Wind
Wind energy has been used since ancient times to power sailboats and windmills. Over time, many innovations have expanded the number of applications of wind energy and increased its effectiveness.38 The development of the United States was aided by wind-driven water pumps, cereal grinders and sawmills. Modern turbines harness the wind to generate electricity. “A traditional windmill captures the moving force of the wind - its kinetic energy - and transforms it into mechanical energy. In an electric turbine, the mechanical energy is further transformed by a generator into electricity.”39
The oil crisis of 1973 led to the wide development of wind farms. Wind farm expansion really began to pick up in the 2000s. In 2016, wind power surpassed hydroelectric as the leading source of renewable generating capacity. Wind energy has become more affordable in recent years, with prices having dropped 67% since 2009.40 An ecological advantage to wind power is that it emits no CO2. Land used by wind farms can also be used for agriculture or other simultaneous uses.
Despite these advances in expansion and affordability, wind energy comprises only 8% of total electricity generating capacity in the United States as of 2016.41 Some disadvantages to wind power include noise pollution, unsightliness, structural vulnerability, difficulty of deploying heavy equipment and the variability of wind. Another hotly contested characteristic of wind energy generation is its threat to wildlife, particularly to birds whose flight paths are near the wind farms; however, in reality wind turbines kill fewer birds than cats and cell towers.42 Another disadvantage to wind power can be that windmills take energy out of the wind or air. The air therefore cools and slows down as a result. This can create clouds under the right conditions and change local weather patterns.43
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