Harnessing the Wind to Work For Everyone
It has taken a lot of persuasion, but proponents of wind power are winning the world over, sometimes one windmill at a time
By Heather Green
With demand for wind power taking off, figuring out how to build wind farms that communities will embrace rather than fight is increasingly important. Rows of 400-ft.-tall turbines might not raise a ruckus on the remote plateaus of Wyoming. But it's another issue entirely when it comes to more populated spots, such as Nantucket Island. Innovative approaches to integrating wind farms into communities are emerging and being refined. And in the process, the supply of clean, renewable energy is building steadily. Community-owned co-ops, urban windmills, and wind-powered schools -- these are just a few of the projects that are pushing wind power forward around the globe.
With demand for wind power taking off, figuring out how to build wind farms that communities will embrace rather than fight is increasingly important. Rows of 400-ft.-tall turbines might not raise a ruckus on the remote plateaus of Wyoming. But it's another issue entirely when it comes to more populated spots, such as Nantucket Island. Innovative approaches to integrating wind farms into communities are emerging and being refined. And in the process, the supply of clean, renewable energy is building steadily. Community-owned co-ops, urban windmills, and wind-powered schools -- these are just a few of the projects that are pushing wind power forward around the globe.
