricity.

Wind power offers a sustainable option in the pursuit of renewable energy.

Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unevenly heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And wind has long served as a power source to humans.

Ancient mariners used sails to capture the wind. Farmers once used windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, more and more wind turbines wring electricity from the breeze. Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased more than 25 percent per year. Still, it only provides a small fraction of the world's energy.

How it Works

Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a 20-story building and have three 200-foot (60-meter)-long blades. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator that produces electricity.

The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity in a year (about 12 megawatt-hours) to supply about 600 U.S. homes. Wind farms have tens and sometimes hundreds of these turbines lined up together in particularly windy spots. Smaller turbines erected in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.

The Booming Wind Energy Industry

Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments offer tax incentives to spur wind-energy development.

Drawbacks include complaints from locals that wind turbines are ugly and noisy. The slowly rotating blades can also kill birds and bats, but not nearly as many as cars, power lines, and high-rise buildings do. The wind is also variable: If it's not blowing, there's no electricity generated.

Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is booming. Thanks to global efforts to combat climate change, such as the Paris Agreement, renewable energy is seeing a boom in growth, with wind energy leading the way. From 2000 to 2015 , cumulative wind capacity around the world increased from 17,000 megawatts to more than 430,000 megawatts. In 2015, China also surpassed the EU in the number of installed wind turbines and continues to lead installation efforts.

Industry experts predict that if this pace of growth continues, by 2050 one third of the world's electricity needs will be fulfilled by wind power.

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Wind is an emissions-free source of energy

Wind is a renewable energy source. Overall, using wind to produce energy has fewer effects on the environment than many other energy sources. Wind turbines do not release emissions that can pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and they do not require water for cooling. Wind turbines may also reduce electricity generation from fossil fuels, which results in lower total air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

An individual wind turbine has a relatively small physical footprint. Groups of wind turbines, sometimes called wind farms, are located on open land, on mountain ridges, or offshore in lakes or the ocean.

Wind turbines at the Cerro Gordo Project, west of Mason City, Iowa

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (public domain)

Wind turbines have some negative effects on the environment

Modern wind turbines can be very large machines, and they may visually affect the landscape. A small number of wind turbines have also caught fire, and some have leaked lubricating fluids, but these occurrences are rare. Wind turbine blades make noise as they turn in the wind and some people do not like the sound. Birds and bats can be injured or killed if they are hit by turbine blades. These deaths may contribute to declines in the population of species also affected by other human-related impacts. The wind energy industry and the U.S. government are researching ways to reduce the effect of wind turbines on birds and bats.

Most land-based wind power projects require service roads that add to the physical effects on the environment. Producing the metals and other materials used to make wind turbine components has impacts on the environment as well, and fossil fuels may be used to produce the materials. Although most of the materials used to make wind turbines can be reused or recycled, turbine blades, as most are currently constructed, cannot be recycled. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) established an approach to manufacturing wind turbine blades, employing a thermoplastic resin system. These thermoplastic resins allow for the recycling of wind turbine blades and also reduce the energy required to manufacture blades.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Renewable Energy — Wind Energy: A Sustainable and Viable Source for the Future

Wind Energy: a Sustainable and Viable Source for The Future

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Benefits of wind energy, challenges of wind energy.

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• Wind Energy

Introduction to Wind Energy

As fossil energy supplies dwindle, the development of alternative energy sources has become a necessity. Simultaneously, global energy demand is increasingly rising, placing the planet on the brink of a global energy crisis. Furthermore, the widespread use of traditional energy sources pollutes the atmosphere and leads to global warming. Wind and other renewable energy sources, on the other hand, are feasible and clean alternatives to fossil fuels. Wind is one of the most cost-effective and efficient renewable energy sources because of its low operating costs and broad availability. One of the fastest-growing clean energy technologies is wind power. Globally, consumption is growing, partially due to lower prices.

