In reality, wind energy is a converted form of solar energy. The sun's radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates - most notably during the day and night, but also when different surfaces (for example, water and land) absorb or reflect at different rates. This in turn causes portions of the atmosphere to warm differently. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth's surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind.

Air has mass, and when it is in motion, it contains the energy of that motion - "kinetic energy." Some portion of that energy can converted into other forms - mechanical force or electricity - that we can use to perform work.

The most economical application of wind electric turbines is in groups of large machines (660 kW and up), called "wind power plants" or "wind farms." For example, a 30-MW wind farm near the community of Fenner, NY., consists of turbines sited far apart on farmland along windy ridges in Madison County. The wind farm generates electricity while agricultural use continues undisturbed.

Wind farms can range in size from a few megawatts to hundreds of megawatts in capacity. Wind power plants are "modular," which means they consist of small individual modules (the turbines) and can easily be made larger or smaller as needed. Turbines can be added as electricity demand grows. Today, a 50-MW wind farm can be completed in 18 months to two years. Most of that time is needed for measuring the wind and obtaining construction permits-the wind farm itself can be built in less than six months.

Sustained wind speeds are critical to a project's economic viability. Wind turbines require a minimum annual average wind speed of about 15 mph, or 6.7 meters per second. The proximity of turbines to electric transmission lines is another important factor in evaluating the economic viability of a project. Due to the high costs associated with building transmission lines, most wind projects are located within three miles of high-voltage transmission lines.

Also, land features (hills and ravines), vegetation, and nearby structures can affect how valuable a site is for wind energy development. In the Northeast, high hilltops, relatively free of trees and buildings, are favorable for a wind energy project. Factors such as the accessibility of the land for construction, soil type, and terrain impact construction as well as maintenance needs and costs. Environmental impacts related to view-sheds, noise, birds, wetlands, and historical preservation are crucial to the viability of a project and its community acceptance.

There is no data to suggest that wind development will harm property values. Click here to view the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) analytical report.

EverPower began developing the Howard Wind Project in late 2004. The final construction of the projected is expected to begin late in the summer of 2007. The three year development period begins with negotiations with landowners and local officials and continues with studies that help determine and minimize any impact to the environment. For a more detailed explanation of the development process and current information about the Howard Wind Project development, click Project Details above.

Wind energy is one of the most popular energy technologies. Opinion surveys regularly show that about eight out of 10 people (around 80%) are in favor of wind energy, and less than one in ten (around 5%) are against it. The rest are undecided.

Public opinion in support of wind power tends to become even more strongly in favor once the wind turbines are installed and operating, according to several surveys carried out in the UK and in Spain.

Some people who live near proposed wind projects may be apprehensive about them. But when accurate information and knowledge is made available, experience shows that initial concerns are reduced and support for wind farms increases.

A wind turbine is used to capture the kinetic energy of the wind and covert it into the electrical energy that we use every day. The wind consists of millions of moving air particles (kinetic energy) that slam against a turbine blade, causing it to move. The moving blades turn a shaft that is connected to a turbine. The turbine converts the energy in the turning shaft (mechanical energy) into electricity (electrical energy).

The electricity generated by a utility-scale wind turbine is normally collected and fed into utility power lines, where it is mixed with electricity from other power plants and delivered to utility customers. Click here to learn more about how wind energy works.

The ability to generate electricity (power) is measured in watts. Watts are very small units, so the terms kilowatt (kW, 1,000 watts), megawatt (MW, 1 million watts), and gigawatt (pronounced "jig-a-watt," GW, 1 billion watts) are most commonly used to describe the capacity of generating units like wind turbines or other power plants.

Electricity production and consumption (energy) are most commonly measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour means one kilowatt (1,000 watts) of electricity produced or consumed for one hour. One 50-watt light bulb left on for 20 hours consumes one kilowatt-hour of electricity (50 watts x 20 hours = 1,000 watt-hours = 1 kilowatt-hour).

