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Alex Byerly

Dr. Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

4 April 2018

The Future of Energy

Abraham Lincoln once said, “As yet, the wind is an untamed, and unharnessed force; and

quite possibly one of the greatest discoveries hereafter to be made, will be the taming, and

harnessing of it” (“Explore”). Through the study of the economic impact of wind power and how

it creates jobs, how wind power has the largest return on investment compared to other

alternative energy sources, wind energy has a positive effect on the environment, and wind

energy is the most versatile form of alternative energy; one will realize that there will be an

increased need for wind energy in our future to slow down and eventually replace our common

fossil fuels.

By definition, wind power is energy transferred from wind by turning a turbine and

harnessing the energy produced. During World War II, Grandpa's Knob was the largest wind

turbine known in the 1940’s. It was a 1.25-megawatt turbine that sat on a hilltop in Vermont and

provided energy to the local power grid (“Timeline”). This was one of the first wind turbines to

produce large amounts of electrical energy. During the 1970’s oil shortages began to come in

effect and the government opened new research into the alternative energy industry. Large-scale

research wind turbines were developed under a program overseen by the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA), in order to create a utility-scale wind turbine industry in the

United States. Thirteen experimental turbines were placed over different areas of the country and

set the uprising standard for wind power across America. Today, large scale wind farms have
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been placed across the globe in some of the most cost-effective areas that will produce the

highest profit and help power some of the largest cities in the world.

A wind turbine converts the kinetic energy in wind and turns it into mechanical power.

Wind is a result of the uneven heating of the atmosphere from the sun and the rotation of the

earth. The power can be used to grind grain, pump water, or turn a generator to create electricity.

A turbine is like a fan, but instead of using electricity to produce wind, turbines use wind to

produce electricity. The blades are spun by wind which turns a shaft that is connected to a

generator that produces electricity (“How do wind turbines work”). The generator can then be

connected to a battery pack at one's home or can be connected to the local power grid. Most of

the time, large wind turbines are owned by the government and contribute to the environment

and the economy.

Wind energy has a positive impact on the economy. Throughout the expansion of many

large alternative energy companies, over 80,000 jobs have been brought to the United States.

According to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the impact of these jobs has opened

new government funded projects that have longer projected operational periods due to the

quickly expanding alternative energy industry. The U.S. wind industry has over 45,000

operational turbines producing nearly 60,000 megawatts of energy which is equal to sixty

nuclear power plants. (“Wind Energy”).

Planning, building, and operating are all parts of the success of a wind turbine and each

phase provides numerous amounts of jobs. A typical wind farm used for utilities creates 1,079

jobs over its lifetime. A 250-megawatt turbine generates 522 construction jobs that help

assemble it, 432 positions in manufacturing, eighty jobs for the planning and strategic placement

operations, eighteen sales positions and twenty- seven slots for operating and maintaining
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positive production of electricity (“Average”). Many people think that these jobs can only be

filled by people with an environmental background in their career, but they are wrong. Each job

position is unlike any of the others when it comes to building a wind farm. Wind energy employs

people with degrees from electrical engineering to marketing. Wind energy is starting to become

an alternative energy source for big name energy companies such as General Electric. Over 40%

of all electricity providers generate some of their energy from private wind farms. This not only

has reduced pollution, but has also opened up cleaner and safer jobs (“Wind

energy”). Throughout the expansion of wind energy, many successful businesses have been

created that provide more jobs which lead to positive economic growth.

Many people are constantly viewing the cost and what they will get in return before

investing in a product. This situation often comes across when researching to buy into an

alternative energy provider. Wind turbines are able to produce more electricity for the same price

as solar panels. In other words, if one invested $1000, you can produce anywhere from 1kW -

2kW of energy from a wind turbine. On the other hand, if one invested that same $1000 in a

solar panel, the energy produced would range from .5kW- .75kW (“Go Green”). The return of

investment (ROI), on wind energy is far greater than solar energy as one can get up to two and a

half times more energy produced.

When building a large-scale wind turbine in the United States, the federal government

will provide a subsidy of up to 30% of the cost to build. Many people see this as an attraction to

build wind farms. The government also uses it to get more people to establish themselves into an

upcoming era of clean energy. If one were to construct a wind farm that cost $500,000, 30% of

the price would be paid for by the federal government. If the turbine were to only produce half of

its maximum output, the farm could be completely paid in less than five years. After five years
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one could have free electricity for up to twenty years (“Go Green”). The energy produced is

often sold. many private wind farm owners often only need a small fraction of the energy

produced from the turbine. The owners will often create a deal to connect their energy with the

local power grid and let the turbine pay for itself. Many people are distracted by the often-

thought ugly sight of a turbine, but in reality, many people do not know how much money is

saved and how much profit is produced by having a turbine on an area of land. The return of

investment on a wind turbine not only brings you money, but helps the environment.