According to IRENA's latest statistics, global installed wind-generation capacity onshore and offshore has increased by nearly 75 times in the last two decades, from 7.5 gigawatts (GW) in 1997 to 564 GW in 2018. Wind energy production more than doubled between 2009 and 2013, accounting for 16 per cent of all renewable energy generation in 2016. Wind speeds are high in many parts of the world, but the best locations for producing wind power are often remote. Offshore wind power has a lot of promise.

What is wind energy?

Wind power is a type of energy conversion in which turbines transform wind kinetic energy into mechanical or electrical energy that may be utilized as commercial wind turbines generate electricity by harnessing rotational energy to power a generator. They are composed of a blade or rotor and an enclosure known as a nacelle, which houses a drive train atop a tall tower. The biggest turbines can generate 4.8–9.5 megawatts of electricity, with rotor diameters that can exceed 162 meters (531 feet), and are mounted to towers that may reach 240 meters (787 feet).

Wind energy is the most established and mature renewable energy source. It creates electricity by using the kinetic energy created by the influence of air currents. It is a clean and renewable energy source that decreases greenhouse gas emissions and protects the environment. 

Wind turbines

Wind power has been utilized since antiquity to propel sail-powered vessels or to power mill gear that moves mill blades. Wind turbines have been used to generate electricity since the early twentieth century. The wind propels a propeller, which turns the rotor of a generator, which generates power, via a mechanical system. Wind turbines are frequently clustered together in wind farms to maximize energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The machines have a twenty-year lifetime.

Wind energy, also known as wind power, is generated by employing a wind turbine, which is a device that harnesses the strength of the wind to generate electricity. The wind blows the turbine's blades, which are linked to a rotor that further rotates a generator. Wind turbines are classified into two types: horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) (VAWTs). The most prevalent form of the wind turbine is the HAWT. They often feature two or three long, thin blades, similar to an airplane propeller. The blades are oriented to face straight towards the wind. VAWTs feature shorter, broader curved blades that resemble electric mixer beaters.

Individual wind turbines may generate 100 kilowatts of power, which is enough to power a house. Small wind turbines are also employed in locations such as water pumping facilities. Wind turbines that are slightly bigger perch on towers that can reach 80 meters (260 feet) in height and have rotor blades that can reach 40 meters (130 feet) in length.  Wind turbines with rotor blades that are more than 162 meters (531 feet) long can be seen sitting on towers that rise 240 meters (787 feet) tall. 

Uses of wind energy

Some of the uses of wind energy are mentioned below.

generating electricity.

milling grain.

pumping water.

powering cargo ships (via kites)

reducing carbon footprint.

windsurfing.

land surfing .

Once created, power can be utilized, linked to the electrical grid, or stored for later use.

Working principle of a turbine

Wind turbines operate on a simple principle: rather than using energy to create wind (like a fan does), wind turbines utilize the wind to create power. Wind moves a turbine's propeller-like blades around a rotor, which spins a generator, which generates energy.

The wind is a type of solar energy created by three simultaneous events:

The sun heats the atmosphere unevenly.

Surface irregularities of the Earth

The earth's rotation.

The words "wind energy" and "wind power" both refer to the act of harnessing wind energy to create mechanical power or electricity. This mechanical power can be employed for specific activities (such as grinding grain or pumping water), or it can be converted into energy via a generator.

Small wind turbines are commonly employed in scattered applications. Single tiny wind turbines with a capacity of fewer than 100 kilowatts are primarily utilized for residential, agricultural, and small commercial and industrial uses.

FAQs on Wind Energy

1. What is a Wind Turbine?

Wind energy is converted into electricity by a wind turbine, which can then be used to power electrical devices, stored in batteries, or distributed over power lines.

2. What is the Mechanism of a Windmill?

Windmills transform wind energy directly into mechanical energy for activities like milling grain—the term's origin—or pumping water, which is what most windmills on farms are used for. A windmill's spinning vanes turn a camshaft, which is connected to the work machinery through gears and rods. The job receives all of the force.

3. What is the Difference Between Wind Turbine and Windmill?

A wind turbine is not the same as a windmill or a wind generator. Windmills and wind pumps have existed for centuries. Windmills have been used to grind grain, and wind pumps have been used to pump water from the ground and drain it to make room for new growth. Wind turbines produce electricity in the same way as hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants do, and new wind turbine technology has put them in a class of their own. Aside from a few mechanical features, the only thing they have in common is that they're all driven by wind.

