Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by which wind is

used to generate electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy

in the wind into mechanical power. A generator can convert
mechanical power into electricity. This kinetic energy can be used to
do work. A windmill essentially consists of a structure similar to a large
electric fan that is erected at some height on a rigid support. A large
number of windmills erected over a large area is known as wind
energy farm.
 A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used for
production of electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several
hundred individual wind turbines distributed over an extended area, but
the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other
purposes. For example, Gansu Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in the
world, has several thousand turbines. A wind farm may also be located
offshore.
The world's second full-scale floating wind turbine
(and first to be installed without the use of heavy-
lift vessels), WindFloat, operating at rated
capacity (2 MW) approximately 5 km offshore of
Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
Wind turbines are devices that convert the wind's kinetic energy into
electrical power. The result of over a millennium of windmill development
and modern engineering, today's wind turbines are manufactured in a
wide range of horizontal axis and vertical axis types. The smallest turbines
are used for applications such as battery charging for auxiliary power.
Slightly larger turbines can be used for making small contributions to a
domestic power supply while selling unused power back to the utility
supplier via the electrical grid. Arrays of large turbines, known as wind
farms, have become an increasingly important source of renewable
energy and are used in many countries as part of a strategy to reduce
their reliance on fossil fuels.
Wind turbine design is the process of defining the form and
specifications of a wind turbine to extract energy from the wind. A wind
turbine installation consists of the necessary systems needed to capture
the wind's energy, point the turbine into the wind, convert mechanical
rotation into electrical power, and other systems to start, stop, and
control the turbine.
Typical components of a wind turbine
(gearbox, rotor shaft and brake
assembly) being lifted into position
Wind energy is a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air
like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or
natural gas. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that
increase health problems like asthma or create acid rain or greenhouse
gases. According to the Wind Vision Report, wind has the potential to
reduce cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 14%, saving $400 billion
in avoided global damage by 2050.

Wind is a domestic source of energy. The nation's wind supply is

abundant. Over the past 10 years, wind capacity increased an average
of 31% per year, reaching a cumulative capacity of over 75,000 MW in
2016, enough to power over 20 million homes. Wind power is the largest
source of annual new generating capacity, well ahead of the next two
leading sources, solar power and natural gas.
Wind turbines can be built on existing farms or ranches. This greatly
benefits the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites
are found. Farmers and ranchers can continue to work the land
because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the acreage. Wind
power plant owners make rent payments to the farmer or rancher for the
use of the land, providing landowners with additional income. In 2015,
annual land lease payments in the United States were estimated to total
$222 million. This additional income provides the agricultural community
an avenue to diversify revenue and reduce reliance on uncertain
commodity prices. According to the Wind Vision Report, annual land
lease income for rural American landowners could increase to $1 billion
by 2050.

Wind power is cost-effective. It is one of the lowest-cost renewable

energy technologies available today, with power prices offered by
newly built wind farms averaging 2 cents per kilowatt-hour,
depending on the wind resource and the particular project’s
financing. Even without government subsidies, wind power is a low-
cost fuel in many areas of the country.
Wind power must compete with conventional generation sources on a
cost basis. Depending on how energetic a wind site is, the wind farm
might not be cost competitive in less windy areas of the country. Even
though the cost of wind power has decreased dramatically in the past
10 years, the technology requires a higher initial investment than fossil-
fueled generators.
Good wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities
where the electricity is needed. Transmission lines must be built to bring
the electricity from the wind farm to the city. According to the American
Wind Energy Association, approximately 51,000 MW of new wind
capacity could be added if near-term transmission projects in
advanced development are completed. The Energy Department
released a report which confirms that adding even limited electricity
transmission can significantly reduce the costs of expanding wind
energy to supply 35% of U.S. electricity by 2050.
Though wind turbines harm wildlife less than some conventional sources
of electricity, turbine blades could damage local wildlife. Electricity
generation that pollutes the air and water causes wildlife fatalities
through acid rain, mercury poisoning, habitat disruption due to warming
temperatures, and more. However, birds have been killed by flying into
spinning turbine blades. Blade strikes have been greatly reduced
through technological development or by properly siting wind plants.
Currently, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind
Technology Center (NWTC) is supporting wildlife technology research
validation designed to reduce bird and bat fatalities at wind energy
projects. The research provided at the NWTC will serve as a pipeline to
the American Wind Wildlife Institute’s technology verification program
and similar efforts aimed at supporting commercialization of these
products.
Turbines might cause noise and change the viewshed. Although wind
power plants have relatively little impact on the environment and
communities compared to conventional power plants, concern exists
over the sound sometimes produced by the turbine blades and visual
impacts to the landscape.