Located in northwestern Indiana near the Illinois border, the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm is a utility-scale wind farm.
Being the eighth largest wind farm in the world, the Fowler farm has the ability to power 200,000 homes in its vicinity. The farm contains 355 turbines over a 50,000 acre plot of land.This picture depicts the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm.
The picture gives a great view of the typical wind farm in the midwest. It shows the vast amount of land required for wind farming, but also the small amount of it that is actually taken up by the process. It also gives insight to the number of lines that must be constructed to actually deliver the power to surrounding areas.Wind power relies on less land than other energy sources. According to the Madison Gas and Electric Company, only 5% of land on a wind farm is used for the actual process. All other processes can continue to occur on the site without interference. This minimal use of land lowers the ecological footprints of those that are taking advantage of the energy source because it is taking less land to provide for them.Wind energy provides power for domestic use.
This is profitable because areas that are prone to wind will continue in that trend, providing power for years to come. Therefore, implementing wind farms will create a perpetual cycle of power for the area. The Wind Energy Technologies Office states that wind power has largest renewable generation capacity when compared to that of all other renewable sources in the entire country. Using wind power in the United States will benefit consumers, while alse positively contributing to the environment.With all other advantages combined, wind power is beneficial to the economy, and it has the potential to produce even greater impacts. Job outlook for wind-related careers is great. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that wind turbine technician is the number one career for growth for the decade. It is evident by this that wind power is becoming more prevalent, and the increase of well-educated technicians will only increase the productivity of the resource.
The possibilities that the United States has regarding wind power will open the door to competition, thus turning this environmental concern to an economic surplus.Wind power can harm the ecology of the area in which it is used. Bird populations can be negatively affected by flying into the path of the turbine. This not only harms the birds, but those that depend on birds for food are at a disadvantage, while the natural prey benefit.Wind power can produce noise and impact the natural beauty of the region, both of which may produce fierce backlash from residents. There is no better example than in the midwestern states of Indiana and Illinois in which one could travel for miles and see hundreds of wind turbines on either side of the road.
Wind power does, perhaps, form a more unfavorable image than other renewable resource options.Though efforts are made to select the most profitable sites for wind farms, wind is a variable, even in the higher class sites. Energy cannot be obtained without wind, so it is necessary to understand the potential for lulls in energy production, as determined by nature.
