WIND.

Learn about the benefits and applications of wind & turbine-based energy in our rapidly changing world.

Wind Energy

What is exactly is wind energy?

Wind energy involved harnessing the naturally flowing wind in Earth's atmosphere to generate substantIal amounts of electricity. It has been used by humans for millennia, and in the modern world it has proven to continue to be of great use. As one of the most common forms of renewable energy, see how your community can harness wind's power via methods such as turbines to make an impact in the fight against climate chage, as well as enjoy the financial and economic benefits it brings.

Benefits of Wind

Why should you go turbine?

Cost Effectiveness

Wind energy is by far the cheapest form of renewable energy, with the International Energy Association estimating that an onland wind farm built today will make energy at a lower average cost that any other form of renewable energy. This is in large thanks to the massive advancements made in wind technology over the last decades, as technologies in modern turbines have led to the price of wind energy falling almost 95% since 1980. And the future has potential to bring the price down even further, with the development of even better technologies.

Job Creation

Wind Power creates many good-paying jobs. Currently, there are over 125,000 people working in the U.S. wind industry across all 50 states, and this can keep growing as more wind power is adopted. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind turbine service jobs are the fastest growing U.S. job of the decade, and the industry has the potential to support hundreds of thousands of more jobs by 2050.

Renewability

Of course, wind energy is renewable. The atmosphere will not run out of wind, meaning there will always be a constant supply for us to harvest. However, surprisingly, wind energy is incredibly clean, even remarkably cleaner than other forms of clean energy, such as solar and hydropower. The production of wind turbines obviously creates some greenhouse gases. But, even taking that into consideration, a wind turbine produces only about a fourth of the greenhouse gas emissions of a solar panel per kilowatt of electricity.

Pricing and Tax

Yeah, it's expensive.

Wind turbines can be expensive to produce, with the harvesting of materials needed for them like steel and fiberglass and mining for certain minerals required being very costly. Still, there are financial benefits and incentive programs that can make this costly investment a bit more manageable.

  • Inflation Reduction Act: The Inflation Reduction Act, becoming law on August 16, 2022, increases investment and production tax credits through 2024 for wind energy project that began prior to 2025. After 2025, they will be replaced and ultimately phased out. Projects must meet apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements, but facilities under 1 megawatt are exempt. Bonus credits are also available. To learn about specific requirements and bonuses, look here
  • The Production Tax credit (PTC) is a production-based tax credit available to various renewable energy sources, including wind, made to help renewable energy sources compete with the incentives given to other traditional energy sources. The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a credit for investment costs at the start of a project, like the production of wind turbines. Learn more about the PTC and ITC here
  • Accelerated Depreciation, enacted through the Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) allows wind project owners to depreciate most capital costs on a 5-year schedule. This can help reduce the financial leap and subsequent burden taken by project developers.
  • The Department of Agriculture provides farmers and ranchers with loans and grants for renewable energy development projects, including wind, through its Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Entities such as state and local governments, as well as education institutions, are eligible for REAP incentives.

Providers

Let's get started.

Vestas

Vestas is one the market leader of turbine manufacturers in the U.S. In 2023, they spent 1.9 billion dollars supplying American markets and 66 million providing Canadian markets.

General Electric

GE has a large section in wind power, as one of the largest suppliers in the nation. They can supply onshore and offshore wind turbines, and many support services to suit. So far, they have over 49,000 units installed worldwide.

Goldwind

Goldwind is the world leader in Permanent Magnet Direct-Drive (PMDD) technology. Their specialization in wind energy has lead to some of the most cutting-edge technologies in the industry, and have a worldwide reach.

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