Benefits of Wind Power

Wind power has many benefits that make it an attractive source of power for both utility-scale and small, distributed power generation applications. The beneficial characteristics of wind energy are:

• Clean and inexhaustible fuel:
Wind power produces no emissions and is not depleted over time. A single one megawatt (1 MW) wind turbine running for one year can displace over 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide, 6.5 tons of sulfur dioxide, 3.2 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 60 pounds of mercury (based on the U.S. average utility generation fuel mix).

• Local economic development:
Wind plants can provide a steady flow of income to landowners who lease their land for wind development, while increasing property tax revenues for local communities.

• Modular and scalable technology:
Wind applications can take many forms, including large wind farms, distributed generation, and single end-use systems. Utilities can use wind resources strategically to help reduce load forecasting risks and stranded costs.

• Energy price stability:
By further diversifying the energy mix, wind energy reduces dependence on conventional fuels that are subject to price and supply volatility.

• Reduced reliance on imported fuels:
Wind energy expenditures are not used to obtain fuels from abroad, keeping funds closer to home, and lessening dependence on foreign governments that supply these fuels.