The output of a wind turbine depends on the turbine's size and the wind's speed through the rotor. Wind turbines being manufactured now have power ratings ranging from 250 watts to 1.8 megawatts (MW).

An average U.S. household uses about 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year. One megawatt of wind energy can generate between 2.4 million and 3 million kWh annually. Therefore, a megawatt of wind generates about as much electricity as 240 to 300 households use. It is important to note that since the wind does not blow all of the time, it cannot be the only power source for that many households without some form of storage system. The "number of homes served" is just a convenient way to translate a quantity of electricity into a familiar term that people can understand. (Typically, storage is not needed, because wind generators are only part of the power plants on a utility system, and other fuel sources are used when the wind is not blowing.)

Coal, the most polluting fuel and the largest source of the leading greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂), is currently used to generate more than half of all of the electricity (52%) used in the United States. Other sources of electricity are: natural gas (16%), oil (3%), nuclear (20%), and hydropower (7%). Click here to see where New York gets its electricity.

Using wind power results in greater fuel diversity and less dependence on fossil fuels, which are subject to price fluctuations. Wind farms increase the tax base of the rural counties in which they are located. Ranchers and farmers who own the land on which wind farms are built receive lease payments, and 95% of the land used for wind farms can still be used for ranching and farming.

Finally, wind also benefits the economy by reducing "hidden costs" resulting from air pollution and hetitleh care. Several studies have estimated that 50,000 Americans die prematurely each year because of air pollution. Please click Benefits of Wind to learn more about the potential economic and health benefits of wind power.

Electricity from the wind is clean, renewable, and inexhaustible. Nothing is burned or "used up" to produce wind power. Using wind power in place of coal, natural gas, or oil avoids the environmental impacts of mining, drilling, transporting and burning these fuels.

Furthermore, wind power does not pollute the air or water, does not create hazardous waste, and does not produce carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. A single utility-scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Please click Benefits of Wind above to learn more about the environmental benefits of wind power.

Local opposition to proposed wind farms usually arises because some people perceive that the development will spoil the view that they are used to. It is true that a large wind farm can be a significant change, but while some people express concern about the effect wind turbines have on the beauty of our landscape, others see them as elegant and beautiful, or symbols of a better, less polluted future.

The visual effect of wind farms is a subjective issue, but most of the other criticisms made about wind energy today are exaggerated or untrue, and simply reflect attempts by particular groups to discredit the technology, worry local communities, and turn them against proposed projects.

At some sites, particularly Altamont Pass in California, wind turbines have caused a regrettable increase in deaths of birds, including hawks and eagles. But today's newer wind farms are sited to avoid such conflicts. Wind turbine manufacturers are also using new rotor and tower designs to minimize bird mortality.

People who would rather not live near wind plants (sometimes referred to as "NIMBYs," short for "Not In My Back Yard") often raise this concern with respect to new wind project proposals.

There is no evidence that wind farms reduce tourism, and considerable evidence to the contrary. For example, in late 2002, a survey of 300 tourists in the Argyll region of Scotland, noted for its scenic beauty, found that 91% said the presence of new wind farms "would make no difference in whether they would return." Similar surveys of tourists in Vermont and Australia have produced similar results. Many rural areas in the U.S. have noted increases in tourism after wind farms have been installed, as have scenic areas in Denmark, the world's leader in percentage of national electricity supplied by wind. Other telling indicators: local governments frequently decide to install information stands and signs near wind farms for tourists; wind farms are regularly featured on post cards, magazine covers, and Web pages.

Noise issues were associated with some early projects, however, noise has been reduced through advances in system designs and appropriate use of setbacks from residences. Aerodynamic noise has been reduced by adjusting the thickness of the blades' trailing edges and by orienting blades upwind of the turbine tower. To put this into perspective, a wind turbine 250 meters from a residence is no noisier than a kitchen refrigerator.