4. What is the cause of wind energy?

Wind is created by the sun's uneven heating of the earth's surface. Because the earth's surface is made up of various types of land and water, the sun's heat is absorbed at varying rates. The daily wind cycle is one example of this inconsistent warmth. Wind energy is now mostly utilized to create power. Windmills that pump water were historically common across the different nations, and some are still in use on farms and ranches, mostly to give water to cattle. Wind energy is an optimum replacement for hazardous fossil fuels.

What is Wind Energy?

Wind power is one of the most valuable and widespread renewable energy sources we have today. It is not only abundant but also extremely efficient and cheap and, most importantly, it generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it a valid alternative to fossil fuels and one of the most powerful resources we have to achieve net-zero emissions in the upcoming decades. Read on to learn what is wind energy, how it works, and why we need to invest in it now more than ever.

What is Wind Energy and How Does it Work?

Wind is an extremely important and abundant natural resource on Earth. It occurs as a result of the sun unevenly heating the surface of the planet. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. 

Wind has long served as a power source for humans. Sailors used it to power their ships across the sea while farmers relied on windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, we harness this resource using wind turbines, which help us generate electricity. When their blades spin with the force of the wind, they turn a shaft connected to a generator that produces electricity. 

In order to maximise the amount of energy that can be obtained from the blowing air, several turbines which look like huge windmills are usually installed close to each other in so-called ‘wind farms’.

There are two main types of wind power: onshore and offshore. The first one refers to the energy that is generated by wind turbines located on land and driven by the natural movement of air. Offshore wind energy is obtained by taking advantage of the force of the wind that flows on high seas. For this reason, offshore wind turbines are located on bodies of water in remote locations far away from the mainland.  

An Offshore Wind Farm

Now that you know the basics of wind energy, here are 7 interesting facts about one of the most widespread renewable energy sources on the planet.

7 Interesting Facts About Wind Energy

1. Wind power is a renewable source of energy , meaning that it will never run out

2. Wind turbine towers are as tall as the Statue of Liberty! They are very complicated machines and can have as many as 8,000 different components.

3. One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to light up almost 600 homes !

4. Contrarily to fossil fuel , generating wind electricity is an environmentally friendly process that does not emit any greenhouse gases

5. Offshore wind could potentially generate 18 times the current global electricity demand

6. China and the US are the world’s biggest producers of wind energy

7. In order to generate enough electricity to power the planet, we would need to build nearly 4 million onshore turbines ! As of today, there are over 341,000 wind turbines on the planet that spread across 83 countries. While governments around the world have ramped up efforts in recent years to scale up wind power as they seek to reach carbon neutrality , we are still far from being able to power the whole world using wind energy.

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• 29 April 2024

Where the wind blows for strong renewable energy investment

• Sara Moraca

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The Oosterscheldekering wind farm in the Netherlands. Northern European countries are making substantial investments in wind power. Credit: Anna Dudek Photography/ Moment/ Getty Images.

Wind droughts are attracting more interest as countries turn to wind power to meet energy requirements. “An example is the period of low winds experienced in northwestern Europe during the summer and early autumn of 2021,” says Antonini. This led to a notable decrease in energy production from wind across the continent.

The researchers analysed data from 1979 to 2022 in various regions, and used them to estimate the amount of battery storage that would be needed in each of those regions to overcome wind droughts and ensure a constant supply of energy. This metric considers both the depth and duration of wind droughts.

This analysis helps identify areas where investments could yield the most reliable returns in terms of energy production, as well as areas where diversification of the energy portfolio may be necessary to mitigate risks associated with wind variability.

The study has identified geographical regions with the most favorable conditions for wind energy generation. These include the American Midwest, some parts of Australia, the Sahara, Argentina, Uruguay, central Asia, and southern Africa. On the other hand, northwestern Europe, that has made substantial investments in wind power, faces challenges due to high levels of seasonal and weather variability. For example, the countries around the North Sea aim to install significant offshore wind capacity by 2050, but these investments may be at risk of lower reliability due to the region's vulnerability to wind droughts.

