NYPIRG has made it easy for New Yorkers to purchase wind power. We’ve teamed up with Community Energy, Inc. (CEI), a marketer of 100% New Wind Energy that’s generated in New York State.
Wind Power FAQ
How does wind power get to the grid?
If I sign up, will I get wind power delivered into my home?
What happens when the wind isn't blowing?
Are turbines dangerous to birds? Are they noisy?
What are the benefits of wind power?
How much wind power does the U.S. produce?
What is wind energy?
Wind is a form of solar energy: winds are caused by the sun’s uneven heating of the atmosphere, the irregularities of the earth?s surface and the rotation of the earth. Wind can be used to do work because the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the wind can be changed into either mechanical or electrical energy.
 | Guide to Green Electricity click here |
How does wind power get to the grid?
Electricity, which is converted in a transformer, flows to a substation and then into a large power grid. From there, the wind-generated electricity is sent through utility lines. As wind-powered electricity is added to the grid, other generators will be turned down or off to maintain the balance. Electric generators put power into the grid at hundreds of locations and consumers take power from the grid at their homes and businesses. Generators operate to keep the grid in balance (not overflowing) at all times. That means that when one generator is added, another needs to turn off.
If I sign up, will I get wind-power electricity delivered to my home?
Think of a utility’s mix of fuels or generating mix as a large pool?an energy pool that is. You don't have a choice of what kind of energy you take out of the pool?you have to take the mix that comes through the power lines?BUT you can choose to put wind energy into the pool. The utility adds more wind energy to the pool based on the amount customers agree to purchase. The more wind energy people choose, the more wind energy in the pool taking the place of polluting conventional energy (typically fossil-fueled power plants).
What happens when the wind isn’t blowing?
You?ll still have electricity. Granted the wind is intermittent (it doesn't always blow), but the electric grid is equipped to deal with such variability and other resources will continue to supply power. Customers will not notice a difference.
Are turbines dangerous to birds? Are they noisy?
Most of the problems with noise and bird kills have been resolved or greatly reduced through technological developments and proper siting of wind turbines.
What are the benefits of wind energy?
Wind has many benefits that make it an attractive energy source. Wind powered systems neither generate air or water emissions or produce hazardous waste, nor do they deplete natural resources. Wind?s pollution-free electricity can help reduce the environmental damage caused by power generation. Just one utility-scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Already the 6 billion kilowatt-hours currently generated by wind plants in the U.S. each year displaced 9 billion pounds (4.5 million tons) of carbon dioxide, 23, 500 tons of sulfur dioxide (64 tons per day) and 15,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (42 tons per day) from the air.
Why does wind cost more?
The cost of wind energy is determined by the cost of buying, constructing, and maintaining the wind turbines; transmission and distribution costs to bring the energy to the point of use; and the cost of leasing and maintaining the land. Overall, wind power is the least expensive of all the renewable energy technologies. The cost for generating electricity from wind has fallen over 80% since the early 1980s and is expected to continue to fall as technology improves. In addition, when weighing the cost of wind versus conventional energy, the environmental and public health costs of conventional electricity generation, such as air pollution and acid rain, need to be factored in. Those hidden costs make conventional energy seem cheaper than it really is.
How much wind energy does the U.S. produce?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in 2003, U.S. wind generating capacity increased by more than 30% and wind power plants of various size now operate in 32 states with a total generating capacity of 6374 MW of power, enough to meet the energy needs of more than 3 million homes. As the DOE points out, that may seem like a lot to the average homeowner, however, it provides a very small percentage of the electricity our nation uses and is a fraction of what our country could produce if we took full advantage of our wind resources.
The US is second in the world for installed capacity--the highest level of electrical output that a power plant is designed to be able to maintain continuously without causing damage to the plant--with Germany the world leader with 14,600 MW; Spain third with 6,200 MW and Denmark fourth with 3,100 MW. The DOE?s goal is for the U.S. wind industry to increase wind capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2020.
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