Wind power is one of the easiest energy sources to renew because wind occurs naturally every day. Wind is caused by the unequal heating of the Earth's surface by the sun, which results in a current of air moving from warmer to cooler temperatures. Wind power is the harnessing of kinetic energy in moving air to turn the blades of a turbine, which generates electricity.
The best way to take advantage of the easily renewable nature of wind power as an energy source is to build turbines in places where wind occurs frequently. The term "wind corridor" has been coined to refer to an area where wind flows nearly constantly due to geographic conditions. One of the largest wind corridors in the world stretches from near Sweetwater, Texas, along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains to the Canadian border. Warm air from over the gulf steadily moves north to transfer heat to the colder region, creating a steady wind able to meet at least 20 percent of electricity demand in the United States.
Wind farms already exist in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in a wind corridor in northern California. A plan proposed by oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens would build 2,000 wind turbines over a space of 200,000 acres in West Texas, making the largest wind farm in the world. If realized on this scale, Pickens' plan could generate more than 4,000 megawatts, enough to power a million homes.
Wind corridors represent the most efficient locales for commercial wind power projects, but smaller wind turbines can be installed in areas where wind is not as constant and be used to power individual homes sitting on a lot as small as one acre. Residential wind turbines installed on a tower would be inactive if the wind speed is below about ten mph, and the home would draw power from the local electrical grid. The faster the wind blows, however, the more electricity will be generated from the turbine and the less taken from the local utility. With this "small wind" technology, some people can reduce their monthly electrical bills to $15 or less and reduce the load on power plants.
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