“Addressing the issue of wind droughts through planning, innovation, and policy will be crucial for ensuring the reliability and resilience of wind power,” Antonini concludes.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d43978-024-00072-9

Antonini, E.G.A., Virgüez, E., Ashfaq, S. et al. Commun Earth Environ 5 , 103 (2024).

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Why US offshore wind energy is struggling—the good, the bad and the opportunity

by Christopher Niezrecki, The Conversation

America's first large-scale offshore wind farms began sending power to the Northeast in early 2024, but a wave of wind farm project cancellations and rising costs have left many people with doubts about the industry's future in the U.S.

Several big hitters, including Ørsted, Equinor, BP and Avangrid, have canceled contracts or sought to renegotiate them in recent months. Pulling out meant the companies faced cancellation penalties ranging from US$16 million to several hundred million dollars per project. It also resulted in Siemens Energy, the world's largest maker of offshore wind turbines, anticipating financial losses in 2024 of around $2.2 billion.

Altogether, projects that had been canceled by the end of 2023 were expected to total more than 12 gigawatts of power , representing more than half of the capacity in the project pipeline.

So, what happened, and can the U.S. offshore wind industry recover?

I lead UMass Lowell's Center for Wind Energy Science Technology and Research WindSTAR and Center for Energy Innovation and follow the industry closely. The offshore wind industry's troubles are complicated, but it's far from dead in the U.S., and some policy changes may help it find firmer footing.

Long approval process's cascade of challenges

Getting offshore wind projects permitted and approved in the U.S. takes years and is fraught with uncertainty for developers, more so than in Europe or Asia.

Before a company bids on a U.S. project, the developer must plan the procurement of the entire wind farm, including making reservations to purchase components such as turbines and cables, construction equipment and ships. The bid must also be cost-competitive, so companies have a tendency to bid low and not anticipate unexpected costs, which adds to financial uncertainty and risk.

The winning U.S. bidder then purchases an expensive ocean lease , costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars . But it has no right to build a wind project yet.

Before starting to build, the developer must conduct site assessments to determine what kind of foundations are possible and identify the scale of the project. The developer must consummate an agreement to sell the power it produces, identify a point of interconnection to the power grid , and then prepare a construction and operation plan, which is subject to further environmental review . All of that takes about five years, and it's only the beginning.

For a project to move forward, developers may need to secure dozens of permits from local, tribal, state, regional and federal agencies . The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which has jurisdiction over leasing and management of the seabed, must consult with agencies that have regulatory responsibilities over different aspects in the ocean, such as the armed forces, Environmental Protection Agency and National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as groups including commercial and recreational fishing, Indigenous groups, shipping, harbor managers and property owners.

For Vineyard Wind I—which began sending power from five of its 62 planned wind turbines off Martha's Vineyard in early 2024—the time from BOEM's lease auction to getting its first electricity to the grid was about nine years.

Costs can balloon during the regulatory delays

Until recently, these contracts didn't include any mechanisms to adjust for rising supply costs during the long approval time, adding to the risk for developers.

From the time today's projects were bid to the time they were approved for construction, the world dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, global supply chain problems, increased financing costs and the war in Ukraine. Steep increases in commodity prices , including for steel and copper , as well as in construction and operating costs, made many contracts signed years earlier no longer financially viable.

New and re-bid contracts are now allowing for price adjustments after the environmental approvals have been given, which is making projects more attractive to developers in the U.S. Many of the companies that canceled projects are now rebidding.

The regulatory process is becoming more streamlined , but it still takes about six years, while other countries are building projects at a faster pace and larger scale.

Shipping rules, power connections

Another significant hurdle for offshore wind development in the U.S. involves a century-old law known as the Jones Act .

The Jones Act requires vessels carrying cargo between U.S. points to be U.S.-built, U.S.-operated and U.S.-owned. It was written to boost the shipping industry after World War I. However, there are only three offshore wind turbine installation vessels in the world that are large enough for the turbines proposed for U.S. projects, and none are compliant with the Jones Act.

