While wind energy currently accounts for about 4% of the U.S. power sector, its potential is immense. Experts suggest that wind power can easily supply more than 20% of U.S. and world electricity.
This is good news given that coal produces less than 40% of our power yet is responsible for 70% of the power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Here are just a few reasons to consider wind power as a source for electricity:
Wind is a free, native fuel—Unlike other forms of electrical generation where fuel is shipped to a processing plant, wind energy generates electricity at the source of fuel, which is free. Wind does not need to be mined or transported, removing two expensive costs from long-term energy expenses.
The cost of wind is fixed—The price of electricity from fossil fuels and nuclear power can fluctuate greatly due to highly variable mining and transportation costs. Wind can help buffer these costs because the price of fuel is fixed and free.
Wind promotes cost-effective energy production—The cost of wind-generated electricity has fallen from nearly 40¢ per kWh in the early 1980s to 2.5-5¢ per kWh today, depending on wind speed and the size of the project.
Wind energy offers many financial, environmental, and social benefits to the communities and individuals who choose to get involved with it.
Home and farm-scale wind energy systems are generally less than 100 kW in capacity and produce electrical power for on-site use. These turbines are suitable for use with single homes, small businesses, family farms and agricultural operations.
Some homeowners produce a small amount of electricity for use at their home or farm. Others produce excess electricity to sell to a utility company, and still others lease land to developers who build large wind facilities. The size of your project will help determine the scope of your development planning.
If you are a small commercial or residential energy user in Southeast Michigan and you are interested in exploring a small-scale wind turbine system, be sure to give Oak Electric a call at 800-964-7070 and visit our website at: www.oakelectric.com to learn more about our wind power installations.
