Wind Power: The future of power generation

In response to the worldwide fuel and power crisis, we are inventing newer methods of harnessing available sources of energy. Well one of the newer means of power generation which costs relatively lesser and is more environment friendly is Wind Power. Conversion of wind energy into electricity using wind turbines is how wind power is harnessed. I read in the wikipeia that last year (2007) 94.1 gigawatts of power was produced across the world and this is just 1% of the total electricity produced. We still have a long way to go if we have to stop or even considerably slow down use of fossil fuels. But considering the statistics of 2000 the global wind power generation has increased phenomenally (500%).

One of the major sources of wind power is at windy regions where corporations install large numbers of windmills which are connected to turbines which help convert the force of wind into electricity and transmit it to the grid for circulation.

Well why am I blogging about Wind Energy, when I am not even remotely connected to the industry? Let me come to the point now, during my recent California trip, I saw the two extremes of harnessing energy sources. In Texas I saw hundreds of oil and natural gas wells dotting both sides of the highway (I-20) and in California I saw hundreds of windmills in numerous windfarms along the highway. Texas also has potential to establish wind farms but the development has been slow.

Here are some pictures of wind farms I noticed while on road to California.