Not everyone in the world knows how much of an effect wind energy has on the

environment. The burning of coal is the most common form of producing electricity today. The

smoke produced depletes the earth’s ozone layer which protects humans from harmful UV rays.

Luckily the uprising wind energy turbines help decrease the amount of coal burned. In Texas, the

wind turbines can produce up to 25% of the energy for the entire power grid (“Interesting”).

Every moment that alternative energy is being used, helps the planet last longer. Unlike fossil

fuels, wind energy does not add to the carbon emissions in the atmosphere, therefore, no

pollution is being produced and no climate change is occurring.

Wind is fast moving air, present everywhere. It is renewed all the time as the earth heats

and cools. It is a renewable source of energy unlike the fossil fuels. Many scientists think that for

every kilowatt-hour generated by wind, at least one pound of coal can remain unmined and stay

underground. Wind farms use water to clean the blades occasionally, but the amount used is

nowhere near the amount of water used for nuclear or coal power plants that use large amounts

of water for the thermodynamic cycle (“How Do”).

Wind turbines are built mostly out in the flatlands and plains of the world where wind

speeds are optimal for producing electricity (Figure A). Wind often powers the farms in the
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Midwest to the western territories of the U.S. Wind patterns vary across the country and can be

affected by bodies of water, terrain, and vegetation (“How do wind turbines work”). There is

almost little to no deforestation to the area where a turbine is installed. The earth’s fossil fuels

will eventually run-out within the next few centuries. Unlike fossil fuels, wind will last

forever. As long as the sun exists, the wind will keep blowing. Wind turbines have an

environmental impact that can only help the environment and make the planet last longer.

Wind turbines do not require much space; they are versatile objects that can be placed

almost anywhere and are easy to operate day and night. Wind turbines are built as vertical

structures, unlike solar panels they require air space not ground space. The wind on earth is

constantly in motion both day and night therefore the wind turbines operate constantly with a

steady supply of energy. Solar panels only operate during the day when there is sunlight. (“Go

Green”). Wind turbines are commonly placed on fields, farms, or in the ocean, so they can be

away from objects that can harm them. Solar panels are often placed in the yards of homes which

can bring risk of breaking or cracking due to baseball's, tree branches, and other objects. Many

people do not see the added benefits of wind power and are not interested in it due to the

negative effects of wind power.

People today are not just concerned about the positive effects something can have, but

also the negative effects. Wildlife is a large concern with our environment today and how we can

protect animals. Wind turbines are tall structures that can range from 200-300 feet tall. A few

birds fly at this height and can often run into the wind turbines and become seriously injured or

even die. Although many birds are not killed, some of our nation's most important birds are the

ones that can be harmed. Hawks and eagles are among the two birds that are mostly affected by

turbines. Not only can birds be killed, but the fragmentation of their habitat can occur. John Tsai
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of the Changhua Coast Conservation Action, Taiwan says, “The wind turbines cause a habitat

fragmentation or a barrier effect. This is sometimes crucial for birds in their energy balance. If

they spend too much time avoiding wind turbines or finding a safe way to their roosting sites,

they are at higher risk of losing their optimal habitat use pattern” (“Wind power problems”). The

birds that live around wind turbines are constantly trying to avoid them and this depletes their

energy causing them to take shelter in other places which will fragment their habitats. Many

activists want the turbines placed in areas that are not near flight patterns for birds.

Environmental problems are not just the only conflict that turbines create; many people

are bothered by the flickering shadows and the noise created by the movement of the blades.

Turbines can be heard at distances at least as great as 2.5km if facing in the right direction. While

the sound is not loud, some people find it annoying and a distraction. At shorter distances, such

as 1 km or below, people have reported that the noise can cause sleeping problems which can

lead to stress and other health problems. People have also complained about the shadows the

turbines produce when the moon is out at night and how they do not like it (“Wind power

problems). Many of the problems reported are because of the location of the wind turbines which

can be fixed by perhaps changing the location of where you live. In order to make the

environment cleaner, people have to adapt and make changes. To save the environment, we must

use eco-friendly sources that may have an effect on habitats or a small group of animals. The

alternative would be to burn fossil fuels for the rest of our lives, thus contributing further to the

problems pollution cause.

Wind turbines and alternative energy as a whole are necessary to save the earth and its

animals. It will also provide long term jobs and is a thriving industry that will replace fossil

fuels. The use of fossil fuels needs to be reduced and people need to be proactive in their thought
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process in order to become an energy efficient society. People may not always support wind

energy, but it is in the present and the future, and will continue to grow and innovate through

advances in technology.

Appendix
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Figure A (“These Maps”).

This picture gives a clear description in the U.S. where the wind speeds are the highest.
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