That means wind turbine components must be transported by smaller barges from U.S. ports and then installed by a foreign installation vessel waiting offshore, which raises the cost and likelihood of delays.

Dominion Energy is building a new ship, the Charybdis , that will comply with the Jones Act . But a typical offshore wind farm needs over 25 different types of vessels—for crew transfers, surveying, environmental monitoring, cable-laying, heavy lifting and many other roles.

The nation also lacks a well-trained workforce for manufacturing, construction and operation of offshore wind farms.

For power to flow from offshore wind farms , the electricity grid also requires significant upgrades. The Department of Energy is working on regional transmission plans , but permitting will undoubtedly be slow.

Lawsuits, disinformation add to the challenges

Numerous lawsuits from advocacy groups that oppose offshore wind projects have further slowed development.

Wealthy homeowners have tried to stop wind farms that might appear in their ocean view. Astroturfing groups that claim to be advocates of the environment, but are actually supported by fossil fuel industry interests , have launched disinformation campaigns .

In 2023, many Republican politicians and conservative groups immediately cast blame for whale deaths off the coast of New York and New Jersey on the offshore wind developers, but the evidence points instead to increased ship traffic collisions and entanglements with fishing gear.

Such disinformation can reduce public support and slow projects' progress.

Efforts to keep the offshore wind industry going

The Biden administration set a goal to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, but recent estimates indicate that the actual number will be closer to half that .

Despite the challenges, developers have reason to move ahead.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives, including federal tax credits for the development of clean energy projects and for developers that build port facilities in locations that previously relied on fossil fuel industries. Most coastal state governments are also facilitating projects by allowing for a price readjustment after environmental approvals have been given. They view offshore wind as an opportunity for economic growth.

These financial benefits can make building an offshore wind industry more attractive to companies that need market stability and a pipeline of projects to help lower costs—projects that can create jobs and boost economic growth and a cleaner environment.

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US set for faster offshore wind permits under new rules

• Medium Text

• Federal authorities have streamlined offshore wind permitting as the industry moves towards more standardised reviews.

--Editing by Robin Sayles

Neil provides news and analysis to a number of energy and African business publications. He also writes reports on Africa for the United Nations and the African Development Bank.

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Nuclear Power as a Clean Energy Tool?

More from our inbox:, quality at boeing, a bathroom sign, running, fast and slow.

To the Editor:

Re “ Reviving Nuclear Energy Is a Fantasy ,” by Stephanie Cooke (Opinion guest essay, April 24):

Meeting the climate crisis and achieving net zero by 2050 without nuclear energy is a fantasy. The reality is that the United States must deploy every tool at its disposal to reach our clean energy goals.

Nuclear power has delivered clean energy for over half a century. It also provides nearly half of the United States’ clean energy today. A resurgence in global, bipartisan support illustrates that nuclear energy’s vital signs are as strong as ever.

Recent commitments made at the U.N. Climate Change Conference and the International Atomic Energy Agency Summit show that world leaders recognize we’ve only begun to see nuclear power’s potential to complement renewable energy sources in the race to net zero.

Here at home, the Inflation Reduction Act’s investment in the existing fleet is a vote of confidence, and state legislatures have considered about 330 nuclear-energy-related bills since 2023.

During my time as E.P.A. administrator, I focused on developing sustainable solutions to protect our air, land and water. As my perspective on nuclear energy evolved, so did my understanding that we cannot take any clean energy sources off the table.

It is our responsibility to live in the real world and pursue all climate solutions, including nuclear energy.

Carol Browner East Wallingford, Vt. The writer is the former director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy in addition to being a former E.P.A. administrator and current member of the Nuclear Matters Advocacy Council.

The enormous costs and lengthy delivery time are not the only (or even the main) reasons that nuclear power is a fantasy. Being carbon-free does not make it clean energy. In fact, nuclear energy is extremely environmentally unfriendly.

