The sun converts 5 million tons of matter into energy every second this energy from Nuclear Reactions within the sun is sent out into the solar system as light and heat. The earth receives only a part of this energy which see and feel in different ways as the sun warms the earth, the air is also warmed, the warm air rises and, cool air rushes in below, causing the conversion of sunlight into another form of solar energy. Wind. Today this turbine wind to provide of the energy for running an Amusement Park near allentown, pennsylvania another example of wind use today is this, which helps create new mexico use of wind energy will increase in the future and help the United States to become more energy independent. But wind Energy Nothing new in america. The idea of windmills was brought here by early europeans settlers and used in many ways to power grinding mills and later to pump water the steam locomotives that connected new york and San Francisco and to supply water for farming. These early windmills were mechanical, often using a series of gears to harness this energy could be stored by using the wind pump water into an elevated storage tank. Gravity the water. Whether the wind was blowing, not this system was used for irrigation and household supplies with the coming of electric lights, appliances when systems designed to generate electricity a series of batteries was used to store this energy wind energy, its peak in the United States, the 1930s and forties, when at least million windmills were in operation, providing an important source of energy for rural america. Many households had their own windmill and generator. Most of those produced one or two kilowatts of electricity. A kilowatt is 1000 watts and can light ten 100 watt light bulbs during the early 1940s. Large wind which could provide power. Many users were introduced. This power was distributed through a utility grid, a network of transmission lines, which sent electricity from Central Source to individual users towering above grandpas knob. Rutland, vermont the smiths putnam turbine fed electricity to a Vermont Utility company. This system was to produce up to one and a quarter megawatt of electricity. One megawatt equals 1 million watts or enough electric to light 10,100 watt light bulbs, but a cheaper, more convenient source of energy was sweeping the country, one that did not require batteries water storage tanks or maintenance electric power lines from centralized coal and gas fired power plants brought cheaper electricity to outlying areas and wind energy was neglected. Today, costs and other problems associated with conventional fuel make wind again a promising part of Americas Energy resources. In theory, it is possible to harness about 60 of the energy in the wind farm. This potentially usable power in the wind blowing the United States in one year is more and the countrys total power needs for that same period. Mit, Marcellus Jacobs whose work with wind spans the period from the peak of wind energy use in the thirties and forties to the present revival of interest to start developing our real plan on a ranch in montana 40 miles in time, he had no electricity and there was no hope of highline a good many years. So started to devise a machine to, make electricity from the wind, which there was plenty and built several test plants using ford model t and we built that i think about a dozen and put them on ranches for 50 miles around there and. After three or four years, they proved so successful we decided to make a business. It apparently firms in developing and building wind systems proved what the increase in energy cost a new and improved type of Wind Energy System would be practical and competitive with the costs of fossil fuel systems. Now being used. There are probably with wind energy, it not always blow when and where want it and quality machines are expensive, but solutions are being sought by the department of energy is testing small systems for individual use and large machines for centralized utility needs. The number of available wind turbine models has grown from fewer than 20. In 1976 to 72. In 1979, several of small wind machines are undergoing tests at the department of energys rocky flats facility in colorado. These tests are meant to provide valuable information to consumers, wind turbine manufacturers and organizations affecting. The use of wind machines such banks, zoning commissions and insurance companies. There is also a rocky flats program to develop advanced designs that increase the lifespan and reliability of wind machines and lower their manufacturing costs. The department of energy is working with nasa to develop large scale wind machines for large experimental turbines, generate power for electric utility. They are operating new mexico. Gregory co, rhode island and north carolina. Now another department of energy nasa project is this giant machine because it will produce two and a half megawatts of power, even in areas having more moderate winds, it will be more widely usable than experimental models. Private industry is also designing and building large scale machines and cutting. Hunk island, massachusetts. Since the municipal utility lowered its fossil fuel use by replacing some diesel generated electricity with power. This 200 kilowatt machine was developed entirely with private funds Public Utilities too. Are interested in wind. This turbine served as a prototype for development of a megawatt scale machine. Part of Southern California edison companies. 2 billion Wind Energy Development program. How much is being done to develop cost effective, Reliable Equipment . But what about the need storing excess power for wind periods . Batteries work in some cases, but today another option exists. Martin greenwald of thompson new york, gets some of his from a two kilowatt windmill on his farm. The greenwald what energy they need and excess generated by the windmill is fed into the utility Grid Building up a credit on their account a situation exists in another part of New York New York city while the urban environment is generally not conducive to wind machines because of high and unpredictable turbulence caused by a tall building. It was here. The legal precedent was established to tie in small systems with the utility grid tenants in wind Energy Engineer explains the importance of this action we establish the right for people produce power from decentralized wind systems and interconnect that Wind Energy Conversion system with the Utility Company. Now, thats an important precedent its much more expensive with smaller Wind Energy Conversion systems to have battery storage. So especially with small installations its important to interconnect with the Utility Company whereby they serve as a backup source of energy for you when you winter load and also where they buy your surplus wind around electricity this will enhance economic of wind machines and its an important Wind Energy Policy area to pursue. The problems are being examined and solved and wind is being used today this turbine in texas heats water. These ridge turbines like this cross above denver, colorado and this eggbeater turbine, a joint department of energy and, Us Department of Agriculture Research supplies Energy Irrigation near garden city, kansas and one provides energy to refrigerate milk on a dairy farm near fort collins, colorado. These three turbine convert sebring is into power for a newspaper in saint petersburg, florida. The wind has potential as an energy source. America, a potential that is in the process of being really used as costs decrease with mass production as, new technology and stronger and lighter materials are developed and as the cost of Energy Continues to wind energy will find an even more important under the sun sun