Wind PowerWind Power

Advantages of Wind PowerAdvantages of Wind Power

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:

US has plentiful supplyUS has plentiful supply Falling costsFalling costs Inexpensive to set upInexpensive to set up Farmers earn incomeFarmers earn income Non-pollutingNon-polluting

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:US has natural advantageUS has natural advantage

1)1) Studies suggest that with Studies suggest that with today’stoday’s wind technology, we could convert wind technology, we could convert North and South Dakota to wind North and South Dakota to wind farms, and generate all electricity farms, and generate all electricity used in USA today.used in USA today.

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:Falling costsFalling costs

1)1) Twenty years of work has Twenty years of work has produced falling costs.produced falling costs.

2)2) Wind is now competitive with other Wind is now competitive with other energy sources.energy sources.

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:Low start up costsLow start up costs

3)3) Very inexpensive to set up, and Very inexpensive to set up, and there are low maintenance costs.there are low maintenance costs.

4)4) Currently, more than 20 Iowa Currently, more than 20 Iowa schools have a turbine that schools have a turbine that generates enough electricity to generates enough electricity to power the air conditioners, or the power the air conditioners, or the heat, or both.heat, or both.

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:Farm IncomeFarm Income

5)5) Farmers can now earn up to $4000 Farmers can now earn up to $4000 per year in the Midwest, depending per year in the Midwest, depending on location, by selling the energy to on location, by selling the energy to the local utilities.the local utilities.

The Advantages of Wind Power:The Advantages of Wind Power:No pollutionNo pollution

6)6) Wind power doesn’t generate any Wind power doesn’t generate any pollution.pollution.

Disadvantages of Wind PowerDisadvantages of Wind Power

The Disadvantages of Wind Power:The Disadvantages of Wind Power:

UnreliabilityUnreliability Mismatch between demand & Mismatch between demand &

supplysupply Ugly & sprawlingUgly & sprawling Storage problemsStorage problems

The Disadvantages of Wind Power:The Disadvantages of Wind Power:UnreliabilityUnreliability

1)1) Wind doesn’t always blow.Wind doesn’t always blow.

Even in the Dakotas, let alone the Even in the Dakotas, let alone the rest of the country.rest of the country.

The Disadvantages of Wind Power:The Disadvantages of Wind Power:Mismatch Between Demand & Mismatch Between Demand &

SupplySupply

2)2) Wind always blows, but not Wind always blows, but not necessarily where the energy necessarily where the energy consumers are.consumers are.

We have plenty of wind in the Great We have plenty of wind in the Great Plains, but not on the coasts, or Plains, but not on the coasts, or much of the South.much of the South.

The Disadvantages of Wind Power:The Disadvantages of Wind Power:Ugly & SprawlingUgly & Sprawling

3)3) Wind farms don’t pollute, but they Wind farms don’t pollute, but they aren’t pretty: nobody wants them.aren’t pretty: nobody wants them.

4)4) Use up a lot of land spaceUse up a lot of land space

The Disadvantages of Wind Power:The Disadvantages of Wind Power:Storage IssuesStorage Issues

5)5) When the wind blows, there isn’t When the wind blows, there isn’t any way to store the excess energy any way to store the excess energy produced. produced.

This is This is THE THE problem with wind power.problem with wind power.

Bottom LineBottom Line

Wind turbines are no longer the energy Wind turbines are no longer the energy of the future. The technology of the future. The technology works today. works today.

We can expand this type of energy, We can expand this type of energy, which will help with all issues.which will help with all issues.

Funding energy storage is the key to Funding energy storage is the key to much greater future development.much greater future development.