Types of Renewable Energy

Wind Power

By harnessing the power of the wind to spin turbine blades, many sites across the Pacific Northwest are generating electricity to meet local and long-distance energy needs. Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more aboveground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades.

Wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications, or they can be connected to a utility power grid. For utility-scale sources of wind energy, a large number of wind turbines are usually built close together to form a wind farm.

Stand-alone wind turbines are typically used for water pumping or communications. However, homeowners, farmers, and ranchers in windy areas can also use wind turbines as a way to reduce their electric bills.