Keirstyn Marcucci

EGEE101 H
Reflective Essay 2
3/30/2015
Wind Energy
Currently, wind energy is one of the most potentially helpful renewable sources available
in the United States. In 2008, the United States overtook Germany as the top producer of wind
electricity in the world (Our Energy Sources: Renewable Sources). Since then, the power of
wind has only continued to grow. At the end of 2013, there were over 46,000 operating wind
turbines across 39 states, along with Puerto Rico, representing 61,110 megawatts (MW), which is
enough to power over 15.5 million homes (AWEA, Wind 101). As stated in What You Need
to Know About Energy, in 2008, wind energy produced more than 1% of the United States
electricity (Our Energy Sources: Renewable Sources); by 2013, this number increased to 4.1%,
but certain states use much more, such as Iowa and South Dakota (AWEA, Wind 101). These
statistics show how much wind energy is growing as a resource throughout the country. In 2008,
estimates believed that by 2030 wind energy could provide up to 4.5% of Americas electricity
by 2030, a number that according to AWEA has already been surpassed (What You Need to
Know about Energy, Wind).
Wind power is a form of solar energy that captures the natural wind in the atmosphere by
a wind turbine, which converts winds mechanical energy to electricity. People began using wind
power centuries ago through the use of windmills. Wind energy propelled boats as early as 5000
BC. By 200 BC, windmills in China pumped water, while vertical-axis windmills with woven
reed sails were grinding grain in the Middle East (Wind Energy Foundation, Wind Energy
History). New ways of using wind energy quickly spread around the world. Wind energy was
used by American colonists and World War Two. Oil Shortages of the 1970s changed the energy

picture for the US and the world, thus leading to an increased interest in finding energy
alternatives.
Today, wind turbines represent a highly evolved version of the windmills first used in
both China and the Middle East. Most have three blades and sit upon a steel tubular tower and
can be small enough to provide power to a single home or large enough to power hundreds of
homes (AWEA, Wind 101). A single turbine can provide up to enough energy to power 500
homes and there is enough on-shore wind in America to power the country 10 times over (Wind
Energy Foundation, Interesting Wind Energy Facts). Wind energy, although an intermittent
energy source, is still the fastest growing source of electricity in the world.
The benefits of wind energy should be weighed against the disadvantages of converting
wind energy to electricity. Wind energy is clean form of energy that uses virtually no water and
pumps billions of dollars into the economy each year (AWEA, Wind 101). Since wind energy
does not burn fossil fuels, it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or pollute the
atmosphere in any other way. It is also a domestic form of energy, meaning that it could greatly
reduce our dependence on foreign countries and contributing to our independence as a country
overall. Wind energy is also insourcing jobs in the manufacturing sector. The industry employs
50,500 people in construction, development, engineering, operations with tens of thousands
employed across 550 United State facilities (AWEA, Wind 101). Along with these advantages,
wind energy can also boost the economies of rural areas, where farmers can rent out land to
companies and still have enough space to grow crops and raise cattle (What You Need to Know
about Energy, Wind).
With these advantages, also come a number of disadvantages. Even though the cost of
wind power has decreased drastically in the past ten years, the technology used to create wind
power requires a higher initial investment cost than fossil-fueled generators. Roughly 80% of this
cost comes from its machinery, as well as preparation and installation (Wind Energy

Development, Wind Energy Basics). Though wind power plants have relatively little impact on
the environment compared to fossil-fuel plants, there are concerns over the noise produced by
the rotor blades, aesthetic impact, and avian/bat mortality by flying into rotors. Many of these
potentially harms have been removed with new technologies, but still exist in older wind
turbines. The largest disadvantage facing wind energy is that it currently lacks an inexpensive
and practical way to store its energy output (What You Need to Know about Energy, Wind).
Even with these disadvantages, wind energys potential contribution is large, and with
developments in storage technologies and an expanded and upgraded electrical grid, it could
provide a substantial portion of Americas electricity. Continued expansion of wind power
depends on a variety of factors, especially fossil fuel prices, tax credits, state energy programs,
technology improvements, access to grids, and public concern about environmental impact
(What You Need to Know about Energy, Wind). By 2030, a combination of positive factors,
along with effort for sustained development, could lead to 20% of the United States overall
electricity being produced by wind energy.

Bibliography
History. Wind Energy Foundation. n.p., n.d. Web. 30 March 2015.
Interesting Wind Facts. Wind Energy Foundation. n.p., n.d. Web. 30 March 2015.
Wind. What You Need to Know About Energy. National Academies, n.d. Web. 30 March 2015.
Wind 101. American Wind Energy Association. n.p., n.d. Web. 30 March 2015.
Wind Energy Basics. Wind Energy Development. n.p., n.d. Web. 30 March 2015.