It has been a struggle for the United States to break its relationship with fossil fuels. Many citizens look to renewable energy as the answer, and harnessing the power of wind has been one of the most touted solutions. Here are a few reasons why wind energy is an excellent way to support environmentally friendly power needs.
- Clean Slate
Fossil fuels are dirty, that much everyone knows. With over 50% of America’s greenhouse emissions coming from coal and natural gas powered plants, it makes sense to phase out these pollution factories. Wind turbines make an excellent substitute because they produce no harmful emissions when in operation, .
There is also an inexhaustible supply of wind power. Being a renewable resource, the “fuel” for turbines is essentially free energy. Turbines harvest this power on the spot as well, meaning there is no energy wasted transporting coal to power plants, and no lives are at risk when collecting fuel as with coal.
- Money Makers
In order to get a wind-powered infrastructure in place, power producers need turbines and people to install and maintain them. For example, in Arizona wind energy is gaining traction with new turbine installations that will provide jobs for workers in the area. These companies also bring tax and employment income to rural areas, revitalizing economies that have suffered as businesses move elsewhere.
Farm owners also have new options with wind. They can convert some of their current acreage into turbine farms, subsidizing their agricultural income in the form of rent from power companies. They’ll also retain the ability to work the majority of their land thanks to the turbines’ small footprint.
- Wind Energy Economics
Subsidies are available to all forms of energy production, including wind. Even so, other methods of production receive much greater subsidies, in the vein of tens of millions more per year. This means renewable power stands to save taxpayers while costing less in health-related costs, too.
Focusing on turbines would also place the United States on the forefront of worldwide clean energy production. A reliance on fossil fuels only hurts the economy as local sources are both costly and prohibitive to attain. Instead of literally fueling the economies of other nations, America could not only find independence but stand as a model for other nations to follow.
Clean energy has been on the minds of the US population for decades. Wind energy is one of the best ways to harness the Earth’s natural and renewable resources. When America starts taking clean energy seriously, it could find that fossil fuels are gone with the wind.