All nuclear power plants regularly emit low-level radiation into the atmosphere and waterways, and no one knows for sure whether this increases cancer rates in surrounding communities. Women and children are far more vulnerable to ionizing radiation.

The National Academy of Sciences proposed cancer research surrounding nuclear power plants back in 2014, but so far no government agency is willing to sponsor the research. This is puzzling when the Biden administration expresses concern about cancer, the No. 1 killer in most of the country.

We know that the mining and milling of uranium have caused cancer streaks and have forced entire towns to be evacuated and bulldozed into oblivion. We know that the nation now has over 100,000 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste scattered around the country with no plans on how or where to store it safely. Some of it will remain lethal for thousands or millions of years.

Why do we want to produce more nuclear power when the supposed benefits are a complete fantasy?

Roger Johnson San Clemente, Calif.

“Reviving Nuclear Energy Is a Fantasy” made good points about unrealistic assertions concerning the nuclear power industry, but failed to mention the important point that production of nuclear power requires enormous amounts of water.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists , nuclear power plants “need water all of the time” and they use “vast amounts of water” during their normal operations. Moreover, although some plants rely on cooling towers to reduce their need for water, “even the reduced needs can require tens of thousands of gallons per minute.”

For states like New Mexico, use of water matters. As your recent series on groundwater pointed out, many states are using their groundwater faster than it is being recharged. New Mexico is one of those states.

For that reason and because New Mexico’s surface water supplies are limited, the vast amounts of water that would be needed by a nuclear power plant is a critical issue here.

Douglas Meiklejohn Santa Fe, N.M. The writer is a water quality and land restoration advocate for Conservation Voters New Mexico.

Re “ Ex-Boeing Manager’s Loyalty, and Unease ” and “ Crisis Leads to a Loss for Boeing ” (Business, April 25):

So, what will be needed at Boeing?

Articles in The New York Times have documented how in recent years the company has made significant operational changes that have sacrificed quality to obtain profits. Although Boeing’s chief executive, David Calhoun, is to leave the company at the end of the year, that won’t be enough.

As Merle Meyers, a quality control manager, told The Times, Boeing didn’t listen to his concerns about quality and eventually reprimanded him, causing him to leave after advancing at the company for the better part of three decades.

To return to focusing on quality and to better control its product quality, Boeing will have to do more than remove a few senior executives. It will also need to eventually move out-of-state manufacturing to Washington to be closer to executives and engineers in Seattle, to hire new senior executives with engineering experience, and to make use of the skills, advice and knowledge of the work force, including management.

To stay on top of problems with quality, workers can’t fear being fired. Boeing also needs to see the union that represents its engineers and many other workers as a partner to help fix current problems, not an organization to work around.

Peter Lazes Stockbridge, Mass. The writer is a visiting professor at the School of Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State.

Re “ This Is the Most Infamous Public Toilet in America, ” by Ezra Klein (column, May 1):

I was recently in a foreign country and entered a cafe to use the bathroom.

I went to the bathroom without asking permission, but was pleasantly surprised to find a nice little sign on the bathroom door that read:

“Even if you are not eating here, you are welcome to use our bathrooms. Our hospitality is free, but supplies and cleaning crew are not. Please consider leaving a small donation with the cashier on your way out.”

I did, and told the cashier I thought the establishment’s approach was brilliant and civilized. Here is a modest proposal: Can the City Council and the mayor come up with an ad campaign or some public announcement suggesting that our restaurants and cafes introduce a similar approach?

I, for one, would be happy to reward those establishments that do with my patronage.

Bob Raber New York

“ Add a Dash of Sprinting to Exercise ” (Well, Science Times, April 30) is absolutely correct. I have been running since 1980, and back then there was not a lot of science about running but a lot of just plain running.

The term “ fartlek ” (Swedish for “speed play”) was used then. It is a series of running exercises in which, in one version, you go all-out between 10 lampposts, then very slow for another 10. And repeat. It works. Fewer injuries and better performance.

I have run numerous marathons, 10K and 5K races, and competed in triathlons. And at 72, I still do this workout.

Training like this benefits everyone and for whatever you are going to do.

Jeffrey Salgo Queens